Thursday, April 22, 2010

OOTD: Hello Yellow

It's funny how wearing a bright colored item in what feels like a regular typical outfit can give it such new life!



Black Cardigan: Vera Wang for Kohls (see previous post for price)
Yellow Top (the necklace is actually attached to the top): TJ Maxx $30
Jeans: Macys (see previous posts)
Black wedges: Aerosoles (see previous posts)
Black cuff: Forever21 $12

Product Comparison: Hot Tools IONIC® Anti-Static Salon Dryer VS. Biosilk Tourmaline Ceramic Dryer

Last week my Conair blow dryer of 2 years FINALLY gave out on me. You're probably asking..FINALLY? already? It's only been 2 years...well here's the thing, I'm not a big fan of Conair or Revlon hair products whatsoever, I just dealt with what I had b/c it was a gift from my Mom.

I've had Conair and Revlon hair curlers as well as hair dryers in the past and I HATED them w/ a passion. They had no 'juice' to them. Weren't hot enough, strong enough, wouldn't hold a curl, etc. So eventually it started sparking and would shut off by itself while leaving a lingering smell of burnt...

So I said GOOD RIDDANCE & started looking into new hair dryers! With a $5 off coupon, I went to an Ulta and tried to decide between a Hot Tools or Biosilk brand dryer. Both were listed for $40 and that was the most I was willing to spend on a blowdryer.

Now to give you some background info, I LOVE Hot Tools. I've had the same straightner for 5 years now and it still works like a dream. On top of that, all of my curling irons are also Hot Tools (I have 3 to be exact) which have also been around for 2-3 years. So take a guess at which brand I went for....

BIOSILK!



WHAT!?
Why you ask? I know, I know...it makes NO SENSE. I was just in the mood to try out a different brand b/c every once in awhile I'm curious.

However,
when I went to use it for the first time I noticed it didn't heat up at all,'Oh crap..I must've grabbed a broken one.' is what I thought. I figured b/c it was a 'Ceramic' hair dryer it must not get as hot as regular dryers. So a few tries & a few days later it was taking me almost 30 minutes to dry my hair! Some more background info, granted I have straight & long hair, it's THIN. It's NEVER taken me this long to dry my hair, 15 minutes TOPS. I'd HAD it, enough with this crappy dryer when I could've stuck by with my trusty and true Hot Tools...



Don't get me wrong, believe it or not the ONLY problem I had with the Biosilk dryer was how it didn't let out much heat. As far as power, that baby gave me tons of volume especially b/c of the fantastic narrow nozzle (see picture above). But even though it gave me volume, my hair didn't come out silky or smooth b/c there wasn't much heat coming out of the thing. Instead it felt more brittle b/c it was being dried with mostly cool air.

So the next day I went and exchanged it for none other than the Hot Tools blow dryer. So far I love it. The Hot Tools dryer also comes with an attachment, but it's not AS narrow so it doesn't give AS much volume as the Biosilk, but it still gives volume.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Wishlist: Cynthia Vincent for Target

I've been in love with Cynthia Vincent's gorgeous wedges on Vanessa Hudgens almost a year ago.


$396

$29.99

But for an almost $400 price tag, it was wayyy out of my league. So when I saw Cynthia Vincent was coming out with a few shoes for Target excited isn't the word. :)

I'm a little disappointed with the color, I wanted more of a chestnut brown like the real deal wedges. On their website they only show the wedge in Cognac. However, according to Viva Fashion Blog, they are also available in black and yellow.

Anddd I'm always a little cautious with height when it comes to shoes, I'm very picky. I don't last very long in them b/c of a past surgery on my right foot not too long ago. And even though a higher heel in a wedge is usually bearable, I never know until I try it on.

These have been out for a few days now and they are not available for purchase online. So far every Target I've gone to has been sold outtt. Hopefully soon I'll get to take a look at 'em and see how I feel about the height of the heel, etc.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Make up HAUL!

Not a big fan of making posts about 'HAULS' haha what a strange word. I figured I'd share this with you guys and if I get good feedback I'll post more of these.

Went into a longggg overdue trip to Sephora. Picked up a few items:

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Barcelona


I've heard so0o0o much talk on youtube and blogs over this one. I've been a BIG fan of the Dior Nude Hydrating Foundation and have been using it for at least a year if not more. However, with summer around the corner, the Dior foundation I have is getting too light for me. So not only was I in need of a new foundation, I'll only wear sheer foundations in the summer. So this was just perfect timing. Hopefully I'll have a 5 star review on this soon!

Amazing Cosmetics Concealer in Tan


Another item for perfect timing. Let me tell you...back in the fall I bought the 'to go' size aka a small tiny tube of this concealer in Medium Beige for $28. It's now mid-April and it is finally about to run out. AND not only do I use it everyday, my Mom also shares it on a daily basis with me.

I say perfect timing b/c the concealer was getting a shade too light for me. So this time I bought it the next shade up in 'Tan.' The saying 'A little goes a long way' was MADE for this concealer...seriously.


Josie Maran Eyeshadow in Beach


My favorite Make-up Artists, Troy Jensen and Mario Dedivanovic, always rave about the Josie Maran eyeshadows. This was my first time buying a Josie Maran eyeshadow. I've seen them use this color eyeshadow counts times on ppl like Kim Kardashian. Not only is it a gorgeous color, it's super soft and pigmented. However, I'm not too big on shimmer when it comes to eyeshadows, so we'll see! But it can definetely also double as a highlighter.