For Your Wild Side...

No matter what, great flip flops will always be in style. They can dress down a fancy dress, peek out under a pair of jeans, or even be worn purely for comfort (and they're much more acceptable than those ridiculous crocs).

Rather than just throw on a pair of black or brown flops, I like to opt for something unexpected for a bit of flair. These animal print sandals by Express ($29.50) do just the trick. In addition to the great animal prints that just barely can be seen when you wear 'em, the thong portion of the sandal is metallic--a trend that we'll still be seeing this season in moderation.

Beach-Ready Lips

With Summer rapidly approaching, I've been on the lookout for sheer, natural-looking makeup. No one wants to look overdone at the beach--especially when it's hot and your makeup will basically melt off anyway.

Subtle lip gloss is definitely the way to go. Swipe on some waterproof mascara and some light pink gloss, and you're good to go. Mark's new Caribbean Shine Lip Gloss in the Kiss On The Beach shade is the perfect natural pink, slightly shimmery gloss. It goes well with virtually ever skin tone (But there are two other fab colors to try), and it is super moisturizing. Plus the tube is fabulously cute.

The gloss retails for $6 at meetmark.com.

Wake up, Eyes!

A great tip for looking wide-eyed and awake, even when you haven't slept the night before, is applying a shimmery white eye shadow.

Only a little is needed and it makes a huge difference--it has now become part of my everyday makeup routine. Dip a small eye shadow brush into whatever shadow you choose and brush it onto the inside corners of your eyes. Make sure to blend, otherwise the result is not natural at all. Sometimes I even apply a little tinted moisturizer on top of the shadow. This creates an even more natural look and the shimmery shadow looks gorgey just barely peeking out.

I have two superb shadows that I use and love. The first is from The Body Shop (a great unexpected place to buy makeup, by the way). It's simply called Eye Shimmer ($11) and the best shade for this is Silver. It is not really silver, more of a shimmery white. .

My other pick is by FLIRT! and can be found at Kohls. The I'M WHIPPED Eyeshadow Mousse ($12) glides on smoothly and even acts as a great base for other shadows. The Snow Angel shade is a perfect shimmery color for highlighting.

Both of these are highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. Now no one will know you went out clubbing last night!

Cheer for Cheer Up!

good skin is a brand of makeup and skincare that is fragrance free and is actually good for your skin (hence the name). Everything in the line is of great quality and doesn't seem to affect my skin at all--even if I'm having a huge eczema outbreak like today.

The best product I've found so far is the "Cheer Up" all-over healthy color. It comes in one fabulous hue, "one shade fits all" and from what i can tell, it is flattering on most skin tones including my practically transparent skin. it adds just enough color and a bit of shimmer without looking unnatural. It really lives up to it's name and makes skin look very healthy and alive.

You can get "Cheer Up" for $16.

A Shock of Color for your Lashes

Bright, colorful eye makeup is hot this season, but for those of you who are hesitant to layer on bright teal shadows (or for gals who just want a change), colored mascara is a great alternative. Urban Decay has a line called Big Fatty Colored Mascara the comes in indigo, black cherry, purple haze and electric blue. They give your eyes a burst of color in an unexpected way. It's a great change from basic black.

An added plus is that the mascara itself works very well; it lengthens and plumps up lashes without clumps. Each color retails for $17.

Virtual Makeover

I recently stumbled across an awesome virtual makeover website--Taaz.com. I'm not sure if it only recently came out, or if I've just been missing it for all these years, but the makeover program is honestly the best I've ever seen.

A few years ago, a few different websites tried to make their own virtual makeover programs, but it was tricky to do because the makeup never lined up perfectly with your face. Taaz somehow automatically picks up on where your eyes, lips, head, cheeks, and everything else is in the picture. For best results, upload a picture of yourself with your hair pulled back facing the camera head on. I actually tested the website and uploaded a photo of myself with my head tilted to the side just to see what would happen and the program still found my eyes and everything!

If, for some reason, the program doesn't correctly select your features, you can actually move the makeup around. The best part? There are oodles of makeup colors to try and the site has the brands and shades listed of what you are using. The possibilities are endless. This is also a good place to try different hair styles before you do something drastic to avoid looking like a fool. Hooray!

SPINLASH!

Oh lordy, mascara has come so far over the years. The newest most awesome mascara is Akasha's new SPINLASH. There’s been huge buzz about it in oodles of mags lately. It’s an innovative idea in mascara technology. The basic idea is that the brush spins while putting on your mascara to comb through your lashes. this prevents clumping and creates a natural yet electrifying look.

The best part is that you can either use the mascara that comes with this brush (which comes in either black or brownish black), or you can use your own mascara--any brand will do. This mascara brush pretty much makes your fave mascara work even better (can you believe it???). Also, because it constantly spins, you can skip the eyelash curler when using it; the brush alone gives you quite an uplifting set of lashes.

I'm actually kind of surprised that no one has come up with this until now. it seems so simple and it makes such a difference. The SPINLASH costs $14.95 and can be purchased at spinlash.com.

Fluttering Butterfly Accessories

Nothing screams "Spring" more than butterflies. And what better way to welcome Spring than a new pair of fluttering earrings? Forever 21 is well-known for having great accessories that you don't have to break the bank to get. These butterfly earrings are no exception. At $4.90, these pretty danglers are a bargain and a style must-have.

Butterflies are big for Spring, and these little beauties go with almost any outfit. They have a great antique look to them, and the detail is fabbity fabulous. Wear 'em with a pretty Spring dress, a pair of strappy sandals, and be prepared to look absolutely divine!

Feeling Cheeky?

A lot of people really underestimate the magic that a good blush can do. If you are the type of gal who doesn't wear much makeup, you really only need some mascara and blush to look put together.

My new love is Mark's Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint. I like the "Cheeky" shade because it looks quite natural against my so-pale-it-is-almost-transparent skin. There are three other shades to pick from for peeps who have normal skin tones, too.

The great thing is that this blush is so blendable, yet stays in place all day. That is a rare find. For $6 it's worth a try!

Greece is the Word

Every time I think of Greece, I think of elegant glamour.

My new favorite makeup company, Korres, (with roots in Athens, Greece) definitely rocks at combining organically-grown, botanical ingredients with gorgey colors that are flattering on everyone.

I bought the Korres Color Discovery Kit (for only $35!) to give some of the products a try. The set includes Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran Mascara in Black, Cherry Lip Gloss in Nude, Shimmering Eye Shadow in Sheer Gold, Soft Eyeliner Pencils in Black and Gold Shimmer, and a funky makeup bag.

All of the products work great, but my faves are the lip gloss and the mascara. The lip gloss is very pretty and sheer with just enough color to enhance your natural lip color. It is quite moisturizing as well and works for all seasons. The mascara is the most natural-looking mascara that I have ever used that still really gives my lashes a boost. Another plus? No flaking off or smudging--it stays put all day.

All of the makeup just feels so good on the skin and looks really natural. This makeup line gets about a million thumbs up from me.

You Mother Pucker!

Who doesn't love having plump, luscious lips? On my most recent quest to Target, I can across Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss. It is nothing short of amazing. I've tried a lot of plumpers out there, but either they sting too much, or they don't really do anything.

This gloss glides over your lips smoothly, and after about a minute you feel a distinct tingle--NOT a burning sensation like so many other plumpers out there! The gloss comes in three flattering shades: clear, nude, and red. I went with red because it is a sheer formula and it looks natural; like my lips only with a punch of gorgeousness.

Mother Pucker lip gloss sells for $9.99, and is simply divine. An added bonus? While you're wearing it, if you give your beau a smooch, he'll feel the tingle too. What more can you ask for?

My New Fave Eye Shimmer: The Body Shop

Since I moved back to the middle of nowhere (New Hampshire), I've really had to search high and low for places to buy high-quality makeup. The closest Sephora is over an hour away from me, so you can imagine my struggle. Lucky for me, The Body Shop has recently branched out from their normal lotions and such to a wide variety of fine makeup goodies! I walked into the store and honestly almost had a seizure of delight.

After testing a few of their eye shades, my favorites of the moment are their shimmer cubes. Each cube is actually a foursome of highly-pigmented, shimmery hues. Once you buy a few different ones, you can actually mix and match within the cube itself to put all your perfect shades together. I think I'm in love!

Fashion Faux Pas: Men in Womanly Scarves

You would think that this would be self explanatory, but oodles of men are attempting to pull off the ultra-feminine winter wear look this season. This culprit in this picture? He may or may not be my boss. And this may or may not have been a joke. But lets save the fluffy wraps for us gals. Agreed? Agreed.

Fashion Faux Pas: The Beret

Fun fact: wearing a beret and black sweatpants does not make you French. Or cool. Once in a great while, I will see someone who has not gotten this memo. Usually an older gentleman trying to look artsy, or a younger girl with red lipstick smoking...both people would look much better sans beret.

If you're going to wear a beret, just go all the way and pair it with a black and white striped shirt and a purse shaped like the Eiffel Tower. The sad thing is, if you wore this outfit in France, you would immediately look like a tourist. Real French people do not look like idiots.

Cut the crap and throw out the beret, Francois de la hat.

Wanna Hear a Joke?

As I was stalking one of my many fave style blogs, I stumbled upon Bag Snob's blog about this hideous bag. It is literally a joke. A joke bag. There are corny jokes written on the bag.

Louis Vuitton is going downhill as far as I'm concerned. I love LV's classic bags, but now it's like they're trying to think outside the box, and they're coming up with crap. Every time they come out with a new bag, it seems like t is just like one of their old ones with either cheesy pictures or words slapped on it.

I am not a fan.

But if you like jokes, and always want to have a few handy, feel free to purchase this joke. Bag.

Drugstore Delights

Hello, my lovely fashionistas! I've been away for a bit, and for that I apologize. But onwards and upwards we go...

I've bought more makeup over the past couple weeks than I thought was humanly possible. I've become obsessed. At this point, I have at least 30 eye shadow compacts (some of them even being palettes with multiple shades). And don't even get me started on lip gloss--I must have 50, all in roughly the same shade of pink or red. It is an addiction.

The best find from my latest drugstore adventure is Wet N' Wild's "Ultimate Expressions Eyeshadow Palette" in Paradise Cove. With eyeshadow, I usually stick to the more upscale brands (either department stores, Sephora, or the "high-end" drugstore finds), but this palette was a mere $4.99 so I took the plunge. It offers 8 shadows--4 shimmery daytime hues, and 4 darker smokey shadows. Surprisingly, the eye shadows are very highly pigmented and a little goes a long way. I especially love the shimmery shades. I use either the light gold or pearl color in the inner corner of my eyes to make them appear larger. The darker shades are great for screating a smokey eye for an eve out; brush one of the darker hues on the outer corners of your eyes and blend inwards for a fab look.

That said, Imust confess that I'm officially in love with Wet N' Wild again. They lost me for a while--everything was kind of unflattering and not of the highest quality. Luckily, they've really stepped it up and added some great products to their line. And everything is still cheap! This is definitely the brand to stick to if you want to stock up on anything, or if you want to just try out a new color without breaking the bank.

That's all for now. Stay fabulous, ladies!

Don't Say a Peep...Toe

Oh Fall. As much as I love the crisp weather, it's always a gamble for me to find stylish shoes that aren't clunky boots. For some reason, once it begins to get cold, I go right from wearing sandals to wearing my "man shoes" (ridiculous manly boots), and never see a pair of shoes to make me do otherwise until Spring.

Not anymore! This season, peep toe wedges are totally appropriate for Fall. As long as they're in a sturdy fabric and in a darker, jewel toned color, they're good to go!

Wear shoes like this with some black opaque tights (yes, ladies--they're still in this season) and a wrap dress, or throw them on with some jeans for a gal's night out.

This pair is a real bargain. The wedges go for $19.99 (on sale!) at Payless.

Fashion Faux Pas: Doggie Bag

I love purses so much. I collected them all through high school and only recently cut down to about 20 bags. I consider myself to be somewhat of a handbag guru.

That said, there are some pretty hideous purses out there. One ridiculous example is this "Faithful Friend" tote bag from collectiblestoday.com.

I am so against cheesy photo/picture bags, AND people who are overly obsessed with their pets. I actually enjoy cute dogs and know first-hand what it is like to love your pet. Still, I don't feel the need to advertise your love by carrying around a bag that is simply unacceptable to use in public.

The purse is customizable with your choice of dog breed, and even comes with a matching doggie charm. Oh my. But I haven't gotten to the worst part yet. The tote actually sells for $80. The same price for a decent fashionable leather purse.

My advice? Save your money and buy a couple bags from Target or something. Cheesy purses will never be in style.

Drustore Beauty Secrets

In case you didn’t already know, drugstores have some great beauty finds for fairly cheap. When I first became a self-proclaimed makeup-whore, I instantly fell in love with department store cosmetics: Lancome, Clinique, and all the others. What I didn’t know at the time was that many of the high end brands actually own some of the drugstore brands. In fact, many of the products in drugstores are exactly the same formula as their high end companion.

One of my fave makeup brands, Lancome, actually owns L’Oreal. When I found this out, I automatically went to CVS and stocked up on mascara, lipgloss, and eyeshadow. Indeed, I found that most of the products were identical to my fave Lancome buys. The only difference is the packaging and how the lines are marketed.
My best find so far is L'Oreal’s Voluminous mascara –it is the same as Lancome’s Definicil mascara. It plumped my lashes and no clumps were to be found. Another great find is the Line Eraser retinol lotion by L'Oreal. It is so similar to Lancome's Resurface that an actual Lancome employee couldn't even tell them apart! L’Oreal’s Rouge Pulp lip gloss is the same essentially as Lancome’s Lip Brio. Most of the shades even match up.

The one thing that I would suggest still purchasing from Lancome is their skincare products. The line is incredible and I haven’t found a drugstore match yet that can quite compete. Their moisturizers can’t be beat.

Lancome is great and the packaging is usually gorgey—but give me the cheaper version anyday!

(a post I wrote for herfablife.com)

Gorgey Lips for Fall

Okay, so recently I've been obsessing over red lip stains. I only recently discovered how wonderful they are and now I'm basically going crazy and buying bunches of different brands.

My fave so far? Vincent Luongo's Lip and Cheek Gel Stain in Liquid Kiss. For a stain, it's actually pretty blendable until it fully dries, and the color is perfect for Fall (a deep red with a touch of plum)--it flatters all skin tones. One sweep gives a sheer wash of red, and each layer you add intensifies the hue. Perfect for day or night. Plus it really does have staying power; one application lasts all day without drying my normally dry, cracked lips.

So, yes. I'm in love.

The best way to wear the stain is under a clear gloss or balm, and with very little eye makeup to avoid that drag queen look. Go for a simple wash of light brown, or bronze on the lids and a coat of black mascara.

Sit back and relax. Let your lips do the rest.