Playful Patterns

It's unintentionally been dress week on the blog!  I hope you don't mind.  Wearing them is one of the easiest things to do on these hot summer days and nights.  

Photo Cred: Eddie "Shy" Timmons

Dress: C/O Indulgera/ Shoes: Bakers/ Bag: C/O olivia + joy/ Necklace: Happy Wrist

Sunglasses: H&M 

It's crazy how our style evolves through out the years.  I've really learned how to play around with colors and trends while remaining true to myself and I think that is so important.  It's always great to put your own personal spin on things.  I've always been found of the blue and orange combo so I finally got the opportunity to try it out with this look.  The best way to start color blocking, if you don't want to dive right in to the trend, is to do it with your purse or shoes.  Don't be afraid to experiment a little bit!

It's no surprise that I love prints, especially when it comes to dresses.  I just think they're so much fun to wear.  I love the design on this dress and the open part in the back.  It's sexy, but still classy.  The orange bag adds a little bit of playfulness and I love the way it's texture compliments the pattern on the dress.

 My mom has been away in Puerto Rico (so jealous) so I got to shoot with one of my close friends who is like a brother to me.  Some of these pics were actually candids. He captured a lot of my "in between" movements.  Sometimes those are my favorite pics.  It's so amazing to have such a great support system.  Thanks so much Shy, you're the best! 

Happy Thursday my loves!
<3

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BrushLove Makeup Brush Review

If you follow me on twitter, then you probably saw I posted a photo of some new make up brushes.  I loved BrushLove's hair brushes so much that they sent me some of their makeup brushes to try out and review.  The brushes I have been using are from MAC and Sonia Kashuk.  I love all of them, but I've had them for awhile so it was nice to get some new ones to test out.  I decided to pick all of their brushes meant specifically for the face and not the eyes.  

Some Info:

Their VOA brushes are all made with animal friendly materials.  The bristles are comprised of ultra-soft, two tone, premium synthetic fibers.  They are all makeup artist designed and developed.

My Thoughts Both Pros & Cons:
 I love the sleek design with the black and white handles, but it took some time for me to get used to the width.  All of my other brushes have small cylinder handles and I guess I have just been used to that.  It's really just a personal preference though.  The powder, blush and contour brush were all super soft which I loved.  The powder brush is actually bigger and softer then the one I was currently using from Sonia Kashuk.  I felt like my powder went on much smoother and even, but because the bristles are so soft it seemed as though I had to apply a little more than usual.  This was my first time using a contour brush so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I like the size and it seemed to do the trick.

The foundation and concealer brushes are different from what I was currently using from MAC.  The concealer is much smaller and the foundation is actually wider and shaped a little differently.  Because of the shape and the handles, the white part got dirty really quickly.  Obviously that can be cleaned, but it's a little pet peeve of mine.  I did like the foundation brush though and it seemed to apply everything evenly.  I liked using the concealer brush for little touch ups and blemishes during the day instead of using it for the initial application and under my eyes.

Would I Recommend:
 Yes, but I think it really just comes down to personal preference.  It might take a little time getting used to the width of the handles or the softness, but they all do what they're supposed to and I think their prices are just right.  I am no makeup artist so I am not super picky when it comes to beauty products as long as they're affordable and work well for me. There's always going to be something that I like and dislike about a product but if the good outweighs the bad then I think it's worth trying.
My favorite would have to be the powder brush and I think using the concealer for touch ups is good too.  I carried a few of these with me in my makeup travel bag through out the day so they definitely came in handy.

Listed below is each individual brush with it's price and direct link in case you want to learn a little bit more or try them out for yourself.

CONCEALER BRUSH $9.00

FOUNDATION BRUSH $16.00

ANGLED CONTOUR BRUSH $14.00

BLUSH BRUSH $18.00 

POWDER BUFFER BRUSH $20.00 

Thank you to BrushLove for sending me these!  You can follow them on twitter and facebook.



I hope you found this review helpful and if any of you decide to get them I would love to know your thoughts! Have a great day :)

<3

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*These brushes were sent to me for review and all opinions are my own.  This was not edited by any third parties.

All Glammed Up

I am really excited about this post because I got to dress up a little more than usual!  A special thanks to the Marriott at Glenpointe for letting me use their location for my pics.  My mom works next to them and they were so kind to let me do this :)

Dress: C/O Faviana/ Shoes (shop similar) & Clutch: Mandee/ Necklace & Earrings: LolaBlue 

Lipstick: MAC Russian Red 

I have to admit that I felt so glamorous and elegant in this gorgeous Faviana dress.  I mean really, how often do we get to be this fancy?! It's not every day that I have a special occasion or cocktail party to attend and this is the perfect dress.  Red is such a stunning color and I absolutely love this sweetheart neckline which makes it super sexy but still so classy.  The length is just right and the material hanging from the front and back add a little something extra.  It also made it more fun to shoot pics!  I truly felt special and a little like royalty in this dress and I think that every woman deserves to feel that way at some point or another.   

With a dress like this, I think it's best to have your hair pulled back so that you can really focus on the details.  I did this low side bun last minute and it was great for the look I wanted. I also went with a bold red lip as well and even wore lashes since I typically do for special events.  I got these silver shoes for only $5.99! They were having a double sale so I really scored with these.  The final touch was this gorgeous statement necklace and I kept the rest of my accessories minimal. 

When we went inside, the lighting made everything seem a little vintage which was really cool.  As we were walking around looking for good places to shoot, we came across this glass room that had a wedding table set up and it was literally perfect for this dress.  It gives the effect that I am actually at a wedding or a reception of some kind.  In one of the photos I had my hand up on the glass not realizing that it looked as though I was standing in the room touching the center piece.  I don't know why, but in the moment my mom and I couldn't stop laughing.  I swear we are so silly when we shoot :) 

Sorry for such a long post but I hope you liked it!  Make sure to check out all of the gorgeous Faviana dresses when you're in need of a little glamour for a special occasion! 

XO

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BEJEWELED

Hello beauties!
Another Monday is here and it's raining on and off in Jersey, but here's some color to brighten up this  day!

Dress: Daily Material/ Bracelet: C/O OiaJules/ Shoes: Mandee (shop similar)/ Earrings: LolaBlue

Nail Polish: ESSIE Full Steam Ahead/ Lips: Tarte Lip Stain + MAC Creme Cup 

This dress is from Daily Material, the online boutique that I told you guys I was working with in a few previous posts.  They have not fully launched yet.  There's only a few things on the site right now but they are still working on everything and fixing things up.  However, this dress was one of my favorite pieces so I couldn't wait to style it for the blog. I love the jeweled design and mix of colors.  It's perfect for a summer night out.

I swear these shoes were meant for me!  I went to Mandee specifically to see if I could find this exact style but they said they were sold out in nude.  So I tried on a couple of other pairs and as I was walking around I spotted these on the bottom shelf and it was the last one and in my size :)  I also ended up getting them for 20% off (score!)

How gorgeous is this bracelet from OiaJules?  I rarely wear silver, so most of my accessories are gold.  I was so happy to add this statement piece to my collection because the crystals are really beautiful.  I love how they pick up all the colors in this dress.  The heat wave in NJ last week was killer so I tried doing different things with my hair.  I went with this low side ponytail that is super easy to do and perfect for those unbearable hot days!

XO

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Sunday Inspiration

Just a little bit of inspiration for this beautiful Sunday:

This is a photo my mom took during one of our shoots.  It's so simple, but so beautiful.  Pictures say a thousand words and this one really spoke to me, so I just wanted to share. 

It's so easy to get caught up in the negativity of life.  Too often, we let the words of others affect us and bring us down.  Too often, we let our personal struggles take over.  And too often, we don't appreciate what we have while we have it.  It's so important in those moments where we feel defeated to remind ourselves of our greatness and the amazing things about us and our lives.  Instead of getting upset about all of the things that are going wrong, we should focus our energy on all of the things that are going right. And instead of worrying about the things we do not have, we should try and be thankful for everything we do have.  I know it's easier said than done, but having this mentality can change so much. 

In our weakest moments, it's difficult to find our strength.  When something upsets me, I ask myself "how much importance does this have on my life?"  And in most cases, it has no importance at all.   Life is truly so short and unfortunately not everyone takes advantage of their time here in a positive way.  It's so easy to be distracted or slowed down because of the things going on around us.  We all have our own obstacles and by no means are they easy to over come.  But we should try and let those difficulties fuel us to do better and to be better.  

There is beauty all around us and in each of us.  Sometimes we lose sight of that.  The next time something goes wrong or someone speaks badly of you, just remind yourself that you are amazing, you are worth more and you deserve more.  Focus your time and energy on all of the things that you want to accomplish, and let that negativity push you towards your goals that much more.  It all starts with a positive mind and thats where our strength begins.  I know this post won't change the world, but if it can change at least one person's mentality, then that's good enough for me. 

Before fashion and before music, there was always my writing.  It's just another piece of me that I get to share with all of you <3 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you all have a great day! 

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MAKE UP FOR EVER VIEWING

For this week's beauty post, it's all about makeup!
I was invited to a private viewing of the new MAKE UP FOR EVER boutique in New Jersey that opened today at the Garden State Plaza Mall!  This is the first and only MAKE UP FOR EVER boutique in NJ and the 4th in the United States.  They gave me a little tour, educated me on their products, and also did my makeup while teaching me some new tips and tricks.  Continue through this post to learn some interesting facts about the new boutique, brand and photos from yesterday visit :)

This new boutique will offer clients a unique shopping experience with over 1600 different products available in every color imaginable.  I literally felt like a kid in a candy shop!  This MUFE boutique will also be offering a series of personalized make up sessions to educate their clients on application techniques.  Their artists will do half of the client's face and then help them to do the other half so that they are really learning the process.  Lesson prices will range from $50-$100.   But it doesn't end there. They have an enclosed room where consumers can record their personalized lessons.  The make up station mirror has a built in HD video camera so the client can take the lesson home with them.  How amazing is that?! AND the shop comes equipped with iPADS featuring how-to videos, inspirational face charts and easy access to social networking sites.  

Dany Sanz, originally a painter and sculptor, created MUFE in Paris, France in 1984.  The brand came over to the US in 1995 and is now exclusive to Sephora, available in over 175 stores.  I have always heard such amazing things about this brand but have to admit that yesterday was my first time trying it! It's safe to say that I am in love, especially with their HD foundation, because it's super lightweight, oil- free and extremely smooth.  It's a new favorite product of mine that I will continue to use going forward. 

A special thank you to Rachel for doing my make up and teaching me some amazing tips!  You've made me look at concealer in a whole new way :) 

And thank you so much to Katelyn for having me! 

Thank you MAKE UP FOR EVER for this experience and my amazing gift bag!  

Wearing: Furor Moda Skirt & Top/ Derng Necklace/ Prabal Gurung For Target Shoes 

Make sure to check out the new MAKE UP FOR EVER boutique at the Garden State Plaza in NJ located on the top floor near Neiman Marcus and H&M, if you live in the area.  These pictures do not even do it justice and I guarantee you will love it! I can't wait to go back :) 

<3 

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