Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Rainy Day

I bought some Hue tights at Nordstrom Rack the other day and could not wait to wear them. The colors I purchased are port (wine/burgundy), navy, sapphire (brighter blue), cobblestone (charcol), and black.
sitting
unbuttoned
looking back
sitting 1
Dress: BCBG
Cardigan: American Apparel
Camisole: BP (Nordstrom)
Tights: Hue
Necklace: Tiffany & Co.
Handbag: Louis Vuitton
Shoes: Tory Burch

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

My New Love.

My mom and I spent last Saturday walking around Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue. Our goal was to check out the new Louis Vuitton boutique inside Nordstrom. Of course, we didn't leave empty handed. My mom bought me the one Louis Vuitton that I have been lusting over for over two years, a Damier Speedy 30. She also treated herself to a Monogram Speedy 30. I am becoming a bad influence on her when it comes to handbags. We also went to Barney's to check out their selection of Balenciaga handbags, which my mom says is next on our list. I have no complaints!

What I wore:
Dress: Bebe, Shirt: Ruehl, Handbag: Chanel, Shoes: Tory Burch
My new baby:
Before my Speedy, I was using my Chanel Baby Coco Cabas:

Monday, September 22, 2008

Fall Shopping.

I apologize for being MIA lately. I've managed to do a bit of shopping the past few weeks and am slowly preparing myself for fall.

I got this St. John chocolate leather belt for $70.

I stopped by American Apparel to get some much needed basics: white v-neck, black shiney nylon leggings, and two oversized pocket cardigans.

I also bought four new OPI nail polishes, three of which are from the France Collection. It is so hard not to buy the entire France Collection because the colors are so perfect for fall. From left to right: Moon Over Mumbai, Eiffel For This Color, Louvre Me Louvre Me Not, Bastille My Heart.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Target's Three NEW Makeup Collections!

Hey beautiful gals (and guys, I know you're out there!)!!! Shauna and I have been soooo busy with school and work and whatnot! I've decided to double major in Marketing and Accounting (omg so fun, I know!) so I'm focusing on getting top grades!

Well, other than that, I saw on TV that Target had new makeup collections/lines, much like their ongoing GO International Collection in fashion. They had 3 collections introduced lately, two of which I was semi-familiar with before. These are more prestige-cosmetics than their basic makeup lines (more expensive than Sonia Kashuk.)


(image from target.com)

I just reviewed the products I liked, but some I didn't try out. Most foundations and powders I left out since I am addicted to MAC foundation and powder. I didn't like the redundancy between the lines, because though they are different from line to line, they all have similar products out.

NP Set

The fabulous Aussie MUA, Napoleon Perdis, was on board with this idea and released a line called NP Set. With products similar (but totally different) to his Napoleon Perdis line at Sephora, these products are a little cheaper, but for the most part still have a higher price than MAC.
But, those prices are definitely worth the quality. There is no way he looked at this as a lower-price-lower-quality situation, because these products are fantastic!
NP Set Concealer - I loved this concealer pen, which held one hell of a concealer! Though the light was too fair, the medium matched me perfectly. But, I can only say that this is unfortunate for the girls out there with darker skin, because to most people I am pale.
NP Set Liquid Viel - I loved these highlighters, too. They come in 4 shades, three of them lighter, but one of them bronze. They felt very moisturizing and left a sheer, but gorgeous shimmer. I got one in Houston, which is a light gold color.
NP Set Pre-Foundation Primer - He also has a primer that I found OK, but I don't think it stacks up to, say, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. It didn't have the silkiness that Smashbox does. It also had some shimmer that I found unnecessary for a primer.
NP Set 5-Color Concealer Palette - I bought this and liked the idea, but I was afriad the colors were too dark for me. I'd have to say the only thing I found amazing was the dual-sided concealer brush that came with it. Amazing little things, I swear! Sadly, I will be taking this back as I found another concealer palette in one of the other lines.
NP Set Lip and Eye products - I have to say, I wasn't all that impressed with any lip or eye products. The lipsticks were nice, but not worth $15, in my opinion, but I did like the lip pencil's textures. He has a lip primer, but I felt it only served as a gloss, as the texture was kinda glossy and sticky. The shadows were OK, but nothing I'd spend the money on. Eye liners texture was nice, too, but again, not worth my money.


JK Jemma Kidd

At first glance, I was intrigued by the brightness of the colors, and the payoff seems to definitely match. I had only heard of Jemma Kidd on a makeup-based livejournal community, and I was curious but having no prior knowledge of her or her makeup, I didn't look into her much further. But, after checking out the JK Jemma Kidd collection online, I decided to go check it out in-store. Well worth it!
JK Jemma Kidd Front Cover Touch-Up Concealer - Another good concealer! I liked the applicator for this, too. It's one of those "turrn-and-click for more product" deals with a brush on the end. Nice!
JK Jemma Kidd Stain/Flush/Blush Makeup Concentrate - I liked these cream blushes, but I didn't get them. They sure pack a punch in a little palette.
JK Jemma Kidd I-Tech Liquid Liner Collection - OMG. I love these. I got Drama, the purple, and the teal one, called Covert(though the box said "covet"). They last forever! I put them on my hand at about 1 pm, and kept them on til midnight, and I had washed my hands 3 times throughout the night! I even used my facial cleanser on them, and they didn't budge! They were even as shiny and bright as could be! There is only one MINOR downside... They are a litttttle sticky. And I mean a tiny bit.
JK Jemma Kidd I-Design Eye Color - I swatched these on my hand and found them to have good color payoff, but I didn't buy them. They all had the same shimmer, and were kind of bland. Almost like pure micas. For a plain color, these are great, but I didn't need to spend $18 on them.
JK Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Shine Lip Gloss - I got this in Poser, which I LOVE. It reminds me a little of MAC's Style Minx from the Fafi collection. The feel is actually true to the name, it does feel quite airy. It smells a little like the citric salt that came in a little salt container with a duck on it that I bought from a Hispanic food mart when I was little. Some of you might know what I'm talking about, some might not. I'd say this is a little less glossy than some glosses, and more tint-y. I like it, though, and I'm happy with it.
JK Jemma Kidd Lip ID Color-Adapt Lip Gloss - I found this to be not as affective as the other "color changing" glosses, like that of Smashbox's O-Gloss. It was clear before I put it on, and then it kinda-sorta changed into a pinky mauve. Not enough of a change to get me to buy it.


Pixi

I was unaware of this makeup artist, Petra Strand, but I am in love with most of her line. There is such innovation and quality in this line, and I'm glad I found out about it. Pixi is a line with many compacts that are truly compact, and products that really deliver.
Pixi Illuminating Tint and Conceal - This concealer/foundation combo is very convienient. It has a tube of foundation, and on the cap has a little "knob" of concealer. The concealer was pretty good, but I thought the winner in this combination was the foundation. It went on so smooth and silky, and gave decent coverage for a "tint" of color.
Pixi Eye Beauty Kit - Neutralizing Cover-Up - I bought this after getting the NP Set concealer palette. The first Target I went to didn't have these "beauty kits" but the second one did. It has 7 creams, ranging from a green toned concealer to a white highlighter. It also has a little translucent setting powder! It comes with a dual sided brush, but I didn't like it as much as the NP Set palette's.
Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel - I liked this product because it doesn't lie, it is sheer. But, there was another stain that did double duty, so I got that instead.
Pixi Water Blush - This stain is great! It is unscented, liquid, and does the job. And it doesn't leave color on the skin after you remove it, which is nice. I got it in Rose Stain, and used it on my lips with just some chapstick over. It is great for those nights (or days) when you'll be running around but don't want to have to keep reapplying lipstick. Put some of this on your lips, top with chapstick and a little gloss, and you're done! It can also be layered under lipstick for a more vibrant look.
Pixi Lid and Line - I liked the functionality of this, it's a liner and an eyeshadow in one! But, I found it too glittery (esp. the liner) and just too muted for my liking. But if you are constantly on-the-go and need a quick-fix, this is for you!
Pixi Eye Beauty Kit - As you read I have the neutralizing/concealing palette, but when I saw these colors, I fell in love! It has 8 gorgeous dark colors with GREAT payoff. Definitely a good buy.
Pixi Smokey Eye Wand - This little eye wand is creative! It is a soft sponge that when twisted in the cap gets a gorgeous black-silver on it, and it smudges nicely! Another great idea for the girls on-the-go!
Pixi Lustrous Eye Primer - I liked this eye primer's texture and silkiness, but I don't necessarily think it stayed put as well as I'd like. I say for the price, not worth it. Get Urban Decay Primer Potion instead!
Pixi Lip Blush - I took two for the team on this one. Since there is no way I'd get any color on my lips by using a q-tip or my finger, I actually used the testers. Luckily this is a new collection and they looked hardly used. Also, I put two different colors on my lips. Youth, the light pink, on my top lip, and Purity, the mauvey nude, on my bottom. Talk about for the love of journalism. The light pink only gave me a tiny bit of color, and the nude just deepened my natural lip color, but the other two shades, a bright pink and a coral-y orange, looked promising. I say if you wear those colors enough and you're considering these, buy them.
Pixi Lip Treat/Silk/Booster - I found these OK, but not essential by any means. The Silk and Booster were normal glosses to me, and though I liked the idea of the Lip Treats, they didn't perform like I'd hoped. Oh well, less money I spent.


All in all, I found these three lines to be worth the money for the most part, but redundant. I don't think the redundancy should keep anyone from trying anything (why would it, just more options) but sometimes it can get annoying when you're stuck between 2 similar products.

My full list of items bought is: NP Set 5-Color Concealer Palette, though returning, NP Set Liquid Veil Makeup - Houston, JK Jemma Kidd I-Tech Liquid Eyeliner - Covert, JK Jemma Kidd I-Tech Liquid Eyeliner - Drama, JK Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Shine Lip Gloss - Poser, Pixi Eye Beauty Kit - Neutralizing Cover-Up, Pixi Water Blush - Rose Stain, and Pixi Eye Beauty Kit - Smoky, Pixi Smokey Eye Wand - Black Silver.

Let me know if you've tried any of these!!!!