Peach & Coral Obsession..Illamasqua Haul

I've probably said this before, but I love Illamasqua!

Two of their standout items for me are the blushes (cream or powder) and their lipsticks.  If you are a fan of matte lipsticks & blushers check these out!

This weekend I picked up 

Powder blush in Lover

Lipstick in Obey

They cost about $20 to $23 each &

 can be found at Illamasqua.com, Sephora.com and select Sephora stores

Obey on top

Lover below

Illamasqua products are highly pigmented and last a long period of time for me.  The blushes, especially the powder blushes don't need re-applying.  Their cream blushes like my beloved Rude tend to become a little oily and wear off throughout the day and especially in the summer.  That is precisely why I purchased Lover.  The shade is in the same family as Rude but Lover is more orangey (in a good way). 

I had been interested in this blush for a while but after seeing

 it on one of my fave blogs, Ebrushka's Makeup Bag I had to purchase it. 

The same goes for Obey lipstick.  It is a highly pigmented matte peachy coral lipstick.  I LOVE this color.  I have been wearing this lippie two ways; paired with MAC's Myth for a more wearable lip or paired with Chanel's Candy Glow Aqualumiere gloss for a bold sheen. 

Scarf by Zara

End of the day hot & tired FOTD

I slapped on some of the Lover Blush over Illamasqua Tweak and then layered Myth & Obey

I will post the more bold, bright way to wear this lipstick soon..I feel this is going to be my go-to lipstick of the summer =)

Thanks for reading,

♥ Nikki

MAC To the Beach Event & Purchase

I attended the MAC To the Beach Event a week ago and it was very hectic to say the least.  

Although my friend and I were scheduled for 8:00p.m. we still had to wait on line outside of the store for about a half an hour.  Once inside the store, it was pure madness.  As you can see these are pretty disappointing photos of the products because we just could not get close enough. At least there were yummy cocktails & canapes.

I was really looking forward to this collection until I saw swatches online.  Everything just seemed okay, not spectacular.  The one item I knew I had to get was Marine Life High-Light Powder.  Although there is an overspray of gold, the gold shimmer only lasts through about 1 or 2 swipes.  After it wears off it is basically a two-tone matte powder.  

For me this isn't really a highlight powder but more of a blush.  

Swatches of the coral shade & the pink shade without the gold overspray.

For me this is the only product that really stood out in this collection.  I like it because of the versatility.  You can either wear it as a baby pink blush or highlight, a coral blush or swirl it together for a very pretty peachy shade. 

I was thinking about getting the darker cream bronzer Weekend because Beach Bronze was way too light for my skin (NW30) and contained so much glitter.  I may go back for Weekend but for now I am enjoying my Chanel Bronze Universel.

I will have pics soon of Marine Life on the cheeks! 

To the Beach is scheduled to come out in stores on Thursday in the U.S.

Are you planning on getting anything from this collection?

♥ Nikki

Les Pop-Up De Chanel-Nails

Hi guys,

Hope everyone is doing well.  I'm been sick for the past week so that explains the lack of posts.

This is just a quick post about two new additions to my Chanel nail polish collection.

Here we have Nouvelle Vague & Mistral, both limited edtition from the Summer 2010 Collection.

Mistral is a very pretty warm pink with microglitter. 

This one really sparkles in the sunlight. For me, this is the perfect summer pedicure shade.

I'm obsessed with Nouvelle Vauge! It's such a unqiue blue/green color with the tiniest hint of shimmer.  I've been wearing this color everyday so far. I think it is a must have for all you polish junkies.

They retail for $23 each which I must say is expensive for nail varnish but I only splurge and buy a few of these a year so that's that. 

My little collection 

I absolutely love Chanel's summer makeup collection. 

The vibrant lipsticks & glosses are so young and fun. Will you be picking anything up?

Thanks for reading!

♥ Nikki

Liberty of London Lips

The MAC Give me Liberty of London collection was released recently in the US. Some people hate the packaging (because of the pigeons) but I think it's so pretty. 

I only purchased 1 item because I am trying to buy things that I'm actually going to use, as I have too much unloved makeup...blog sale soon!

MAC PEACHSTOCK-Pro

I have to say I am loving these Pro lipsticks.  Last week it was Fleshpot & now Peachstock.  Peachstock is a satin finish lipstick but it is much creamier than any other Satin I have tried.

However this lippie is much darker/orangey toned than I was expecting.  Don't get me wrong I love it, but it doesn't look its best on me.  I've seen this lipstick alone look amazing on other women. 

However I like use Peachstock on top of Fleshpot.

I don't know if anyone can tell the difference but the photo on the left is Fleshpot worn on its own.  On the right is the Fleshpot/Peachstock combo & it is my new favorite nude lip!

Have you recently found any good lip combos?

Thanks for reading!

♥ Nikki

US/UK Swap II

Recently the lovely Lydia & I did a US/UK Beauty Swap...here is what she sent me!

Sleek Storm Palette

Gosh Darling Lipstick

Barry M. Lip Gloss #4

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

A closer look at the lip products

I absolutely LOVE everything she sent!
I am so jealous of all you UK ladies! You have access to some amazing brands like Barry M. Sleek & Gosh, as well as many others. I can't believe most of these products can be found in a drugstore. The quality is amazing.  If you are reading this, thank you so much Lydia! That card was precious & so thoughtful :) xx It was a pleasure doing this swap...I would love to do more in the future.
Does anyone else love doing beauty swaps? If so, for what items?!
♥ Nikki

NARS, Illamasqua, MAC Haul & FOTD

This past weekend I went into one of my favorite cities with my boyfriend to shop, eat & relax. I had some gift cards to use so the first place I hit up was Sephora. I have had NARS Mekong and Lola Lola on my wish list forever but never seemed to purchase them, until now. I particularly love this Sephora because they carry Illamasqua.

 Left- NARS Lola Lola 

Right- NARS Mekong

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Tweak

NARS Lola Lola on lid & lower lash line

NARS Mekong in crease

Mekong, dark brown almost black, has the most amazing gold sparkle to it. It is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Lola Lola is a great warm neutral brown that anyone could pull off. Lola Lola looks gorgeous on lighter eyes also. 

Illamasqua Blush in Tweak 

I ♥ this blush!!!! I applied it too light for these pictures but this is seriously one of the most pigmented blushes ever. It may look scary in the pan but in reality it gives you the prettiest sunkissed / natural flush cheeks. 

The lipstick I have on is 

 MAC's Fleshpot currently available in the Milk Collection

This lipstick is very similar to MAC's Myth but with a pink undertone opposed to peach. It is a Satin l/s just like myth, with equal pigmentation. If you like pale nude lips try this one out! If it's not available on the Web site, you can try MAC Pro. 

Thanks for reading everyone! 

Do you have any of these products? If so, how do you like to wear them??

♥ Nikki

I Heart Lush

Here's a quick look at what I picked up yesterday from Lush. I'm glad I got to take advantage of one of the holiday sales going on right now (buy 1 soap get 2 free) because Lush is expensive!

1. The Olive Branch Shower Gel

2. Sandstone Soap (freebie)

3. The Blonde shampoo sample

4.Heavanilli Massage Bar 

5. Bohemian Soap (freebie)

6. Angels Delight soap

7. The Comforter bubble bar

8. Lemony Flutter cuticle butter 

9. Marilyn hair treatment
Unfortunately they were sold out of my beloved Snow Fairy shower gel =(
I will be testing these products out within the next few weeks
 & doing individual reviews.
What are your favorite Lush products?!
Thanks for the suggestions in advance.
♥ Nikki

Thank You Sephora

I received a Sephora Beauty Insiders eGiftcard for the holidays

 & couldn't wait to spend it!

I purchased Illamasqua Fable lipstick

& Loella nail polish.

Both are bubblegum pink & I love them!

Fable is a matte l/s which I like because it lasts for hours on the lips.  I usually add a gloss for some sheen. Retails for $20

Loella is described as a "shimmering pink candy" polish. A hint of purple is visible in sunlight. Retails for $14

I will be posting NOTD's & FOTD's using these items.

If you received a Sephora GiftCard what did you purchase?

Thanks for reading,

♥ Nikki

Lush Goodies! & Big Shampoo Review

My first Lush haul! The only Lush close to me is in the city & although I am there pretty often I haven't managed to go. Until last weekend when my friends and I met for brunch & had some time to shop. After months of reading posts and watching Youtube videos, I pretty much knew what I wanted from Lush.

Back Row Rockstar soap, Honey I Washed the Kids soap, Flying Fox shower gel, BIG shampoo, Snow Fairy showergel*, Tea Tree Water. FrontRow Sex Bomb bath bomb, Star Melts, Lemony Flutter cuticle butter, Supernova bath bomb *I received a free large Snow Fairy for spending $100.

A closer look at Lemony Flutter & BIG
Lemony Flutter is small but smells so strong and delicious. This is perfect to throw in your bag during the winter if you get dry & cracked cuticles, hands, elbows.

BIG shampoo has the strangest consistency but it is amazing! The chunks you see above are sea salts and the shampoo smells like citrus. The salt quickly dissolves and turns into a foamy lather. From my first use I noticed that my hair was definitely smoother, silkier and shinier. I was hoping for BIG to make my hair more volumized but I haven't really noticed a difference in that area yet. Anyway, I still LOVE this shampoo.

*UPDATED*
-So I have been using this shampoo for a few weeks now and my initial thoughts were correct. For me, this shampoo makes hair very silky, shiny & clean feeling. Although, it does not make my hair volumnized at all. For this reason, I haven't been using it daily. If you are looking for a voluminzing shampoo I would recommend Redken's Full Body. I do not regret purchasing BIG, I still think it is a very cool product. I like washing my hair with it because the smell is great & the sea salt has a very interesting feel on your scalp. I hope this mini review was helpful!
I'd also love to know what your faves from Lush are?
Thanks for reading,
♥ Nikki

Great Finds...Awesome Prices

Here is a little haul from ....Marshalls!!

I knew my Marshall's carried Philosophy products but Korres & The Body Shop?! The Korres body butter set was somewhere around $10 I believe. They all smell amazing, this would be a perfect gift.

& I found this PassionFruit lip butter for only $1.99!! 

Pretty excited about that.  

I also picked up this pretty box for no reason, lol. 

If you are a fan of any of these brands I would definitely suggest checking Marshalls first!

♥ Nikki

Cool Reserve + Sephora F&F Haul

I know I'm really late on this one but I finally painted my nails with MAC's Cool Reserve and I have to say I really like it.  In some light it looks grey, in others it appears purple.  I'm not usually a fan of MAC's polishes but this one is pretty nice!

& here is a sneak peek of what I bought from Sephora using the Friends & Family discount FF2009 (ends Nov.2nd). 

 Reviews & swatches coming soon!

What did you haul from F&F sale?

Thanks for reading,

xox

Pleasures of Paris

Hi everyone!

I'm pretty excited because my 

NARS Pleasures of Paris Palette ♥ finally arrived today!

I apologize, this may be old news to a lot of you.  Everytime I tried to order this on the NARS web site, it was sold out...but I finally got my hands on it.

Top Row

Nepal:Violetta:Demon Lover

Bottom Row

Fez:Abyssinia:Cordura

Can't wait to do a look using the bottom row tomorrow...fotd's coming soon!  To go with the theme my mom recently found this Eiffel Tower decoration in Marshalls.

I absolutely ♥ anything to do with Paris.

       This past weekend my Bf & I took a ride upstate to White Plains...where they have the most amazing mall (The Westchester).  The Sephora there recently started carrying YSL.  I purchased Rouge Pure Shine #11 Pink Diamond. The packaging is awesome and it has an amazing mango scent.  The color is baby pink with shimmer, however it is very sheer. Lingerie Pink is shown on the right for comparison. I would say LP has slightly more of a mauve tone to it than Pink Diamond.  But because of the sheerness, I probably wouldn't repurchase this.  

Is anyone else obsessed with baby pink lippies??

Thanks for reading!

xox

September Purchases & Faves

Hello followers! 

It's been a few days, hope everyone is doing well.  

I wanted to share some of my September favorites  with you guys...

MAC Eyeshadows

Goldmine♥

Cork

Retrospeck ♥

Vanilla

Swiss Chocolate ♥

MAC Kitty Kouture Dazzleglass 

OPI Mod About You ♥

Illamasqua Liv Lipstick ♥

& Style Black Collection

Bat Black Cream Colour Base

Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ♥

You can tell by the hearts which products I am absolutely loving! My one regret is the Bat Black Cream Colour Base.  Although it is a beautiful dark burgundy/black it is not as pigmented as I thought it would be.  It is almost too watery or runny, even with a base.  

As for the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator,

  it is fantastic.  

EDIT: The VAE made me break out horribly. 

Are any of these items your favorites as well?

Thanks for reading!

xox

p.s. check out my blog sale 

I <3 NYC

Hello everyone!

I apologize for not blogging for about a week now.  

Been pretty busy with work & grad school.

This weekend my family & I went into the city to see the Broadway play Wicked.  

I just thought I'd post a few shots from the night.

Enjoy...

Sushi & Cocktails courtesy of Bamboo52

Times Square

Wicked @ Gershwin Theater

Of course I had to stop in the new Sephora in Times Square!

Picked up two Illamasqua lipsticks

Liv~ baby pink (LOVE)

Sonnet~ peachy nude

Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara

Purchased this on a whim in Duane Reade

So far, pretty good!

Lazy Sunday FOTD

Wearing Liv lipstick + Korres Jasmine lip butter

& shirt I bought at the show, haha :)

I hope everyone is having a great week.

p.s. I am having my blog sale Saturday morning...finally!

*Lots of brand new MAC items*

xox

Weekend Purchases

I did a little bit of shopping this weekend...

not too much, as I am trying to save more. 

CCO

:MAC Spaced Out Blush:

Very Pretty Peachy Pink Blush

Reminded me of Fun & Games BPB but more Pink

I found these cute Hello Kitty hair ties as well :)

Ulta

:CoverGirl Concealer in Neutralizer:

I put this on after my Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

It instantly brightens up my eyes..goodbye dark circles!

:Korres Lip Butter in Guava:

A milky white lip moisturizer

Photo compares Guava to Jasmine (sheer pink)

I love how Guava looks over pink lipsticks!

:OPI Bubble Bath:

Baby pink nail color 

 The original version was more white than pink. 

To help keep my nails chip-free I always use Chip Skip & Seche Vite.

I've tried to track down OPI Mod About You all week with no luck.  So I finally ordered it on eBay. Can't wait to get it!  Sorry I haven't been blogging much recently.  It was a busy holiday weekend & my grad school class is back in session. 

Thanks for reading & commenting!

xox

Shopping Is My Cardio

Haha that's my favorite Carrie Bradshaw quote...

I did a little clothing/accessories shopping over the weekend.  

Here is what I purchased.

:Top from Saks:

I purchased this for my friend Stacie's birthday which we will be celebrating in the city next weekend. I know this top is a little busy but I absolutely love the floral design.  As you can tell, it has a racerback and the back is slightly longer than the front.  I was thinking about wearing this with jeggings I found at Saks. Not sure yet though...

:Forever21 Blushed Fashion Tee:

I think this tee is so cute! I love the blushing girl & the quote on the back.  I love Forever 21 for cheap finds like this.  Retails for $13.80

:Floral Tunic:

I have this tunic in blue & I featured it in an OOTD a few weeks ago. 

 I saw the orangey/red color & thought it would be perfect with leggings for the fall.

The next few pieces of jewelry are also from Forever21.  

:Wild Daisy Bead Ring:

$4.80

:Mixed Charms Chain Bracelet:

$6.80

:Locket & Charms Necklace:

$4.80

:Eclectic Charm Necklace:

$4.80

:Murano Glass Ring:

My sister & I collect these Murano rings.  We purchased our first few in Italy and have been randomly finding them at craft fairs in NY, gift shops in Florida, and malls.  This one was purchased at a local mall for only $5.99.  

:MAC Technakohl liner in Colour Matters:

 Lastly, a cosmetic purchase!

I like using these liners in my waterline for a pop of color.  

I hope this post was enjoyable! Thanks for reading. 

xox