Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm a firm  believer in not waiting for people to gift you the stuff you want.

Sometimes you just need to treat yourself, right? Of course, right.

So in honor of my birthday today, I did a little splurging and bought the Chanel nail polish (Peridot) that I've been drooling over AND one of the other limited edition shades -  Graphite.

I basically couldn't be happier about it! Peridot is just as beautiful in person as it was online and though I haven't yet tried the Graphite, I have no doubts I'll be just as thrilled.

I also decided it was time to expand my sunglasses collection. Not that I need new ones... The 6548456 pairs I already have are more than adequate to match any possible outfit/occasion/etc. But I wanted them... So off to the Sunglass Hut I went.

And home I came with these babies:

RB2132 New Wayfarer

A tortoise frame with brown lenses makes this iconic Wayfarer style even more adorable than the standard black frame/black lens version.

Also, I wholeheartedly SWEAR that this guy...

...had absolutely NOTHING to do with my decision to buy these particular glasses. No, seriously. He didn't.

Moving on.

I've also never had sunglasses with brown lenses before and as it turns out there is this magical sepia effect that happens the moment you slip them over your eyes that just makes me smile. Everything looks sunny and golden and maybe even  a little bit hazy - kind of the way those old photos from the 70s look in your parent's photo albums. Seriously... It's like looking at the world through Instagram. I highly recommend it.

Then everything in your life will look like this:

Yep, that's me and one of my dearest friends, Amanda, lookin' all soft and glowy. Don't you want your world to look like that? Trust me, you totally do.

So that is my food for thought for the day... Enjoy yourself. Pamper yourself in any way you can - it doesn't have to be with gifts. Just take a moment to remember that you're pretty awesome and you deserve it. 

Okay, enough being sappy. More product reviews to come soon! Hope everyone has an amazing day. If you feel like it, let me know how you celebrate your special days!
 
[photo credits: sunglasshut.com, shefinds.com]

Peridot: Better as a nail polish than a jewel?

I want this. I need this. Oh baby, oh baby.



It's one of the latest limited edition shades from Chanel - Peridot.

Seriously though. I am in dire need of this nail polish. I don't even really like green, but I find myself completely enchanted by this shade.

Look how awesome it looks on the lovely Christine from Temptalia:

















Peridot is my birthstone. That should count for something, right?

[photo credits: norstrom.com, temptalia.com]

Oscar Night: Ruffle My Feathers

There were a LOT of ruffles at this years Academy Awards.

No, like, really... Almost more than I can handle, and I love ruffles.

There was some good, there was some bad...

There was some cah-razzzeeeeeyyyyy.

So, without further adieu... Here we go.

First up we have Up in the Air's Vera Farmiga wearing a stunning fuchsia Marchesa gown.

This was one of my favorite looks of the night. That is... A whole lotta dress right there, but I really think she pulled it off. It fits her perfectly and the simple hair and minimal jewelry really pull the look together. Love that lipstick, too!

Next up we have Elizabeth Banks in Versace.

I wanted to love this dress, I really did. I almost did, too. But there was one thing that threw the whole thing off for me - the fit. It's too small. From the front it was clearly suffocating her poor chest and it looks uncomfortably tight around the rest of the bodice. See that puckering near the seams? That means there needs to be more material there. Aside from that, I adore the ice grey color, the simple hair (complete with a lovely peekaboo-sparkle headband), and the smoky makeup. It was definitely almost there.

Our first questionable moment came from a red carpet favorite of mine - Diane Kruger in Chanel.

Okay... It's weird. It's half ruffled, half not. There's also lace and ruching and ribbons and...oy. A lot of stuff. I have to say, though, it's very Diane. She is always one to take risks on the red carpet and I, for one, think she usually knocks it out of the park. I like to think of her as a less-intense Chloe Sevigny. All in all, this isn't my favorite dress, but I think it's a pretty color and check out the lovely detailing... I like it. So there.

Bringin' the sexy back in a flesh-toned Versace was Demi Moore, who must have discovered the fountain of youth because she's clearly getting younger instead of older.

She looks hot, no two ways around it. Great dress, great color, great shoes, great everything.

Avatar may have lost out on most of the big awards, but one of it's stars was certainly going for the fashion win - Zoe Saldana in Givenchy - I'm just not sure she fared any better than her film did.

Is it just me or does Zoe's dress look a little bit like the purple part is trying to swallow the sparkly bodice? It really looks like two dresses thrown together. It's one part sparkle, one part flamenco dancer, and all parts over-the-top. I actually love the color, it looks beautiful on her... The rest of the dress? Not so much. I just can't get on board with this one.

Stay tuned for more trends from the Oscars!

[photo credits: nymag.com, justjared.buzznet.com, imdb.com]

Big Names Worth Big Bucks?

So MSN.com's Lifestyle section runs a weekly column by the Beauty Director of Marie Claire Magazine, Ying Chu. She's usually got some fun things to say and this week she answers the question: Are designer eye shadows worth the cost or can you get the same look using drugstore eye shadows?

or ?

Here's what she had to say:

"There are a ton of brands that offer top-quality makeup at drugstore prices—including L’Oréal, Cover Girl, and Revlon. If you’re trying out a new look (peacock blue eyes?), then experiment with something inexpensive at first. If you grow to love a trend and want to wear it regularly, then you can invest in something pricier. Sometimes, a more expensive brand can offer a wider range of colors, or really beautiful packaging (I’m a sucker for both), but the formula inside can be similar to what’s found at the drugstore."

Personally, I've never been a fan of drugstore eye shadows. I know, I know, some brands charge outrageous prices and I should be praising the likes of Maybelline and Cover Girl for providing an inexpensive option... But I just can't do it. While I adore many drugstore products, like mascara, I just don't think the eye shadows measure up.

The pigments and textures just can't compare to the high-end shadows from Chanel and Dior. Not even close to the mid-priced, but just as fabulous, brands like MAC and Urban Decay. They just don't seem to last on me and I firmly believe that the higher quality of ingredients in the more expensive shadows is well worth the price.

Of course, Chu has a point when she says to experiment with the drugstore products... But I say head on down to Sephora and try stuff out there. They have the best return policy on the planet so if you don't like it, just give it back!

So that's my view on the drugstore-high-end debate. What's yours?

[photo credits: covergirl.com, chanel.com]

Hey... J-J-J-Jaded...

"Yeah, I'm talkin' about you..."

That's right, Chanel. I'm lookin' at you.

You and your absurdly priced, quality-lacking, easily-chipping nail polish.

Pardonnez-moi, I mean Le Vernis Nail Colour.

Well, okay... Maybe I was a little harsh. Only some of the Chanel polishes I've tried have been easily-chipping... But still. $25 bucks for a nail polish? I can get a pretty snazzy uber-manicure with a stellar massage for $25 bucks.

And yet... I LOVE this color. It's from their latest and greatest collection and matches this Jade-bead necklace my mother always wore when I was little to a tee. It comes in this lovely pale-seafoamy-green-with-a-slight-shimmer shade called Jade and an equally pretty pale pink shade called Jade Rose.

I've heard a ton of mixed reviews about it already, and every time I convince myself that it's not worth the money or that it's a useless color (I mean how often will I want to wear GREEN nail polish??) I just keep looking at the little bottle and sighing. I still want it.

Somebody just smack me over the head, would you? PLEASE?

But look how PRETTY!!

Melanie Parker over at the wonderful Blogdorf Goodman has concerns over the streakyness of the polish (even after three coats) while a Teen Vogue beauty blogger wishes she could tattoo this color on her nails forever.

And then there's the inevitable comparison to MAC's Peppermint Patti from the Sugarsweet Collection.

Unfortunately, I've never seen it in person, but luckily enough the entire internet has made up for my goof.

So thanks to All Lacquered Up for this:

So what's a girl to do? Shell out $25 bucks for the double-C's? Hunt down some Peppermint Patti on eBay?

Or remind myself that having seafoam green nail polish is probably a waste of money and forget about it?

You tell me!

[photo credits: misslovely.com, chanel.com, teenvogue.com, alllacqueredup.com]