My Winter 2012 Zara Haul!

Every year after Christmas Zara has an incredible sale on a big majority of their stock, and it's pretty much my shopping highlight of the year. I've been waiting for months for this sale to get a hold of some of the items I've been eyeballing throughout 2012, and I'm pretty happy with what I got.

Some items sell out quickly in the Zara sale, so I usually don't hesitate purchasing items that seem to be a good deal, as I figure that If I don't like the way they look in person, I can always bring them to my local Zara store within 30 days for a refund. In fact, I actually purchased another bag that I didn't like at all in person, and I'll be returning it soon.

This haul is purely accessories, as I didn't find any items of clothing I really liked. I did get a couple of t-shirts, but I've been wearing them so I didn't include them in this haul.

Well, without further ado, here's my haul!

Don't Step on My Blue Suede Shoes.

Real original title, right? I haven't posted any shopping hauls in a long time, so I thought I'd share one of my recent Hautelook purchases that I've been loving. I've been all over the Hautelook boot events for the past couple of months because the prices are so much better than what you'd find at the dept store. During the Rachel Rachel Roy event, I purchased these cute navy suede booties. They aren't available any longer, but they are available on the Rachel Roy website - unfortunately a little more expensive than what I paid.

I love colored shoes, and I think it's a great way to spice up a simple outfit. I wear black a lot, so to keep my look from being too boring, I like to toss on a colorful accessory, whether it be a funky pair of shoes, accessory or handbag. This winter I've been sporting burgundy and forest green boots really often, and when I saw these navy blue booties, I knew right away they'd match with so many different things, and I had to have them.

Blue specifically pairs really well with black, but it's also a great color to wear with white, gray - or pretty much any solid color. Yellow, orange, red, brown - you really can't go wrong.

Rachel Roy Miramar Boots

I have a thing for tassels. :) For reference, they run true to size. I'm a 8.5, and they fit really comfortably.

I love these outfits sporting blue boots! 

(Photo credits: upscalehype, bauergriffinonline)

I have a pretty large Zara Collective haul coming up. I usually go nuts during the Zara Winter sale.. and this year is no exception. haha!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to go see A Haunted House at the movie theater tonight. I'm sure it's going to be ridiculous. lol What are your plans?

Neiman Marcus for Target 70% Off.

Maybe you knew, maybe you didn't, but starting in the month of December, Neiman Marcus collaborated with Target and put out a collection of 50 different holiday gifts by 25 top designers on the Target shelves.

I thought it was a really cool collaboration, but I personally, was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the collection when I first viewed it online, so I never ended up checking it out in stores.

A few days ago while shopping at Target I stumbled upon the collection, and was really surprised to see the amount of stock left - everything was 70% off, and there was so much of everything left. I quickly grabbed a cart expecting to get a lot of stuff, but I saw threads hanging from a lot of the clothes and the trinkets looked cheaply made - many of which were really scratched (or broken) from being handled. I ended up getting two things though that I found by Marc Jacobs, because I love him, and I thought they were a pretty good deal.

Marc Jacobs Rose Gold Pouch - reg. $69.99, sale $20.99

This pouch doesn't serve much of a purpose.. I thought about using it as a casual clutch, but since there is no wristlet to hold onto, it'd probably make a better makeup or coupon bag. I think it's cute though, and I love the rose gold metallic coloring. It's also a nice firm leather.

Marc Jacobs Scarf - reg. $69.99, sale $20.99

I'm a huge scarf fanatic, so this scarf was pretty much mandatory. It's really fragile though, so be aware of that. It can easily snag.

Both items are still available on the Target and Neiman Marcus website, as well as many other items.

Did you end up getting anything? I was going to also get the Derek Lam Slippers, but my Mom thought they were hideous, so I ended up putting them back. haha!

Haul: Forever 21 Accessories!

Double Sided Heart Mirror - $4.80

Medium Face Brush - $2.80

Blue Nail Polish - $2.80

Pale Iris Nail Polish - $2.80

Uneven Ring - $2.80

Vintage Spikey Bracelet - $7.80 (larger spikes)

Spike Bead Bracelet - $9.80 (small spikes)

Sunglasses - $5.80

Be Mine Stud Earrings - $1.50

Sparkling Bow Earrings - $1.50

Items that are still available on the website are click-able, and will re-direct you to the product page.

I'm pretty happy with everything. I lose stud earrings like there's no tomorrow, so I always purchase cheap ones that I can always re-purchase and won't feel guilty about losing. I'm excited to try out the face brush I purchased - it's a domed/pointed foundation brush. I've always wanted a dome foundation brush and would eyeball the Sonia Kashuk one at Target when I walk though the cosmetic aisles. The bristles are super soft and I think it would be a good brush to blend my foundation in small areas (near my ears, nose, under my eyes, etc.) 

I thought these bracelets were pretty cool. Typically, I would of never picked these up (if I saw them at Hot Topic per say..) but because I can't afford my much wanted Eddie Borgo bracelet, I had to have these. Isn't it funny how fashion trends make you like something you would of never liked before?

Gunmetal Pave Cone Bracelet $1,150

Shopping Haul! ALDO Handbag, Forever 21 Shoes & More!

Hey Everyone!

I did a little shopping Friday with my bestie and thought I'd post a haul to share what I got! I didn't buy any clothes though, with the exception of a couple items. I am happy though, I now have a spring/summer bag and a pair of heels to wear.

ALDO Tellis Handbag (in the color bone) $40

(click here to view on the website)

I always know that Aldo has cute handbags that aren't very pricey. I typically get my bags from Marshall's/TJ Maxx or retail stores such as Macy's and Lord & Taylor, but I didn't have enough to splurge on anything too expensive. I thought this bag was adorable. I love the color- at first sight, I thought it was pink, but at a closer look it's a light, blushed tan. I'm also a sucker for tassels. I think they are totally chic. Also, you can wear this bag on your shoulder with the longer, detachable strap, or on your arm like a satchel.

This is my BFF modeling my bag last night.. haha. Her shoes, pants, and sweater were all purchased from Forever 21 yesterday. I love the pants.. I was going to buy them as well.. but she said she'd share hers with me whenever I want to wear them. (Sure! Let me lose 20 pounds first.. haha)

Forever 21 Distressed Leatherette Cutout Heels $28.80

(view here on the website)

I loved these sandals at first sight. The laced up front automatically made me think of the gorgeous Christian Louboutin "Miss Fortune" Sandals that are often seen on the Kardashian sisters. I also love the "distressed" brown faux leather and the platform heel. Faux leather shoes never usually work out for me, but I have pretty good luck with Forever 21 shoes. 

Forever 21 Accessories

Jeweled Retractable Makeup Brush $3.80 (here), Dimpled Knuckle Ring $3.80 (here) & Filigree and Rhinestone Teardrop Earrings $2.80 (here).

I thought the brush would be useful for tossing in my handbag without worrying about staining the lining. The bristles are actually very soft (not very dense) and it works well for powder or blush/bronzer.

It's actually surprisingly comfortable and doesn't bother me at all after wearing it all day.

 Clearance zip hoodie $5.99.
I can always use a plain hoodie for lounging.

H&M Accessories

Polka Dot Umbrella w/ Ruffles $9.95, Necklace $3.95

It was raining terribly, so I decided to purchase an umbrella. I thought the ruffles were totally cute and girly.

Cami $5.95, Cotton Stretch Mini Skirt $5.95

The cami is my favorite color.. it's like a pale tan-pink. It looks very pretty with the black trim, and I can probably get a lot of use from it. The skirt was a great deal, and I figured it's a good thing to have. I will have to exchange the skirt though, because I (and my friend) found that it runs large. I purchased a med, and I need a small - and my friend purchased a small and needs an x-small.

That's it for my haul! Have you purchased any goodies lately that you're excited to wear?

Sephora Haul: Guerlain, DDF, Josie Moran, Brazilian Peel!

Earlier this week, I placed two orders (one day apart from eachother) at Sephora.com. Both orders look almost exactly the same because I chose the same free samples for both orders.

So, I thought I'd do a quick post to share with you my purchases!

Order #1

Ojon Color Sustain Color Revealing Shampoo & Conditioner (0.27 oz samples)

Dior Capture Totale One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum (0.03 oz sample)

Brazilian Peel Professional Strength Glycolic Acai Anti-oxidant Facial Treatment (2.4 ml sample)

DDF Advanced Moisture Defense spf 15 (0.5 oz promotional sample - code at checkout: Defense)

Josie Maran Organic Argan Oil Moisturizer

Order #2

Ojon Color Sustain Color Revealing Shampoo & Conditioner (0.27 oz samples)

Dior Capture Totale One Essential Skin Boosting Super Serum (0.03 oz sample)

Brazilian Peel Professional Strength Glycolic Acai Anti-oxidant Facial Treatment (2.4 ml sample)

DDF Advanced Moisture Defense spf 15 (0.5 oz promotional sample - code at checkout: Defense)

DDF Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew (1 fl oz, 100 point beauty insider reward)

Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation in the shade 03 Beige Naturel

I'm mostly excited to try out the Brazilian Peel, as I've been using AHA's nightly for the past month and would like to experiment with different brands. I'm not going to lie, seeing the Brazilian Peel as a free sample with any purchase is what persuaded me to place an order (or two). You can read more about it by clicking here.

I'm also pretty excited about the Argan Oil, as I've been meaning to try it for months.. I'm crossing my fingers that my skin will react well to it.

Also, as you can see I purchased another Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation. I purchased a bottle of Guerlain Parure Extreme a couple of months back and the color (#4) was terrible for my warm skin tone. I love this foundation to pieces, so despite the hefty price tag, I decided to take the plunge and purchase it in a shade lighter (#3). So far, I've only swatched it on my hand.. and it looks much better than #4 in terms of undertone, but I can't tell for sure yet. I'll keep you updated with that. 

I'll be testing out all of these products and I'll have reviews/updates within the next couple of weeks! 

If you've tried any of these products, I'd love to know your thoughts!!

Small Drugstore Haul!

1) Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks in the shades "Pink Please 025" and "Born with It 015". These are Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off at Walgreens till the 15th. I haven't tried them yet.. Pink Please was a color that was recommended to me by one of my lovely readers. I was hesitant at first.. but I decided to try it out. Both shades are light/med toned pinks.

2) Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in the shade "Grey Area 330". Grey Area is a deep Grey that looks darker on the nails than it does in the bottle. In the bottle it looks very similar to Rimmel Steel Grey, but Grey Area is deeper and almost looks navy in certain lighting.

3) Wet n Wild Mega Matte Lipstick in the shade "Just Peachy 903C". A mid toned coral-pink shade. This is the third mega matte lipstick to my addition.. and I love them all! The lipsticks are creamy, very pigmented and no yucky scent! All Wet n Wild is 50% off at Walgreen's till the 15th.

4) Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color in the shade "Gray's Anatomy 237C". The Fast Dry formula is new to Wet n Wild in 2011. There were several different shades that caught my eye.. like a pretty baby pink, a bright blue, a bright coral-red.. but for some reason I picked this one. It's a silvery grey with a purple/blue/green pearl. I'm still deciding if I like it or not.. LOL but I guess we'll have to see once I apply it to my nails & post a NOTD!

5) Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss Lip Gel in the shade "This Too Shall Glass 310A". Cute name.. sounds like a shade of OPI nail polish? Lol This is also a new product for 2011. I really like the formula of this. It's not sticky at all and feels very smooth on the lips. This color in particular is a sheer pink with a golden pearl.

6) LASplash Nail Art Glitter in the shade "Onyx". A very pretty dark glitter.. with a mixture of fine and chunky glitter. The glitter is multi colored.. but mostly appears to be a deep blue/purple/green? I thought it would look very pretty paired with the polishes I bought. Can't wait to share with you a NOTD!

Swatches are yet to come!

Haul: Sephora (friends & family sale)

I received a coupon from Sephora in the mail a couple of days ago for 20% off everything in the store. The sale only went on for a few days.. so I made sure to rush over last night an hour before they closed to buy a few things. I wish I would of written down a list before I went.. I walked in having no idea what I was looking for.

Here is what I ended up getting -

Nars Madly Blush ($28) is described on the Nars website as a seashell pink. I would describe it as a warm, soft pinked mauve. I originally thought it was going to be too light and not show up on my skin tone.. but it actually really surprised me and warmed up very nicely to my skin tone. I think its such a flattering color and perfect for every day! I think it's my new favorite blush.

Some Updates!

I haven't posted in days.. I've been pretty busy and it's been SO hot outside so I haven't really done my make up.

Friday I went to my best friends performance at the local mall.. she dances for a local singer/dancer named Andre B. It was an awesome show.. it didn't go exactly as planned and there were a couple minor mistakes, but it was a blast. I recorded it.. not the best quality.. but I uploaded it on YouTube.. my friends would definitely appreciate the feedback, so please leave a comment if you liked it!

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Wh0zUL3W4

Here's a pic of me I snapped on my way home in my car.. lol I wore long sleeves thinking it was going to be cool outside.. I was so wrong.. I was sweating my butt off. I have my bike in my trunk from my 16 mile long bike ride from last week.. I need to take it out. I've been too lazy.


Lately, I am obsessed with listening to Lady Gaga - Paparazzi.. I keep listening to it over and over.. lol and watching the video. If you haven't seen it.. its really crazy and different.. like her style. I think it's really cool though.. and I absolutely love her. Here's a link to the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrKLUlh-To

Anyway, I purchased a couple of things at CVS yesterday. I never shop there, I always go to Walgreen's.. but my friend needed to stop there.. so I started looking at makeup. O M G. They are soo expensive. I wanted to buy a ton of Milani stuff, but I'll buy that stuff at ULTA or Kmart.. I wasn't going to pay over $10 for a blush. I got Milani Eye Tech Liquid Liner for $6.99! I thought that was expensive, but I bought it anyway.. and I bought Maybelline Dream Matte Liquid Mousse in #2.5. I thought it was a good match, but I have a feeling its too light.

I didn't have any intention of buying a foundation, but I was swatching (i know, you're not suppose to in drugstores) different ones for my friend, and when I swatched the dream matte liquid, it looked very nice.. and I liked the texture of it.. it appeared to be a medium looking coverage. I think it was like$9.49?? Ridiculous for a drugstore foundation that most likely sucks.. in my opinion. lol But I really thought it would be good. I tried it out this morning.. I didn't have a brush on me.. or a moisturizer.. so I applied it to my face with my fingers.. and I'm not liking it too much.. I ended up taking it off. But I know the MAC 187 brush makes everything look good.. so i'll be testing this stuff out for the next few days and letting you know how it goes.

I really like the Milani eye liner pen. I like the fact that its small, so you can get close to your eye with it, and you have a lot more control. One thing I don't like about liner pens are, when I apply liner, its after my foundation.. so applying a marker like eye liner.. it tends to get makeup buildup on the felt tip, and it will stop working. But I had foundation all over my hand from swatching and drew on my hand with the pen and the foundation didn't come off on the tip. The color of this stuff is extremely black (you can go over it and will get darker), and it dries like liquid liner.. not like a marker (like Loreal Voluminous Marker Eyeliner) This is great if you like to do designs with liner.. such as leopard print, winged ends, "twiggy inspired" eyes.. etc. You can hold it straight for a thin line or sideways for a thicker line.

Here's a couple of swatches:

It makes drawing leopard print a breeze..

Previous Drugstore Haul Update:
Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation: I've been testing this out a bit.. And I'm going to give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. I was not wow'ed by this.. but it is definitely a good drugstore foundation, that has pretty good staying power. The finish is on the dewy side.. so for better staying power, I dusted a powder over it. The coverage is buildable, it has a good medium coverage.. it evened out my skin tone and covered most of my imperfections (I've been breaking out lately). The only reason I'm not giving this a 4 or 5 star is because the COLOR. For reference, I am a NC35-40 in MAC. The color I purchased was #200. It is too light for me. Then, there is two more colors that are darker, and they are both pink toned.. this color has more of a golden tone.. so i figured I can work with it.. and put on bronzer. But, putting on a lighter foundation tends to give a grey hue to my face? And I didn't like that at all.. So this foundation didn't work for me. If you are a NC30, or a lighter NC35.. this will work good for you. But I'm a dark NC35.. more towards 40. I don't think the color choices are good. I wish they had a color that matched me because this stuff is so reasonably priced.. and I would probably be using it all of the time. *sigh* :( I'll be using this when I don't have a tan.

Revlon Colorstay Lipstick in Smooth Nude: This is my now my HG drugstore lipstick. I didn't have an HG drugstore lipstick before this.. lol but this is on my list of "will repurchase when finished". I use it every day. Especially when I go out to dinner with friends or family.. So I won't have to reapply my lipstick at the table. I'll still have color on my lips after my meal with this. I LOVE this lipstick. When I think of Colorstay lip colors, I think about applying a creamy lipgloss that will dry like paint on your lips and then you put clear gloss over it.. and it will last for a few hours and then peel and crumble. And forget about reapplying.. you'll just have a gunky mess on your lips. That is not at all the case with this. When you apply it, its very smooth and goes on creamy. It will dry on your lips to a semi-matte.. but it is still a bit shiny. You'll be able to still rub your lips together without it feeling dry. It goes on as a light peach with a pink shine to it. The coverage is buildable. You can make your lips more translucent with the more coats you put. Apply a clear gloss over and you've got the perfect neutral lip. I like to apply a little foundation on my lips before applying this to tone down the color of my lips, so the lipstick will apply lighter. The lasting power is good.. It lasts me a few hours.. better than a MAC lipstick.. and when I reapply, it doesnt get cakey.. it will blend with the lipstick left on my lips. It does not make my lips dry out or peel. 4.5 out of 5 stars for this.

In these pictures I was trying to capture the color of the pink pearl, if you look closely, you can see it. In the pic of my lips, I started out with a bare lip and applied a little foundation to tone down my lip color.. and then the lipstick and clear gloss.

Haul: M.A.C (Dainty, Love Connection, Rave, Underage)

I was extremely excited to check out the Color Craft Collection at the MAC counter. I know I'm super late and this collection has been out for weeks now.. but I haven't gotten the chance to check out a counter. I was almost positive I was going to purchase Porcelain Pink MSF and Cheeky Bronze MSF, but in person they didn't look at all like what I thought.

Porcelain pink looked really like a white frost with a hint of very light pink. When I applied it, It really didn't do anything for me. Cheeky Bronze didn't do anything for me either. It just looked like light bronze shimmer..

SO, with that said.. I didn't get anything from the collection.

Instead, I bought a Mineralize Blush called "Dainty" it's a very pretty pink with shimmer.. and it has build able color.. I was looking at this blush the last maybe.. 3 times I went to MAC.. so it was either Pink Swoon blush or Dainty. I chose Dainty.

And, I got a Mineralize eyeshadow called Love Connection. It's a very shimmery golden taupe. I haven't tried it out yet.. but when I swatched it on my wrist at the counter it looked GORGEOUS. So, I hope it just wasn't the lighting. lol

And, I got Underage lipglass.. I'm not sure why I bought it since I think MAC lip glasses go so quickly.. and I believe in drugstore lip glosses over $15-$30 lip glosses.. but it was an impulse buy. I usually buy Florabundance.. but I felt like trying something different.. even though its so similar. I think Florabundance just has a little but more of a peach tone.. Underage is a very milky light beige pink.

And, last but not least, Rave Pearlglide liner. This liner is SO pretty. I purchased it because I saw two different gals post FOTD's using this.. and it looked so amazing. I can't find them.. I thought I saw it on Specktra.. but I went through a million threads and didn't see it. Purple is my absolute favorite color to wear on my eyes. Purple complements my eyes like no other color. I have hazel eyes with a hint of green. And when I have purple on my eyes.. it really makes the green in my eyes stand out.. and that's exactly what I want. What colors do you find best compliment your eyes?

I wanted to buy Black Russian too.. its black with shimmer.. it was gorgeous as well.. but I'm on a budget and I wasn't about to go crazy.. lol

Did you get anything from the Colorcraft Collection?

Haul: Drugstore Makeup! Lots of Revlon & Rimmel Foundation!

100+ FOLLOWERS!!!
Wow!! Thank you so much everyone for following me!! It really means a lot to me that people take the time to read my blog and check for updates! You guys are the best :)

I never really buy drugstore makeup, but I wanted to give some highly rated items a try. Walgreens has 40% off all Revlon Colorstay Makeup, so I checked the reviews and purchased a couple items. I'll have reviews for everything soon. :) I haven't tried anything out yet.

From Revlon, I bought Colorstay Eyeliner Crayons in Navy and Black. I heard that these are amazing and they last, so I can't wait to give them a try. These came to $4.49 each. I also got Colorstay Under Eye Concealer in Light/Medium. I also heard good things about this, and I've been wanting to try something different from what I use.. I always use cream concealers. This is a liquid. I got that for $5.99. And I got three different lip colors. The Colorstay Mineral Lip glaze in Unlimited Nectar, which is a very pretty beige coral, Colorstay lip color in Smooth Nude, which to me looks like a cross between MAC Myth and Freckletone (which are two of my favorites!) and lastly, a lip gloss that wasn't on sale; Pink Whisper.

Also, I got my favorite set of falsies.. Modlash #45 and Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral Enriched Foundation (16 hr makeup) in #200 Soft Beige. This is supposed to be pretty good, I'm going to try it out today. This color looks light, but Sand looked really pink.. did not want that!

I also wanted to pick up Max-factor PAN-STIK foundation stick but, Walgreens didn't have it, so I'll be picking up that up pretty soon, probably from ULTA since I have a coupon.

Have you tried any of these? What are some of your drugstore favorites you'd recommend?