1.Romper

2.Make Your Passion Your Paycheck

3.Watch

4.Boots

5. Chloe Bag

6. Lipstick in Hang Ten

7. Overnight Bag

8. Butterfly Earrings

9. Pink Sweater

I am a terrible sleeper. Everything wakes me up! I swear, I could hear a pin drop and think its an elephant, or let's be real I would most likely think its someone breaking in (paranoid much?). I think I first started to become a bad sleeper senior year of college, I think life was catching up with me and the thought of being out there in the "real world" was terrifying. I had to find some kind of solution, and as if someone heard my sleepless nights I found.... wait for it... the eye mask!! It truly has helped my sleeping more than I ever expected. I never thought a sheet over my eyes would do much, but my friends kept insisting I try it and I am beyond thankful I finally gave in. It does take a bit to get used to, but you will sleep like a baby. Now I can't sleep without it! That can be the not so ideal part, you get addicted to the eye mask! Thankfully there are some super cute ones out there! I have passed on the word to all of my girlfriends, and gotten them addicted to the Mary Green eye masks. These are the ones I wear! They are beautiful, silk, comfortable and fashionable! Better grab hers fast though, not sure she is making them anymore!! Luckily, there are some other great ones out there I am excited to try.

Mary Green

Mary Green: Golf mask 

Perpetual Shade and Wildfox

 PB Teen

Morgan Lane 

Breakfast at Tiffanys 

Chanel 

Bottega Veneta 

Dreaming in Paris 

Lily Pulitzer 

 If I didn't already like Cargo Cosmetics enough, I am now officially in love. This morning I woke up to quite a surprise! I won tickets to the Chinese Laundry New York Fashion Week event with Kristen Cavallari! I mean come on, this is going to my lucky day! I entered to win yesterday on the Cargo Cosmetics Twitter page, and I am floored I won! I am telling you, I never win anything! Go follow them @CARGOcosmetics, they are the best. They have officially changed my luck around!

If you weren't already envious enough, here are the deets to the event I am attending! I feel like one very lucky girl!

Since I am feeling extra generous today, I thought I would share some great sales I received in my e-mail. Now, get shopping!!

Bluefly: YSL extra 15% off,  extra 50% off wear-to-work dresses, and 50% off clearance jewelry.

Dainty Hooligan: 20% off rompers TODAY ONLY. Promo code: ROMPERSALE

Yumi Kim: Extra 30% off sale items. Promo code:BYE30

Don't miss the best daily sales on::

HauteLook

RueLaLa

Gilt Groupe

1.  Anya Hinmarch: In Flight patent leather-trimmed travel case

2. Trish McEvoy Classic Black Makeup Planner

3. Trish McEvoy Classic Black Quilt

4. Tory Burch Printed Hanging Cosmetics Case Case, Kyoto Red

5. Trina Pretty Primitive Makeup Valet

6. Marc by Marc Jacobs Pets Coated Canvas Large Travel Cosmetic

7. M·A·C Travel Case

1. Marissa - Leopard' Nylon Cosmetics Case

2. Neiman Marcus Ikat-Print Under-Glass Zip Cosmetic Case, Yellow 

Kate Spade-Carlisle Street Large  

4. Henri Bendel: Stripe Double Handle Cosmetic Case 

5. Henri Bendel Disturbed Stripe Case

6. Bobbi Brown Old Hollywood Train Case 

It is no secret that I LOVE COSMETICS! I have tried everything under the sun, from drugstore brands to the very high end brands (that I cannot really afford, but that has never stopped me before, TMI?). I truly have a love affair with makeup. With all of the pretty colors and beautiful packaging that these items come in, who in their right mind could resist? I can truly bring on the peer pressure when I find an item I believe in. I, with all of my being, feel that everyone should experience the excellence of the product, and enjoy it just as much as I do! With all of my cosmetics obsessing I have become the makeup artist and hair guru for my circle of friends. I am really thinking about charging (thoughts?). I could never actually charge my friends, could I? Just kidding! I love to do hair and makeup, and enjoy how beautiful they feel after I complete their looks, it really makes me feel validated. Perhaps I should have gone to beauty school? Getting back on topic, the countless brands and cosmetics I have been through in my lifetime, I think I have finally found a pretty great everyday makeup routine. However, this routine does change slightly every few weeks, but here is what I am using as of now! 

 

Step 1: First Aid Beauty: Ultra Repair Liquid Recovery

Step 2: Philosophy: Hope in a Jar

Step 3: Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance  

Step 4: Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation 

Step 5:Tarte Smooth Operator™ Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer

Step 5: Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up Concealer

Step 6: Perricone MD No Bronzer Bronzer

Step 6 with this brush: Tarte The Slenderizer Bamboo Contouring Brush

Step 7: Hourglass: Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Step 8:Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Light

Step 7+8 Brush (Yes, I am bad with brushes..oops) Too Faced: Powder Pouf Brush

Step 9:Nars Blush in Lovejoy

-Estee Lauder Blush in Alluring Rose

- On apples of cheeks in Peony Bobbi Brown blush

Step 10: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Pink Quartz

Brush for Step 9+10: SEPHORA COLLECTION Pro Precision Blush Brush #73

Step 11: Whip Lash Eyelash Curler (pinch free!)

Step 12: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencil in Rich Eggplant

Step 13: Maybelline New York The Colossal Volum' Express Washable Mascara

Step 14:  Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz In Ash Blonde

Step 15: Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

Laying my makeup routing out in steps makes it sound like a job! Sheesh! It really is worth it though, and does not take nearly as long as it looks! Tonight I will have to take a picture of my makeup stash! I think that is the only way you will understand my true cosmetics obsession. Please let me know what makeup you are wearing, and what I absolutely need to try!

Have a great Wednesday!

These boxes of beauty samples seem to be all the rage right now. I know I spoke about Birchbox yesterday, but I could not help but introduce another I just found out about (late in the game?). I always feel like a kid in a candy store when Allure comes out with their Best of Beauty Awards each year! I love to see which products I am currently using that made the list, and what products I absolutely need to invest in (I told you, I have beauty product issues!). FOMO! I really do trust the reviews and beauty picks on Allure, they really do their research and obsess just like someone else I know (cough, cough)! With that said I was pretty excited to see that they have now created their own glossy red beauty boxes! 

 Here is what it states on their site that you can get for $15 per month.

(Keep in mind, Birchbox is only $10/month and Glossybox is $21/month. 

These boxes totally range in price. )

Check out My Subscription Addiction if you are thinking about diving in! You can see examples of monthly boxes, so you know what you can expect. 

 I think I just might need to get into these boxes, I mean come on! They have some great brands, and I truly am a sucker for these amazing gems popping up in my mailbox each month!

Get Allure Sample Society Box!!!

Happy Monday, not! :) Hey, at least its a 4.5 day week (half day Friday for the holiday weekend), and my sister comes to visit this weekend! Can't wait for it to be Friday already!

 On another note, I had to share one very exciting store I stumbled upon this weekend! While I am sure some of you have heard of Birchbox, and perhaps even indulged in that little pink box of amazingness each month, I wonder if you all are aware that they now have their own store! My friends and I made our way through SOHO this weekend, and literally bumped into the Birchbox store! My eyes just about bulged out of my head I got so excited! Let me just tell you, if you live in NYC or are going to be making your way here do yourself a favor, check it out! It is a beauty junkies paradise! You can't not buy something, that would be impossible and a tragedy. When you walk in you will be thrilled to see how beautiful, clean, and open the space is. They truly did a terrific job with the layout and decor. There is everything from high end brands, to brands I have never heard of which is always exciting! This store has everything, truly, you walk downstairs and you are entered into an adorable hair, nail and makeup salon! I was even thinking... maybe I should work there! Probably the most terrible idea I could have for my bank account though. I would never leave with money from my paycheck, the money would go directly back to the store. I have got to get my beauty product obsession under control! 

I sadly did not bring my camera with me, but here are some pictures I found just to get you as excited about the store as I am! Bah! Take me back!

Birchbox Store

I don't know about you guys, but I am far too much of a baby to even think about getting a real tattoo! I begin to feel physically sick with just a thought of a needle (I am a doctors nightmare)!! I might even be worse than children, which I should probably keep to myself. I did think for a quick second though, after my dad passed, about getting a small tattoo in memory of him. However, that is a laugh because I would kick and scream and they would throw me out of the tattoo parlor. There were other ways (besides branding my body) that I could celebrate and honor the memory of my favorite man in the world. This post is not about him though, its about these awesome temporary jewelry tattoos! They shine like real jewelry and add pzazz to any outfit. The best part is there are no needles involved!! Whew!! Just put them on exactly like you did when you were a kid, cut them out, place them where you want them, add water for about 30 seconds and your done! 

The results are pretty great! I wore them last week and got a ton of compliments...even from my grandmother (who always has something negative to say..ha)! So you know these are a winner!

These have even been seen lately on such celebs as Alessandra Ambrosio and Carolina Herrera :)

Your tattoo will last about 4-6 days depending on where they are placed and how well you take care of them.  Here is where you can get these beauties!!

Flash Tattoos 

Lulu DK

They also sell them in Bloomies :)

I always have believed that your hair can make or break you. That may sound a bit shallow, but when you grow up in a city where everyone seems to be judging each other constantly it is bound to have some affect, right? Ha! 

Anyway, I definitely have a hair complex. I research like feign before I allow anyone or anything to touch my hair. Yelp is my savior when it comes to finding a new hair salon or stylist. When it comes to new products, it is the same process. Research, research, research! You can find me swarming sites for reviews on blogs, Amazon, Sephora, Makeup Alley, etc. I read until I am fully convinced that the product is worth a shot. So after all my craziness I truly believe all of my hard work has paid off, and my hair looks the best it ever has.

Here is my hair routine! 

 

Step 1: Shampoo and Conditioner

I was hooked on Redken's All Soft line, however I did recently give Bumble and Bumble a chance and I must say it ranks pretty equally in my book! I have been switching on and off between both lines. The Hairdresser's Invisible Oil line can be found at Sephora, and they even have a travel kit, if you are hesitant like I was get the kit and try it out. It also includes a hair primer which I also like.. but I will talk about that later. Redken can be found on Amazon, or Ricky's (I swear I could live in there, that place has everything!). 

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Travel Kit

Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner 

Step 2: Deep Conditioning 

It can be crucial to give your hair some extra attention after that standard shampoo and conditioner. I find it makes a huge difference in the way my hair looks and feels. I have tried dozens of hair masks from Fekkai to Loreal. However, the best one I have used to date is this one! It smells amazing, and its only $3.88! I mean, really, how wrong can you go? Just  massage it into your hair post shampoo/conditioner, leave on for 3 minutes and wash out!  Voilà!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner

Step 3: Leave in treatment(s)

These treatments not only protect your hair from the heat of your blow-dryers, curling irons, and straightening irons, but also makes your hair feel stronger and healthier.

I use the products in this order, post shower...

1. Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-in Treatment

2. Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil

3. amika Bombshell Blowout Spray

I know it seems like a lot of products, and a lot of work but trust me when I tell you it is truly worth it! Its a small step into feeling more confident.. about your hair!

Stick with it and I promise you will see results.

Please let me know if you have any products you truly believe are worth a shot! I am always up for trying the newest and greatest products!! 

AKA... product junkie!

 Photos: Glamour.com