NYE 2012!!

With 2012 almost here I want to take some time to reflect on 2011. There were many up's and down's like every other year, but in 2012 there are many things I would like to change for myself. I want to be more organized and more patient and I would like to work harder to build my friendships with many people that I've met in 2011. Sometimes, we are too busy racing through life to stop and realize that it's the little things that are important. 

My plans for tonight is going to a friends place for a house party first and then we are heading to metro for the NYE party 

We got VIP bracelets for this event so it's all you can drink aaall night baby!

For my makeup I plan on doing a look similar to this with MAC's platinum pigment and maybe a little bit of MAC's 3D glitter over it. What better time to sparkle than for NYE?

For my outfit I'm wearing a blue one shoulder dress with antiqued gold details at the top with antiqued accessories and nude heels. For my hair, I plan on curling it. 

What are your plans for NYE?

A few Hanukkah gifts

Hi guys, just wanted to show some of my present I received this year. Some nail polishes, including the Seche Vite top coat that everyone raves about, some gift cards, lip balms and light blue perfume by D&G, which smells amazing. I think it would be perfect for anyone. I also got a robe, a scarf, some candles and some clothes too, but didn't think it was worth photographing. 

Did you guys get the stuff you wanted on your wishlist?

A Few Of My Favorite Things...

I've been pretty much obsessing over Nivea products lately. It all started with their body wash and then I won the Nivea UK photo contest and they sent me a few other products. I've been hooked since then. 

Touch of sparkle cream oil body wash, It smells amazing and it's moisturizing so it's perfect for those winter months or for those w/ normal to dry skin. I love how my skin doesn't feel tight, itchy or dry anymore after I towel off. 

Pure and natural body lotion. It doesn't have any harsh ingredients in it so it's actually good for you skin. I've noticed w/ daily use that I no longer have those little rough patches on my upper arms or those shaves bumps I would get on my upper legs. It doesn't feel greasy at all and it just sinks into the skin leaving it feeling hydrated all day; until your next shower really. I can say hands down that it's the best body lotion I've ever used and I will definitely repurchase. 

Q10 anti wrinkle serum. I apply this when I get out the shower and surprisingly it's mousturizing enough to use on it's own. Usually with serums you need to apply a lotion over it because they are very light, not the case with this one. I don't have any wrinkles so I can't say for sure if it does what it claims in that area, but I do love how easily this goes on and sinks in. It doesn't leave my face shiny or slick feeling so I think it would work great during the summer months too. 

Have any of you tried these Nivea products?

These are all my own thoughts and opinions, I was not asked or payed to do this review.

Merry Christmas to Me!

I was at my usual watering hole - TjMaxx, doing some shopping when I spotted this baby. A leather quilted bag by DKNY. I love how it has gold hardware and that it goes with everything. The original retail price on this was $295 but TjMaxx had it for $99 woohoo! This bag can be worn 2 ways (see below) as a single strap or a double strap show here, which I prefer. 

The attention to detail on this is quite impressive. The quilted pattern even lines up on the back and sides and there weren't any threads hanging out anywhere. I think this bag will definitely be a staple in my wardrobe.

Have any of you bought yourself a Christmas present?

NYE Dress Shopping

I've started my NYE dress shopping and I've been looking for something super sparkly. Well it doesn't get much more sparkly than this. A completely sequined dress from TjMaxx. Can you believe it's only $20! Obviously, I would need about 4 coats of self tanner to make it work, but I think it's pretty cute and would look great w/ black accessories. So, everything was in order and I was going to get it for sure, but first I had to do my going-out-dress-test. 

So I did a little walking in the fitting room, danced, raised my arms up and down (if there were cameras in there I would have looked like a complete retard having a seizure for sure ha), bent over and other stuff you naturally would do in a club. The only problem I noticed was that the sequins under the arm part was seriously cutting into my underarms whenever I would move. It bothered me after about 2 minutes. Can you imagine 5 hours of it? Ouch! So sadly I didn't buy it. My search still continues for the perfect NYE dress. 

Have any of you went shopping for your NYE outfit yet?

Small Wet n' Wild Haul & Swatches.

Rite Aid was have 40% off all their Wet  n' Wild products over the weekend, so since I love Wet n' Wild cosmetics (and a good deal) I had to check it out. They definitely have come a long way from where they used to be a few years ago. Which was cheap, dull and chalky products. They are still cheap, but only as far as price goes b/c they've definitely stepped it up as far as pigmentation and quality goes. I especially love their matte shadows. I just wish they had a bigger color selection. Anyway, here's what I got. 

I picked up another Princess bronzer since I've already hit pan on my last one. The mega eyes pen liner; pen liner are starting to become my favorite liners, they are so easy to work with. I picked up 2 polishes and their Natural Wear pressed powder. 

 1st photo is Princess bronzer with the mineral powder on my middle finger, you can see the little shimmers in the bronzer in the swatch, but once it's on your face it's hardly noticeable. The 2nd photo is the wnw mineral powder on the left finger and MAC SF+ in NC35 on the other. They are pretty much identical, but the wnw is a little more powdery feeling than the SF+. The coverage is good though. 

This liner is amazing. It's super pigmented and dries quickly. I wore it to work today and so far it's been about 5 hours and I haven't had any transfer of this to my upper lids which happens quite a bit to me with most liners. I did notice that you can actually smudge this liner out a little bit too. I wish I would have taken a pic of that. After I took this pic above, I smudged it out with my finger so if you liked that smudged look than this can work for you as well. The polish I have on is the purple one. This is what it looks like with 2 coats. It does seem to chip easily, but I don't use a top or base coat (I really need to get that Seche Vite top coat that everyone raves about). 

Have any of you girls tried these products before?

Part 2 - Cozumel and Jamaica

Cozumel is one of my favorite places. It so beautiful and excellent for snorkeling or suba diving. Unfortunately the seas were very rough so we weren't able to do either. Instead, we decided to go see the Mayan Ruins. When we were in Progresso a few years ago we saw some ruins there and the ones in Progresso were much better imo. They were just larger and more impressive. 

Jamaica

When in Jamaica, you gotta drink a Red Stripe. Plus it's the only beer that I kinda like. 

This kid was like 12 years old and drinking a beer lol. 

Caribbean Cruise To Jamaica, Cozumel and Grand Cayman [Part1]

There's too many pics to just have one post so I may do it in 2 or 3 separate posts. Here are some random shots while on the Ship. 

There were painting classes for "at sea" days which was a lot of fun / There were a lot of Saints fan's on the ship so they set up the game in the royal promenade. We sat at our seats 2 hours in advance because we knew it would fill up and it definitely did. 

Watching the sun set. 

Getting ready to watch a performance at La Scala Theatre and Captain's night.

Getting some much needed sun. 

Next post will be Cozumel :)

I'm Back!

Hi guys! I got back from my cruise on Saturday. I would have done a quick update sooner but, I had some catching up to do when I got home. I hope to have some travel pics posted in a day or two, I still need to update them to my computer. Unfortunately the weather was too bad to get off the boat in Grand Cayman so I'll only have pics from Cozumel and Jamaica. For right now I leave you with this shot of the city (New Orleans) taken from the ship before setting sail and a shot of Jason and I.

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer - Swatches & Review

This is a scheduled post since I'm on vacay =)

I'm not usually a fan of stick concealers because I feel that they are too hard and drying.  I decided to give one a try again since the last time I used one like this was quite a few years ago. This Revlon PhotoReady concealer comes in 6 shades and is oil free and fragrance free. 

I was actually pretty impressed with this concealer. It's soft and smooth and has a little bit of a light reflecting property to it. It's easy to blend out and stays put for a good 6 hours and I didn't notice any creasing under my eye area. Plus, I really like the packaging.

The photo on the left is w/out concealer, the second is swatched and the 3rd is blended out. Notice how it did a pretty good job of covering up that scar on my right knuckle? 

I think this concealer would be best suited for those with normal to oily skin. I think liquid concealers are best suited for dry skin and my favorite one to use in the winter months when my skin is on the dry side is MAC's select moisturecover.

Have any of you tried this concealer? What's your favorite one?

Collective Haul & An Upcoming Vacay!

Before I get into the post I wanted to tell you guys about my upcoming vacation. This weekend Jason and I will be leaving for our 7 day cruise on Royal Caribbean to Cozumel, Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands. I've been to Cozumel before and it was so beautiful, but the other 2 destinations will be a first for us so I'm definitely looking forward to it. 

Jason and I's parents are also coming on the cruise along with a few family members on my side coming in from overseas. They will mainly be with my parents though so Jason and I will be able to do our own thing.  We love doing the excursions, especially if it's anything to do with snorkeling. We made sure to buy our own gear this year instead of renting them like how we did last year...Ugh, I still can't believe we did that. I hope those things were sanitized properly lol. When I get back I hope to have a bunch of vacation pics to share with you guys.

Ok, on to the post. I've been doing quite a lot of shopping lately (my credit card hates me) and here are some things I've picked up so far this month. You would think it's still summer time here with the purchases I made, but honestly, it does still feel like it's summer. We've been having record highs here in the upper 70's and 80's. It sucks! I want some cold weather already =/ 

I got this shirt from F21 on clearance. Honestly, if it wasn't on clearance I don't think I would have bought it . The original price on this was $20 something and I got it for around $8

I can't wait to wear this! I wish they had one in beige, I would have bought it too. This is the perfect length and great for those days when the weather is in the 60's. (Forever21)

I love these double finger rings and definitely want to get more. (F21)

Basic tank, everyone needs a few of these and I love that it's long. (TjMaxx)

I would have to wear this with something underneath, but it's really cute on. (TJM)

This was such a good buy. I love that I can throw this over almost anything and I like the asymmetrical cut to it in the front. (TJM)

Body-con skirts are my favorite. I love how they can be pulled up to wear as a high wasted skirt which makes your legs look longer. (TJM)

Michael Kors sunglasses and Polo watch (not RL). Not that I needed aaanother pair of sunglasses, but I love Michael Kors and couldn't pass these up. I've also really been into watches lately so when I saw this white and gold combo watch I had to get it. These sunglasses...and probably 5 more pairs will definitely come with me on my cruise :)

I wanted to show a pic of the watch on and get my sweet pea, Bacardi in the shot too. I was eating a sandwich and he was waiting for me to give him some ^-^.

Do you guys have an upcoming holiday travel plans?