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?

Mail of the Week & New Shoes

Here are some goodies I got over the week: Dove shampoo and conditioner, Post-it super sticky notes, Biore` pore stip and L'Oreal EverSleek Sulfate free shampoo, conditioner and smoothing cream.

I'm not a huge fan of Dove hair care products, but since I haven't tried their shampoo or conditioner and they were offering free samples I thought what the hell, it's free. I love Biore` products and could definitely use some help w/ blackheads on my T-zone. The way I deal with them now is by (tmi alert) using my tweezers and pressing it by my pores to push them out. It works great but takes forever, and it can't be good for my skin lol. The Post it notes should could in handy at work since I use them like a fiend and I definitely can't wait to try L'Oreal's Sulfate free line since right now I'm using the Organix brand and I'm not impressed w/ it. I definitely need something a little more moisturizing. 

Sorry for the crappy quality of the pic, I used my phone and it was to dark so I had to lighten it in PS

I got these shoes over the weekend and while I hate shoes that go around my ankle b/c I think they make me looks short, I can definitely make an acception for these. Since they are nude (which I'm still totally obsessed with) they blend in with my skintone, especially after a coat or 2 of self tanner. I got these from Shoe Box for $25 and they are pretty comfortable. I can't wait to wear them out!

Splurge Vs Steal - Sam Edelman Spiked Pumps

I've heard a lot of things about the Sam Edelman Spiked Pumps. Good and bad; the bad being that the spikes fall off after just a few wears. I would be so pissed if I payed for $200 shoes just for the spikes to fall off. The ones below are the real deal for $200.

Splurge:  Sam Edelman Pumps, $199

These look just like the real Edelman pumps and are only $60. Imo I actually like these better. The heel looks about a half in or so higher than the Edelman pumps which makes a big difference.  The ones below come in 3 different colors too. 

Steal: Highlife Spiked Pumps $60.50

Some of you may remeber the Splurge Vs. Steal post I did on the spiked Louboutin sling backs for $20 . Well, I wore those a few times (to the clubs) and have yet to lose a single spike =)

Do any of you own the Sam Edelman spiked pumps? What are your thoughts on them?

How to wear knee high socks alone or w/ boots, leggings & tights

A trend I'm really loving right now is knee high socks. You can wear them in so many way and still wear your cute short dresses and skirts and stay relatively warm for the most part. You can even wear them with shorts, but it's a little trickier to do imo.

These socks would look great w/ boots that come up to the calf or with ankle boots.

                 

I love these tights. You could wear these alone with knee high boots or with knee socks and boots that are just a little shorter that the socks so some of the sock will show. If you wear patterned tights or leggings, I think it's best to go with a solid color sock so that the look ins't too busy. The same goes for the outfit you wear with the patterned legging/tights. You don't want the two things to compete w/ each other and having one piece stand out (the tights in this case) just looks a lot better. ( You can find these tights below and the 2 socks above at Payless)

Here are some inspirational pictures to get you started.

 I love the one on the left, this picture shoes how you can wear tights/stockings w/ knee socks.

Keep in mind that boots aren't the only thing you can wear these socks with. They look great with flats or penny loafer type shoes and even heels. Although, socks with heels are my least favorite way to wear them b/c I don't think they look that great on me.

This one shows how she wore skinny jeans with knee socks and knee high boots. Now you can stay warm and still look sexy ^-^

What do you guys think of these looks, do you wear knee socks? What's your favorite way to wear them?

New Riding Boots - Target

I've been looking for a pair of riding boots for a while now. I came across these online on Target. for $49 They had great reviews and the style was just what I was looking for. I also liked how most of the reviews stated that these boots would be good for people with small calves, which is what I have and why I also have such a hard times finding boots that fit me right. Unfortunately, these aren't narrow enough though. 

online purchase from Target w/ e.l.f primers.

I'm kind of undecided about whether or not I should keep these. I wish they were a little narrower in the calf and I wish the leather-like material wasn't as hard and stiff as it is. However, in the reviews online people have said that the more you wear them the better they look and the softer the material gets, which could be good and bad. You don't want them to be be too soft to where they don't hold their shape. So basically, I can't make up my mind if I should keep them or return them. 

Notice the extra space in the left and right pic? =/

Are riding boots something that's classic and never goes out of style? I'm embarrassed to even ask that b/c I feel like I should know this already, but I don't lol. If they are classic then I'm thinking I would rather spend the extra $60 and get these boots from Dillard's instead. 

What do you guys think? Keep or return, and are riding boots a classic boot style? Thanks in advance =)

Chains, Bows and Bags

I have been on the search for a black handbag for a long time now. You would think that most people have an all purpose black bag, but for some reason I didn't. On the way home from work I stopped by TJ Maxx. TJ Maxx is quickly becoming one of my favorite stores. I always find something I like there and their prices are really reasonable. I payed about $39 for this one and it has a long strap that can be removed if you want to wear it like a small duffel. I've actually been wearing it with the longer strap. Despite the chains, it's still pretty lightweight and very roomy. 

**Halloween 2011**

For Halloween every year Jason and I go to Metro's Halloween Bash. It's one of the biggest parties they throw and it's a lot of fun. We also promote the event so we get VIP entrance which get's us skip-the-line admission and free drinks and shots all night. 

Me and Jamie went as Vampire's and Frank went as Pauly D from Jersey Shore lol

I didn't know this girl, but we took a pic together since we had the same corset on.

I bought these Vampire's Blood cups and decorated them myself for Jason and I since we were dressed up as Vampires that night :) To decorate them I bought some some Halloween tinsel stuff that had skulls on them and stuck them to the cup for Jason's and for mine I did the same thing but added crystals to it.

The red lipstick I had on lasted ALL night without having to re-apply. I was so impressed. I've never worn red lipstick before b/c I didn't think I could pull it off, but I think it looked pretty good on me, what do you think? The lipstick was a super cheap one from Wet n' Wild. After I applied it I dabbed some of MAC's Prep and Prime loose powder over it to set it. It didn't wash out the color, or dry my lips and you couldn't see the powder at all! I definitely recommend trying it if you want to keep your lipstick off your teeth :)

Me and the hubby ♥ 

How was your Halloween?