Spring

Hi All,

Just wanted to say sorry for being MIA for quite awhile...lots of big exciting life changing (and expensive) events as of late, and my new work schedule has been super exhausting.

I hope all of you have been doing well...I really want to get back into my regular schedule of reading/posting which will probably resume mid-to-late May.

Welcome to all of my new readers! I do hope to get in touch once all the dust settles. :)

I hope all of you are doing well - the past few months have brought about great tragedy and sadness in the world but at the same time, responses full of caring, love, and support. I'm still praying for the victims in Japan and those who have been affected by the crazy storms here in the states.

Take care and I will see you soon!

Irene

Modcloth Cabin Fever Sale

I thought I would quickly share the news!

Modcloth is having a super 70% off Cabin Fever Sale

I know I said I was on an online shopping ban...but I said March? Did I? Oh dear...

The above crazy cute booties aptly named "Today I met the Perfect Boot" are on sale for $12.99 (previously $44.99), available in sizes 5.5, 6 and 6.5 as of tonight. Princess-y bows and a perfectly proper (and manageable) heel to match. :)

Each item on this site has an adorable accompanying description.

""The doorbell rings. Your ModCloth-exclusive shoes have finally arrived! You thank the delivery person, shut the door, and quickly open the box. Gingerly, you extract the pristine blue shoe box, then stop for a moment to soak it all in - you're holding a little piece of ModCloth history! "Today I met the perfect boots..." is scrawled across the box's top in whimsical white writing, and you can't help but read it aloud as you slide off the lid. Inside, you find the boots of your dreams - made of beautiful black velvet, each boasts an almond-shaped toe, a hidden inner zip, and three dainty, gold-studded bows at the outer ankle. Perfection, indeed! As you slip a pedicured foot into your beloved bootie, you spy that same sweet sentiment printed on its inside and smile."

It's like a fairytale accompanies each item you purchase! *sigh* (My brain screams "marketing technique!!!" but alas, my resistance is futile)

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Also purchased the Manor Living Dress in XS ($69.99, now $20.99) still available in all sizes!



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And the "Bubbling with Joy Dress" ($49.99 now $14.99) still available in all sizes!



I'm anxious to see how everything turns out, this will be my first ModCloth Purchase. Does anybody else have experience with this site? I will do a site review once my order arrives. :)

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Good night Lovelies...Almost Friday!!!

Jill Stuart Mix blush - Milky Strawberry Review

Every princess needs a decent arsenal of vanity-worthy prettiness.

If you are that type of girl, you need some Jill Stuart in your life! I don't understand why American cosmetic companies don't put much thought into developing a product that *looks* nice...I guess it's all about makeup-on-the-go or the whole fast food mentality or whatnot.

I like feeling spoiled. I LOVE Jill Stuart.

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Jill Stuart Mix Blush Review

*Milky Strawberry*

Milky Strawberry is the newest blush in the Mix Blush series launched in the Spring Collection for 2011, Innocent Sexy.

Official description

"sweet and fluffy milky pink, reminiscent of strawberry milk"

It being a brand new release, I went on pure chance, hoping the color would suit my skintone.

Like all Jill Stuart cosmetics, the compacts are princess-y and ornate albeit plastic. The little goat hair brush is attached on a metal-link chain but can be removed. The brush is retractable with a pink crystal tab!



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The blush itself with and without flash

The upper left corner is a pearly light pink highlighter, the upper right corner, a dusty rose. The bottom two colors are my favorite and add a nice punch to the entire palette - the lower left is hot pink fuchsia and the lower right is a bright pinky peach

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The brush after swirling in all 4 colors

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The blush on my cheeks with and without flash

*Also sporting Jill Stuart Jelly Eye Color N in Jewel Flash, a gorgeous shimmery light purple*

Like the collection's namesake, it really gives you an innocent pink flush of color on the cheeks - I think the peachy pink made it wearable on my Texas-tanned complexion! The shimmer is sophisticated and subtle - a great everyday blush! I was surprised that it showed up so well and am dying to try out Little Bouquet for a more peachy Summer blush.

The product is scented - a very light, pretty floral that is not at all overbearing


Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (5/5)

If it weren't for the hefty price tag, I would own them all!!!

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On a side note, I saw the color OPI's Italian Love Affair on a co-worker and now am on a mission to purchase and share. It is the perfect dolly pearl pink! Will share soon :)

Hope you all are having a good week - very excited to meet up with fellow bloggers this weekend!!!

Dolce Vita for Target - Cork Wedge Sandals

My Target order arrived this past Friday at work via my bf who was lucky enough to have a half-day - he decided to bring my package along with the new Radiohead album which was a surprise since they had originally announced it would be officially dropping Saturday! :)

After reading Jean's post on petite friendly shoes and viewing the collection of Dolce Vita's collaboration with Target, I knew they were a must-try!

To preface this review, my feet are a small size 5 - I can barely fit a 5.5 if I'm lucky and that's usually in tennis shoes where a little wiggle-room is expected. I also am a klutz and thus have been confined to wearing tennis shoes, flip-flops, flats, and UGGs 99% of the year, so it's just now that I'm dabbling in more height-propelling footwear.

Since not everything was in stock at time of purchase, my order was split and I only received the Cork wedge sandals in Brown

The site has a few styles of various sandals including wedges in rope and cork in a plethora of colors. Another style is available with a smaller 'faux stacked wedge' and various metallic finishes.

I purchased the cork wedges in brown and in gold. They are also available in White, Pewter, Cognac, and Black.

Cork Wedge Sandals in Gold



I also opted for the Rope Wedge Sandals in Nude, though I was also tempted by the ones in Brown.

...A few pictures...

*Profile*

*Back*

*Closeup of the cork - love the traces of gold - a nice touch!*

*Aerial view*

*Side view on*

Shoe specs for the Dolce Vita Cork Wedges in Brown

• Comes in whole and half sizes 5.5 - 11
• Open toe wedges
• Approximately 4" heel height/1" sole
• Non-skid tread on heel
• Faux leather, thermoplastic rubber outsole and cushioned insole

The shoes are delightfully lightweight and the cushioned insole really makes me forget that I'm walking 4 inches above the ground. Seriously, the most comfortable wedges I've ever walked in! The fact that I'm 'strapped' (or zipped?) in helps.

The design is unique and I love the strap detail - beautiful!

Some ladies have said the shoes run a little big, but the fact that my feet were more tightly confined within the zippered body of this particular sandal style helped. I've decided to keep this pair!

The shoes retail for $29.99 USD but watch Ebates in the TARGET section for tips on extra sales as I received an extra 20% off during a shoe and accessory online sale. If you have the Target card, that's an additional 5% off not to mention 3% cash back from Ebates!

Not bad for the chic gal on a budget, considering a similarly styled Dolce Vita sandal is priced at around $173 on Zappos.com

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I have officially put myself on an online shopping ban for the month of March!

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Finally getting some shut-eye, I can't keep staying up this late my skin is rebelling!


Goodnight & Sweet Dreams!

Diamond Lash Review - Glamour Eyes and Dolly Eyes

Happy Sunday Lovelies!

I took the liberty this February to obsess a little over Falsies - thank goodness for lashes! Not only do they bring depth and dimension to the eyes, but they really are the WOW factor that takes your look to the next level!

Diamond lash is a Japanese brand popular with many of the EGG models (EGG is a Japanese fashion magazine for those into GAL fashion)

I purchased mine from the fabulous NicNic's APopofKawaii store! I was surprised (and very very pleased) about how quickly my order arrived - the package arrived in a little over a week which was super speedy considering it came all the way from Japan!

The items were tightly secured in bubble wrap and snuggly stored in an adorable bag!

The lashes work themselves out to be a little more than my favorite Korean brand DARKNESS if you factor in shipping, but they are super gorgeous and almost all the styles are suitable for everyday use.

The lashes come in 4 'series'

♥ 1st series - the original line in the hot pink box - for a girly/dolly look

♥ Glamour Series - these lashes come in the purple box and add more drama for nighttime looks

♥ Pure Series - the baby pink box for 'everyday' natural beauty

♥ Volume Series - the baby blue box for full and luxe looking lashes

Diamond Lash 1st Series

Diamond Lash - Dolly Eye & Glamour Eye Review

♥ Diamond Lash DOLLY Eyes ♥

One of the TOP sellers of the line in Japan, Dolly Eye lashes are your everyday go-to lash!

DOLLY Eyes are a mix of criss-cross lashes with sections of long lashes - the lashes taper in at the inner corners and blend with your natural lashes easily. I still cut the lashes just a bit so they wouldn't hang out so much at the ends.

Lashes without flash in natural lighting

Packaging

On the eye

The lashes are quite comfortable and the band is not as stiff as the Darkness lashes though they do share the dark lash band.

Comfort ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5) - Wearable and lasted all day with Dolly Wink Eyelash fix

Style ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5) - Love how the lashes really opened my eyes - they blend so well

Volume/Length ♥♥♥♥♥ (3/5) They are good for everyday wear but don't offer much drama

Price/availability ♥♥♥♥♥ (3/5) Most people will have to buy online, but not a bad price for 5 pairs!

Durability ???? - *will update* No problems so far with wear and tear

*****

♥ Diamond Lash Glamour Eyes ♥

Packaging

In natural lighting without flash

On the Eye = DRAMA

Comfort ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5) - Wearable and lasted all day with Dolly Wink Eyelash fix

Style ♥♥♥♥♥ (5/5) - Basically DOLLY eyes style but added volume and length

Volume/Length ♥♥♥♥♥ (4/5) I love how these lashes lend drama to a night out without being over the top (these were my Valentine's Day lashes!)

Price/availability ♥♥♥♥♥ (3/5) Most people will have to buy online, but not a bad price for 5 pairs!

Durability ???? - *will update* No problems so far with wear and tear

A new brand that I LOVE - I wish I could buy them at my local drugstore! The only downside I have heard from reading other reviews is the 'shiny' look of the lashes - they are made of plastic as opposed to human hair so they might appear shiny in photographs with flash.

I will review Fairy Eyes, Beauty Eyes, Model Eyes & Natural Eyes soon!

*****

Random LOTD

I found this necklace at Old Navy - it looks a piece from J. Crew and for a fraction of the price! (on sale for $11!)

I ♥ Jill Stuart Blush in the Blush Blossom Duo Little Anemone! Such a pretty, innocent flush perfect for Spring...

I can't wait to unveil my Blogiversary Giveaway so please stay tuned & thanks for visiting!

Valentine's Day Weekend

♥ Hope everybody had a great weekend!!! ♥

Whether single or attached, Valentine's day has always been my 2nd favorite holiday, not so much for sentimental reasons, but more for the fact that pink heart-shaped objects begin popping up all over the place! Target in particular usually carries a tempting array of heart-shaped dishware and kitchen gadgetry - I picked up a heart-shaped pink glitter bowl this year and am contemplating whether to use if for popcorn or blush. x_x

Makeup took longer than expected due to some complications with attaching my new lashes...I was pleased with the results and have my new Sigma Synthetic face kit brushes to thank for covering up my temperamental skin!!! (Will review brushes soon!)

Diamond Lash - Glamour Eyes
MAC Holiday Smokey Eye Palette
Shiseido powder foundation
NARS blush in Amour
NYX Black Label lipstick in "Princess"

*Sneak peak of NYX Black Label Lipstick Review Part 2*

My BF took me to The Oceanaire Seafood Restaurant - it has become our go-to place for Valentine's Day it seems!

Appetizer
Red pepper Calamari with Asian Vegetables

Beverage
Fruit punch

I guess my palette isn't sophisticated enough for wine. Or champagne. Or any alcohol for that matter! I don't drink very much at all if any...I sincerely wish I did since it apparently brings cuisine to a whole new level. *sigh* Our very enthusiastic waiter did jazz things up by bringing my rated G drink in a martini glass! (upped my beverage rating to PG)

Soup/Salad
New England Clam Chowder & Blood Orange Salad with Chevre, shaved fennel, hazelnuts and Orange Vanilla Vinagrette

The soup was creamy & brimming with tasty whole clams - the salad had yummy shaved bits of radish to balance the sweetness of the dressing

Entree

"Forbidden" - Seared Hawaiian Swordfish topped with Jumbo Lump Crab and Forbidden rice in ginger butter

Mmmm....jumbo lump crab. I loved the sweetness of the meat and the flakiness - *still drooling*

Dessert
Seasonal Mango Sorbet

The night was great overall and punctuated with hilarious quips from our waiter...I guess I could consider tonight's dinner "dinner and a show!" :) Afterw, we walked off the dinner by wandering around the deserted mall...although I had an itch to shop, it was actually good that everything was closed - my wallet needs a good rest after this past month!

*BCBG Maxazria Dress & Clutch, I.N.C . shag cardigan, Betsey Johnson Necklace*

*Subtle hints for my bf* :)





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♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥