Friday, November 18, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Small Talk with Closet Vanity's Samantha Fodrowski
Samantha is not only a high school friend of mine but an awesome blogger. I'm hooked on her blog, Closet Vanity and I have admit, she's quite an inspiration for my own blog! Closet Vanity is full of great fashion and awesome DIY projects (many of which are on my own list). Find out how she fits in time to blog and her favorite products.
What's your day job and how to you balance blogging with your daily or weekly routine?
During the day I do public relations for a university in Boston and I'm also working on my master's thesis. Nights and weekends are my time for writing and blog research but sometimes it can get tough balancing the blog with daily life. To keep organized I've set up a few "rules" for myself to make sure I cover my bases. I find that it really helps to keep an editorial calendar of sorts to plan what I want to write about and when. I try my best to have all of my posts written a week in advance, though I often make last minute edits.
With the seasons so quickly changing, what wardrobe piece have you been dying to pull out for Winter?
I am not a big fan of winter. However, I love keeping warm in big, comfy sweaters. Vince always has the best offering and when I can't afford those, Bloomingdale's in-house Aqua line has great cashmere pieces, too.
What's your current must have product?
If I could have an unlimited supply of any product it would probably Fresh's Sugar lip treatment. It's definitely pricey for a chap stick, but I love how it feels (and smells and tastes!) I justify the little luxury because it makes me happy every time I use it.
I see you had the honor of attending Fashion Week. What was the highlight of your time there?
This was my first fashion week so just having the honor of being invited to shows was really exciting for me.
How did you fall into blogging?
I thought that I should start a blog to feed my interest in fashion, beauty and other random things that I like or want to know more about. When I learned of Lucky magazine's inaugural FABB conference in February, I decided to attend to give me the push I needed to start my own blog.
I know you're an old fashioned girl, like myself, when it comes to blogging tools (ie notebook/pen, handwritten calendar, etc). What item couldn't you blog without?
My notebook has everything in it -- ideas, schedule, interview questions, etc. If I lost it, I'd be royally screwed. My goal is to get a little more tech-organized and keep up to date with my iCal. My other necessary blogging tool is my camera. I always have it on me!
Thanks again, Sam!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Giveaway!
Last month, I shared with you a night out to dinner and a show with the boyfriend. Since then, the talented Andrew Goffman has extended an invitation to my readers! The Accidental Pervert is a one man show at The 13th Street Reperatory Company in Manhattan's West Village with shows every Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm. The contest will begin as soon as this post is published and run throughout the weekend with the winner being announced Monday morning (11.14.11) at 11am EST. Anyone can enter up until that time and the winners will be selected randomly via random.org.
Three lucky winners will receive two free tickets for the date of their choice! Winners will be emailed directly before they are posted online. Be sure to follow USW on facebook and twitter to keep up with the progress of the contest. Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions!
To enter, simply comment below on this post and tell me about your favorite thing to do during the Fall. Be sure to include your email address!
Remember, this is totally free and it's for a hilarious show! And there are so many great places close by to get a bite to eat - not to mention Crumbs for dessert!
Please spread the word about USW and the contest!
Thanks and good luck!
Disclaimer: This is one of those times that I promised I would tell you that these tickets have not been paid for by me, nor have I been paid to hold this contest/talk about the show. It's simply a show I really enjoyed and want to share with my readers. These tickets have been donated to USW readers by the great people at The Accidental Pervert.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Fall Forward
Fall just might be my favorite season to dress for. There's something fresh about breaking out a comfy sweater for the first time after a hot summer. I also have an obsession with scarves which is really difficult to don during the heat. Autumn allows me to layer, wear hoodies, and cuddle with warm blankets.
Here are some Fall looks I'm crushing on...
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| Cuff + scarf + feathers = ♥ |
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| I adore the warmer and lace-up look. |
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| Something about canary colored handbags has me very drawn this season. |
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| This look is so comfy yet polished looking. I've also got a thing for leopard print - in very small doses, though. |
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| Sunglasses - a necessary accessory year-round. |
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| I'm loving the messy hair look. |
Source for photos
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Stocking Stuffers
Stockings have got to be my favorite gift to open. They're always packed with a million little things and they're usually very practical. I remember growing up, batteries were the most coveted of the stuffers. They weren't cheap and they seemed to power everything. But gone are the days of Walkmans and Game Boys. Today, we get much more fun stuff to look forward to. Below are some of my favorite items that would make great stuffers - along with a few things ((05 & 06)) that I wouldn't mind finding in my stocking this year.
(01) EOS Lip Balm (02) Scentsy Bars (03) Skull Candy Earbuds (04) Dr. Grip Pilot Pen (05) Alex & Isabella Classic Hairties (06) Butter London 2011 Holiday Collection (07) Victoria's Secret Eyeliner
Monday, November 07, 2011
BirchBox!
This being my very first BirchBox, you can imagine how excited I was to see the little pink package in my mail box today. I've gone through all the samples and I'm anxious to use all of them.
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| November BirchBox |
1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Lifting Mascara It has an ordinary mascara brush and doesn't look like it has anything special to offer but nevertheless, I will test it out.
So I tried this out this morning and I'm very disappointed. It's completely dried out and nothing transferred to my lashes. I emailed Birchbox and hopefully they can rectify this for me.
2. Befine Night Cream I've been in dire need of a night cream and this one is so fine and non greasy. I can't wait to use it!
I completely forgot to use this last night! I put some on this morning and I love the way it feels. It didn't quite moisturize my face but then again I had just come out of the shower and my face wash really dries my skin out. So I'll give it another shot tonight.
3. Kérastase Elixir Ultime I don't know if I can use this because I tend to have oily hair but I will definitely try it out while my hair is damp.
I applied it to my wet hair after combing it and didn't notice any difference. Maybe it will be better for fly aways on dry hair?
4. Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste I'm willing to try this and hopefully it whitens. I am a little apprehensive of the flavor though - Mandarin Mint - you can really smell the mandarin in this paste. Wait! Hold that thought - I just tasted a tiny dab of it and it actually tastes pretty good!
A dab - tastes good but a whole mouthful of it? Disgusting. I had to brush my teeth again with regular mint toothpaste. The mandarin flavor is overwhelming and I like my breath to be minty fresh not orangey. Fail.
5. {Treat} Alex and Isabelle Classic Hair Ties I actually saw these on their website yesterday and was interested in trying them so I'm so happy I got one today! It looks super cute on your wrist and doesn't cut off circulation like most hair ties. A little more expensive than I'd rather spend (6 for $12) so I'm happy I received one in my BBox!
Still using it! Love it! And it looks so cute on my wrist. I think I will be adding this to my stocking stuffer list!
And I apologize, the November box is not up on their site yet so I couldn't link the items back to the BirchBox website but I'm sure you know, they can be purchased at birchbox.com should you be interested.
Sunday, November 06, 2011
The Real Sunday Funday
Sundays are not meant for running 26.2 miles. They're meant for relaxing. And today, we've done just that. The boyfriend and I started the day out with pancakes and eggs then hit up some garage sales where I found these vintage tea light chairs. My sister bought me a couple of similar chairs made out of wood a couple years ago and these will compliment them perfectly.
Afterwards, we walked to three local drug stores in search of the perfect grey nail polish. I found a tutorial on how to add a "newspaper print" decal to your nails and I was anxious to try this out. This is my new favorite go to for nail art inspiration!
I went with a darker polish, Brucci's "Alexandra's 'Hot' Grey." Dipped my nails in rubbing alcohol, then pressed precut pieces of newspaper to my nails, and lastly applied a top clear coat. They came out so cute! My boyfriend suggested doing the crossword puzzle on my big toes and it looks great!
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| All ready! |
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| So happy how they came out :) |
Friday, November 04, 2011
Friday Feature
Okay, so I have a lot to talk about here. And I've had a lot of caffeine this morning, so let's see how smoothly this goes. First on the agenda, I need to share this coupon for a free, yes FREE! sample of NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base from any Sephora at JCPenney store (expires 11/29/11). I picked this up last night and while I'm not that impressed with it (yet) - maybe someone else will find it useful. I applied it to my lid before applying shadow and I noticed that my shadow had creases in it already. This stuff dries super fast, I mean like in a second. I've been using Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion and I think I will continue to use it. It dries quickly but not as quickly as the NARS version. Not to mention, the Urban Decay one is $19 for 0.37 oz versus NARS at $24 for only 0.26 oz. Luckily, this item was free so nothing is lost. I'm just disappointed because I was so excited to finally have something from the NARS Cosmetics line and it didn't live up to its expectations.
I also received a couple of other samples. One of them being Make Up Forever HD Microfinish, which I'm liking so far. It's help prevent some shine and oil on my face and set in my make up. The 0.17 oz values at $15 at Sephora. I also received Sephora's Instant Moisturizer. I both loved and hated this product. It went on very smoothly and left my skin incredibly soft! But! It had such a strong perfume scent that it irritated my skin. And I felt a slight burn when I put it on. Not like a good tingle but more like a "whoa, this has got to have some rubbing alcohol in it" burn. I didn't see anything on the product itself or on the website regarding its scent but it was definitely too strong for me. I prefer a non-scented moisturizer so it's a drag because I really like this one otherwise.
In other news, we have some pretty cool things coming up this weekend. If you're in the New York City area, Laura Geller's Makeup Studio will be holding a semi-annual sale tomorrow, Saturday, Nov 4 from 10am until 6pm. You can bet I'll be there!! I've been dying for a baked blush from the LG line and here's my perfect chance. I almost bought one from the HauteLook shop but I decided against it because I wanted to be able to test out the colors.
Then, on Monday, MAC's facebook is holding a live chat with Makeup Artistry's executive director, Lyne Desnoyer at 1pm EST. She will be answering any questions you may have. If I can squeeze some time at work, then I'll most likely be participating in the Q&A.
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Winter Products
I went on a little bit of a shopping binge yesterday and I'm gonig to share it so that I can justify having brought all this stuff home.
1. Neutrogena MicoMist Spray Tan I'm so sick of this pale winter complexion so I vowed to do something about it. I don't use tanning beds so I thought this would be a safe alternative. Let's see how well this bad boy works.
2. Aquaphor Healing Ointment I discovered this product a few years ago when my tattoo artist recommended it for the healing process. I've been addicted ever since. I use this on my lips regularly. It gives a great gloss without being sticky like your typical lip gloss. It's also boyfriend approved! I use it now more than ever during this dry season. I keep one in my hand bag, desk at work, car, everywhere you could imagine. I'm never without it.
3. Eucerin Calming Cream This is my first time trying this cream. I figured since my friends over at Eucerin did such an amazing job with Aquaphor that this would be just as awesome. So far, it serves its purpose. I've been on the cocoa butter kick for a while now but I think it's actually drying my skin out. Also, if you visit Eucerin's website, you can print this coupon for a dollar off any of their products.
4. Nivea Creme I typically use i.d. bareVitamins face cream because it's so lite but it just doesn't cut it in the winter. I'm hooked on this creme already. It moisturizes fantastically. The best part: it's just .99 in the small tin which is great for taking it everywhere with you. I originally purchased the small size just to test it out before committing to a full sized bottle.
5. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Oil-free products are a must for me since I have oily skin and this leaves my face feeling so clean. I was afraid that it would dry out my skin too much but with the proper moisturizer (above), I can tackle oil and dryness.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Laura Geller Makeup
I'm so excited for this open chat with Laura Geller! Brought to us by HauteLook and Laura Geller. My questions to Laura were in regards to my own personal make up issues I've been battling.
Hi Laura, what do you recommend for lines under the eyes, causes a shadow that's almost impossible to avoid. Also, I have saggy eyelids so eyeshadow usually gets lost as soon as I open my eyes. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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