The PERFECT Gift

My parent's anniversary slowly arriving, and my Dad wanted my help in picking out a few gifts for my Mom.  I have to say, after so many years of being together, it's quite hard to think of gifts to get my Mom seeing how she basically has everything she needs.  So instead of thinking of what she might need, we decided to get her a few items to put in a gift package.  Just a few nice treats that we know she will enjoy.

And who doesn't enjoy a little CHANEL???

I knew there were a few items in my Mom's vanity that she was running low on, so I thought it would be a nice idea for my Dad pick up a few of these items for her from Chanel.

- Inimitable Intense Mascara
- Ultra Correction Line Repair Eye Cream
- Les Quadra Ombres Eye Shadow Quad in Dunes
- Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Make Up Base

The Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Make Up Base was purchased for me, because I have been wanting it for so long, but the other three are for my Mom.  I definitely found it sweet of my Dad to really put the effort and want to pick up such luxurious products for her.  I think along with these products, he's also planning on getting her a little clutch (which he will fill with all of the Chanel products).

Hopefully she'll let me dip my hands in a few of these products to review for all of you ;)

What was also great was that Nordstrom was having a special event that day and they were giving away gifts with purchase.  So I got a bag full of wonderful, travel sized, goodies to test out and share with my Mom.  Gotta love freebies!

xoxo,

Eve

Nanette Lepore Cashmere Scarf

Last Friday, my cousin and I decided to go to the Nanette Lepore Flagship store located in Chicago for the event that they were hosting that night.  We got to see pieces from her new collection, along with enjoying great music, drinks, cupcakes. Oh and meet Nanette Lepore herself!  There was a huge crowd, so after getting a little introduction of myself out to her was lucky.

I absolutely loved her new collection and love her use of prints, colors, and textures.  I honestly never thought much of her line in the past, however, after trying a few pieces on I quickly fell in love!

Although the prices were a bit pricey (a lot pricey), my cousin did purchase a dress, and with that purchase she got a free cashmere scarf out of it because of the special event they were hosting.  So she decided to let me pick out the color and let me have it, which I thought was extremely nice of her.

I am in love with the houndstooth print, but Nanette Lepore definitely amped the trend up by working in color to the print (rather than going with the classic black and white print).  I definitely think bright colors are definitely making their way into the Fall season.  It might not be as much as Summer, but littler accents of bright/bold colors in your look will be a great addition to any Fall look.

xoxo,

Eve

September is RED Hot!

Or should I say more of a Burgundy? One of the most obvious color trends that I have noticed for Fall 2012 has been the Burgundy, Deep Berry, and Wine colors.  It's a great way to work color into your wardrobe without being too loud.  The deeper tones of red can really suit any skin tone and work with any other Fall colors.

BURBERRY Full Skirt Tweed Coat

My BIGGEST obsession when it comes to the burgundy look has been this Burberry Tweed Coat.  It's the perfect blend of the tweed trend and classic color.  It's definitely important to pick out trends that you can work into future seasons, so a big investment like this coat is a classic cut and style enough to work for every Fall and Winter season.

YSL Tribute High Heel Sandal

YSLTrib Too High Heel Loafer

Shoes are also a great way to rock the Burgundy color trend for the season, and these are the sexiest pairs I have found for some inspiration.  I have been obsessed with the Penny Loafer style, being appropriate for work or play.  Pair the classic pump with a pant suit or some jeans and you'll definitely bring up your look to a whole new level.  Also, you can never go wrong with a strappy sandal.  I would love to pair these heeled sandals with a pair of black opaque tights and a dress for that city girl look.

YSL Cabas Chyc Handbag

Don't want to wear sky high heels or colored coats? Work the trend into your accessories and pick up a beautiful burgundy bag.  Fall/Winter bags are all about the darker tones and bigger, structured, totes.

Obviously all of these selected items are way out of my (and everyone else's) budget, but take thema ll as an inspiration and challenge to find much more affordable options.

xoxo,

Eve

L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara

I have been on the hunt for a great drugstore mascara for a while now, and I thought I would give this L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara a try after hearing a few reviews on it.  My go to mascara are the Lancome mascaras, but because mascaras expire so quickly it gets quite expensive to keep repurchasing a department store brand.

The L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara is said o create full lashes while still looking natural.  Giving a healthy, lengthening look with definition.  The conditioning vitamins in the formula is also said to keep the lashes healthy and softer, which is also great for sensitive eyes.

Although all of the claims for the L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara seem fantastic and are exactly what I am looking for, I find the mascara pretty average and a little bit difficult to work with.  The formula is quite thick, and the stopper is not small enough, leaving too much product on the applicator.  So after wiping the applicator off a few times (wasting a bit of product), the product doesn't apply as smoothly on the lashes.  You really have to work it in and really sweep it back and forth for that even application.

After getting the hang of the application and just working with it for a bit, I feel that it does give the lashes quite a natural look.  This doesn't give the greatest amount of length, but it does make it a very wearable mascara for every day looks.

There were a lot of bad reviews stating that there was awful clumping and and flaking issues with the L'Oreal Voluminous Full Definition Mascara, and I believe it's because of the thicker consistency when it comes to the product.  If you do have this mascara, try to wip off most of the product before applying it onto your lashes.

Guess I will continue my hunt for a more affordable mascara.

xoxo,

Eve

Gucci Italian Collection Sunglasses

I have always been a fan of Aviator styled sunglasses and never really saw myself going for the more over sized (glamorous) shaped sunglasses, until now.  I was at a yard sale in the suburb of Chicago a little over two weeks ago, and let's just say the seller was overly generously with the pricing of a lot of her brand new items (divorce gone ugly??).  A lot of her items were brand new (with price tag in tact) or barely used.

I would normally feel bad about buying all of these items for such low prices, she definitely did not seem phased at all and just wanted to get rid of everything.  So while I was looking around I came across these Gucci sunglasses.  I jokingly put them on and then surprisingly fell in love with how looked on me.  The women also said that they suited my face shape well and offered to sell them to me for $50.   At first I thought that these must be fake Gucci, but she had kept the price tag on them (along with the case and box she had received after purchasing them.  I also decided to look them up online and saw that these were from Gucci's newer collection, so I thought that $50 was more than a fair price for these (which retail at around $390).

I thought that the interlocking chain detailing was going to bother me, but when I put them on I thought they were very subtle (because the color was toned down) and I love the retro style shape of the frames.

And because I was still curious about whether these were real Gucci sunglasses, I took these to the Gucci Flagship store on Michigan Avenue to get them checked out.  Turns out she was as honest as ever and I scored my first pair of Gucci sunglasses for a great price.

I picked up a few other things at the yard sale along with these shades (may or may not post about them), but it just goes to show you that a person's "trash" is another person's treasure.  I will definitely be keeping my eye out for future yard sales (mainly in the suburban areas of Chicago).  Who knows what else I"ll be able to find.

xoxo,

Eve

Mossimo Flats

I have slowly been building up my Fall wardrobe, and I found my latest favorite fall piece at Target last week.  This was actually not an intentional purchase, but it turned out to be a great one nonetheless.  I was wearing a pair of flip flops as I was running errands, and when I was walking around Target one of my flip flops had snapped (because it was a few years old).  And because I'm not one to walk around barefoot until I got home (and I had a lot more errands to run) I decided to see if I can pick up a cheap pair to wear for the day.

I didn't want to buy just any random pair of sandals because cheap or not I wanted to make sure I would wear them for at least a few months.  When I came across these cognac colored flats I immediately thought of Fall.  The color is absolutely perfect for the season and the fit is pretty comfortable for being shoes from Target.

Mossimo is one of my go to brands at Target.  They usually produce great quality items for affordable prices.  When I purchased these flats they were just putting them on display, making them fairly new.  So you should still be able to find them online or at your local Target stores.

The back of these flats are scrunched up so the fit is good, but when you wear them for the entire day you can see a bit of a mark on the back of your ankle.  So it does take a little bit of breaking into before they can be worn all day.

I love pairing these with just a casual outfit, a pair of jeans and a plain tee, for that effortless day time look.  But they also look cute with those Summer dresses that you might want to carry on into the beginning of Fall.

xoxo,

Eve

Charles by Charles David Adiras Lace Up Bootie

Fall is slowly creeping up and it's about that time of the year where I re-organize my closet and bring out all of my favorite Fall pieces.  My closet is currently a mess as I try to switch up my clothes.  However, amongst all of the chaos in there, I discovered a pair of (never worn) booties that I instantly fell in love with.

These Charles by Charles David Adiras Lace Up Booties were given to me sometime last year as a gift.  I guess I never wore it because it was buried deep in my closet, covered in more and more clothes and accessories.  It was definitely like finding a treasure.

I can definitely edge my any outfit with these military inspired booties.  They are actually one of the biggest trends for Fall 2012, as they were featured in so many designers lines, and I believe it will carry on for more Fall seasons to come.  I love the almond toe, it really makes the shoe more flattering, and the buckle detailing brings that extra edge.  It's a simple laced up from and the beautiful leather and color just screams Fall.  My favorite part of the shoes are the soles, which makes the shoes very easy and comfortable to walk around in (slip resistant).

When I found these I literally squealed a bit and put them on right away to make sure they fit well.  I wore them around the house for a little while because I thought they were too cute, and they were extremely comfortable to walk in and gave my ankles a lot of support.

Pair these lovely booties with a nice pair of skinny jeans and any top and you'll be ready for a great day/night out.

I really need to keep digging in my closet and try to uncover any other lost treasures in there.

xoxo,

Eve

Burberry Rose Gold Collection

Fall is one of my favorite seasons because I honestly can't get enough of the fashion trends.  I love being able to layer on lots of pieces and, of course, who doesn't enjoy boot season?!?! The month of September has definitely been labeled the month of fashion, especially with all of the new releases from the designers, along with New York Fashion Week and Fashion Nights Out.

I have been keeping my eye out for the different pieces and trends that I find inspiring, and would love to some how incorporate into my Fall wardrobe (without breaking the bank).  So occasionally I will be posting about the pieces and trends that are really eye catching to me for Fall 2012.

Burberry recently released their Burberry Rose Gold Collection, after their launch of the Burberry Body Rose Gold Eau de Parfum.  The collection is filled with just stunning and eye catching pieces.

Pleated V-Neck Silk Dress

I was initially drawn to the collection after seeing this photo in their ad.  Such a gorgeous pale nude dress, with the pleats and silk fabric bringing such a delicate touch.  The deep neckline is sexy and classic, and of course waist detailing just ties the entire look together.

Metallic Perspex Bangles

I'm a sucker for blinging up my wrists, so I thought these metallic bangles were just breathtaking.  They are not your average bracelet, with a more geometric shape (instead of a conventional round bracelet) and a very subtle check detailing.  Definitely would love to stack a few of these on my wrists.

Lace & Metallic Clutch Bags

And finally, saving the best for last, I just about died over these elegant and glamorous clutch bags from the collection.  I think they really knocked it out of the park with these clutch bags.  The delicate lace and suede along with a stunning metallic with weaved detailing is just irresistible to the eyes.

Although just about everything in the Burberry collection is definitely out of my price range, the entire point of looking through new collections and trends is finding inspiration for your own wardrobe.  So even though I might not be able to get my hands on these beautiful items (but I will keep my hopes up around the Holidays ;) ), I will definitely keep my eyes out for more affordable options with the same feel.

xoxo,

Eve

Chanel Les Ombres Quadra - Eye Shadow Quad

I have always been obsessed with the Chanel skincare line and their foundations, because pairing their great skin care products and smooth foundation just gives me a great base to work with on my face.  Every time I pass the Chanel counter I would take a look at their other make up products, but other than stocking up on the basics (such as cleansers, tones, or foundation), I was never really drawn to anything else from their make up line, until now.

I was talking to one of my favorite sales associates, and while I was at the counter I saw the new Chanel eye shadow quad for their Fall 2012 collection.  I have seen their eye shadow quads before and didn't really think much of them.  Most of the time I would only be drawn to one or two of the colors in the quad, so purchasing the entire quad for such a high price without using all of the shadows never sounded reasonable.  However, the quad 38 Premier Regard was different.

In my mind, 38 Premier Regard is the perfect neutral, and wearable eye shadow quad that I have ever seen from Chanel.  Just by swatching the colors I knew I would use all four colors daily.  So when the girls saw me swatching the colors, they decided to have some fun and do a quick makeup look on me using this quad.  I fell in love with all of the colors and just had to have it for day to day use.

The shades included int he palette are the following:

Pale Pink - Is a satin pale pink that works beautifully as an inner corner highlight to really brighten up your eyes.

Nude - This has to be the perfect matte nude shadow.  Blend this all over your lids to even out the the coloring and it will create a nice base color for the rest of your shadows.

Medium Brown - A great medium brown with very tiny multi-colored shimmers.  The shadow and shimmers are so finely milled that you get barely, if any, fall out.  This works as a great all of the lid color or just a crease color depending on the intensity you are going for.

Black - A matte black is a must in ever eye shadow palette and this works beautifully with blended into the lashline for that thicker lash effect.

I can explain how impressed I am with the quality of these shadows.  The girls applied the shadows on my at 10:00am (with a primer) and when I went to wash off my makeup at around 8:00pm that night the shadows had not budged or faded.  I tried removing the eye makeup with just water, but ended up having to use a gentle eye makeup remover instead.

When I applied the shadows myself the next day I really got a feel for the texture of the shadows.  They feel so velvety smooth (almost like butter) and the pigmentation is amazing when used with a primer.  The shades can definitely be toned down just by using a light hand and a fluffy brush, but if you want to create a more intense look just slowly build up the color using light layers and you'll get a great long wearing look that will stay on all night.

Although I can't say spending this amount of money on a quad is reasonable because there will always be cheaper alternatives on the market (i.e. Urban Decay shadows).  However, because I knew I would use all of these shades, and the compactness of this quad makes it the perfect choice for traveling, I thought it would be a nice treat to myself.

When purchasing higher end makeup, make sure you're practical and getting your moneys worth.  If you know you will get great use out of it, then give it a go and it'll be a great investment.  But if it's kind of a random purchase that looks great but might not be a daily essential, definitely just save your money.

xoxo,

Eve

Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipstick in N45

Ever since I signed up to be a Sephora Beauty Insider and being bumped up to their VIB membership, which is filled with great perks and promotions, I have never really used any of my beauty points. You can imagine what all of that has added up to for the past 2-3 years.  I always look to see what they are offering for the 100 and 500 point perks, but I guess I was never really drawn to any of the perks.  I didn't just want to spend my points on something because it's free, I wanted to make sure that I liked what I was getting.

So during my last visit to Sephora I was about to do the usual and pass up on the perks when they had offered it to me, until I saw this beautiful lipstick in the corner.  They were offering a small (and very cute) sample size of the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipstick in N45 Red.  

The Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist lipsticks are suppose to be a very creamy lipstick, while being a litle bit translucent because of it's beautiful finish.  The texture is absolutely smooth and the color just glides onto your lips effortlessly.  Although it is a bit translucent, it is quite pigmented.  That bit of sheerness makes all of their bold and crazy color options more wearable for anyone.

I absolutely love the color N45 Red because a red lip really makes your look so chic and sophisticated, especially for the Fall.  Although I was never attracted to wearing red during the day, the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipstick in N45 Red just look so great and have been loving it.  And because this is a tiny sample I can just put it in my pocket and reapply throughout the day (it definitely isn't the longest wearing lipstick).  

Even though this is a sample size I can see this one lasting me a few month with continuous wear.  However I am now tempted to pick up a few other colors from the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipstick line because the formula is just amazing.

xoxo,

Eve

Sephora Brushes (ON SALE)

I recently went on a short shopping trip with one of my Aunts, and while we were there we went into Sephora to pick her up some more cleansers she needed to restock on.  Of course while I was in the store I couldn't help but just browse around and see what new items were being featured.  For the first time ever I wasn't really interested in picking up any of the makeup.  However, that all changed when I came across their sale section.

Sephora has a tiny sale section in their stores, and I never really purchase anything from their sale section.  But when I saw these Sephora Collection Pro and I.T. Synthetic brushes.  These brushes were placed in the sale section because Sephora had changed the colors of the handles from Silver to Black and with the I.T. brushes I think they just discontinuing these specific types of brushes (their colored handles have not changed).

These brushes did not have the names on them so I can't tell you their actual names, however just by looking at the shape of the bristles you can basically tell which brush functions for what purpose (or just use them as a multi-functional brush because there are no rules when it comes to beauty).

I was so glad to find these ins tores and pick them up for such a grat pice (varying from $5-$11).  Sephora brushes are known for being great quality brushes, but they do come with a high price, so finding them for a deal is always a plus.  The bristles still feel as soft as ever and I definitely can't wait to get these washed and start playing around with them.

xoxo,

Eve

Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipsticks

One of the items I have been hearing a lot about this whole Summer was the new Kate Moss lipstick line that was released by Rimmel.  I have never tried the Rimmel line so I was hesitant to really pick up the lipsticks.  However, after seeing all of the reviews and swatches online I slowly became more and more interested.  So when CVS had their amazing Buy One Get One 50% Off sale on the Rimmel collection I decided to take that opportunity to pick up a few.

#12, #11, #06

I love that Kate Moss helped create this line of lipsticks because she has such a beautiful look and is a great style inspiration.  The collection is filled with beautiful shades and tones, and I was quite impressed with how large of a selection there was with it being a special collection.  I also love how sleek the packaging is for it being a drugstore brand.

#12, #11, #06

I picked up the three shades mentioned above and I honestly loved the finish and wear of the lipsticks.  The quality of the Rimmel lipsticks are very comparable to that of Revlon, with the formula and application being very smooth.  #12 is a coral, #11is a true red, and #06 is sort of a berry pink.  I love all three of them, and although the pigmentation of these lipsticks are amazing, they aren't too overwhelming on the lips when applied.

Definitely a collection worth checking out, especially when you can find them during a nice promotion.

xoxo,

Eve

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadows

A little while ago I had written a post about a recent CVS haul of mine.  They were having one of their amazing Buy One Get One 50% Off promotion on a few of their beauty products.  So with the sale I decided to take the opportunity to pick up a few of the Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadows that I wanted to try.

[TOP]: Pomegranate Punk, Gold Shimmer

[BOTTOM]: Bold Gold, Fierce & Fiery

Pomegranate Punk, Gold Shimmer, Bold Gold, Fierce & Fiery

Pomegranate Punk: A beautiful cranberry purple that I believe is going to be great for the Fall season.  The texture is smooth and applies evenly, but if you do want to pull this color off without topping it off with some eye shadow I would recommend building up the color slowly.  It is not an intense cranberry when initially applied to the lids, but can be built up in intensity by layering.  Applying this in the crease and with the right neutral, transition color will help keep your eyes from looking dull and tired (which happens often with these tones of shadows).

Gold Shimmer: A bronzy gold that applies beautifully all over the lids for the effortless bronzed look.  Because it's a darker shade of gold it can also work as a great crease color for an easy every day look without looking too done up.

Bold Gold: A lighter, brighter gold when compared to Gold Shimmer.  It works as a beautiful highlight ont he inner third of the lids and just really brightens up any smokey eye look.  I love pairing this with a black shadow, really showing a contrast in the two colors.

Fierce & Fiery: A true peachy orange that is definitely out of my usual comfort zone when it comes to eye color.  I picked this up mainly because I thought the color looked really beautiful in the pot.  When layered with light, peachy eye shadows and pairing it with a neutral crease color I think this can be very wearable.  However, the consistency of Fierce & Fiery is not as great as the rest of the cream shadows. It does not apply as smoothly, so you would have to apply on the lids with thin layers and really build up the color and have an even application.

Of course I love the two neutral shades I picked up because we all know neutrals are just so easy to work with.  However, I am glad I really branched out and picked up a few not so typical colors to really play around with.

Overall, the Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadows are great cram shadows that are very comparable to their more expensive counterparts at the department store.  They work as great bases underneath shadows to really amplify the color, or can be worn on their own for a quick an easy look.  I have never had problems with creasing when it comes to these and find that they can pretty much last throughout my long work day, which it around 10 hours (who really needs their makeup to last 24 hours???).  So if you are looking for a more affordable and good quality cream shadow, definitely check out these Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Shadows.

xoxo,

Eve

Kate Spade Mott Street Stacey Wallet

My mom has been eyeing my black leather Coach Check Wallet for a little while now, and I told her if she found a nice replacement for me I would be more than happy to let her have it (since it's still in amazing condition and we have yet to find the same wallet at any Coach Outlet store).  So while she was out shopping at the Outlets over Labor Day weekend she came across this cute Kate Spade Mott Street Stacey Wallet in a beautiful navy blue and decided to pick it up for me (to trade for my Coach wallet).

This is a classic, slim (making it perfect for travel) wallet that is perfect for tucking away in your handbag.  I love the trimming and the gold plated hardware details.  The magnetic snap keeps all of your cards and cash safe and there are so many card slots to store all of your shopping essentials.

What was even better was that she scored a major deal on this wallet.  It is retailed at $125 and with the Labor Day weekend sale on top of the original sale she purchased it for only $35! I absolutely love how slim it is because it can fit it the smallest of bags.  Also all of the card slots will definitely help me keep my cards and other personal items more organized.  

Gotta love amazing deals, like mother like daughter.

xoxo,

Eve