Francesca's Collections Jeweled Flats

A little over two weeks ago I had a little shopping trip with a few of my good friends and we ventured out to a mall in the North suburbs of Chicago.  I picked up a lot of great things and scored a few deals at H&M and Forever21.  However, I think one of my favorite purchases on that shopping trip was at Francesca's Collections.

This was actually my first time walking into a Francesca's Collection store.  I had seen the small shop around the mall a few times, but just never gave it a second thought to walk in and purchase something.  But I was definitely lucky that my friends wanted to go in, because if it weren't for them I would have never picked up these cute, smoky grey flats.

I was first drawn to them because of the accent jewels.  I honestly never thought I could like shoes with accented jewels on the toe.  But for some reason I could not stop going back to these on the display table and looking at them.  I loved the texture of the flats and the smokey grey just drew me in.  And then I did the unthinkable, I tried them on.  I was hesitant at first because they were a bit more than what I was use to, but when my friends gave me the approval for them I decided "what the heck" and picked them up.

I thought that they would be a great addition to a few of my Fall looks for 2012, and I definitely have no regrets about this purchase.  I have already thought about a few looks with these flats, and can't wait to put them to good use once the weather gets a bit colder out.

I definitely will continue to make sure I make more stops into Francesca's Collections to see other great finds within the store.

xoxo,

Eve

Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain

I don't usually like to post negative reviews on products that don't work well for me.  However, because this specific product has had a lot of mixed reviews and the price is quite high, I decided to share my thoughts on the Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain.

All Summer long I was on an active hunt for a great lip stain for that easy summer look.  So when I received this Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain in one of my beauty subscription boxes I was quite excited (especially since it was a Josie Maran product).

The Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip & Cheek Stain claims to be a long wearing lip and cheek stain that is a easy to apply and take on the go for all of those busy bees out there.  I thought the concept was great, having a pen applicator for the lips, making application thoughtless.

So what do I think of it? Honestly after first applying it I was not impressed at all.  You really had to press the marker on your lips to get a bit of color.  The application was very uneven, so I found myself having to pat the color into my lips with my finger (causing most of the color to come off onto my finger).  And after the second day and wanting to give the product another try, I was unable to use the lip stain anymore because it had already dried out!

It was definitely a shame because the watermelon pink was such a beautiful color when swatched.  But sadly it didn't work for me, and for the price you can definitely find other alternatives that might work out a little better.

xoxo,

Eve

OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!

I recently posted about my haul on the new OPI Germany collection for the Fall season and I just wanted to share one of my favorite shades from the collection.

OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine! is a deep, smokey grey with hints of blue and green, making it a very unique color.  I thought this was a great color to interpret the Fall and Winter season because I love these smokey and darker shades during the colder seasons.  The shade is incredibly opaque and creamy, giving a full coverage in just one coat (but I always recommend applying two coats for even application).  It is also easy to work with, with no streaks and giving a beautiful finish.

I also absolutely fell in love with the name Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!  OPI definitely got creative with the names of all of the polishes in the Germany collection.  The entire collection as a whole is a beautiful collection.

I will definitely be posting more from the collection after I finally convince myself to take off OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine!

xoxo,

Eve

Henri Bendel Drop Earrings

Every girl has to love a little bit of Henri Bendel in their life right? I absolutely love their jewelry pieces, and after walking around the store and browsing online, I think I have fallen in love with their Fall collection.  A little while ago I had mentioned that I was given a generous gift card from Henri Bendel from a friend.  I had used about half of the gift card a little while ago, and when I saw these earrings I decided to use the rest of the gift card.

These are a pair of drop earrings, made with semi precious stones in a beautiful cobalt blue color.  I was instantaneously drawn to these because of the color and the geometric shapes of the dropped earrings.  They come down to a perfect length for me and I think they can just look beautiful in the colder seasons.  They are definitely comfortable to wear all day and night, not weighing down my earlobes at all.

At first I wasn't sure how I can style these up because they are my first bold and bright earrings.  However, after doing a little bit of style searching online and flipping through magazines, I think just working with a neutral outfit and bringing in the color with the earrings would definitely work.  They are definitely statement earrings so be bold and confident when wearing these out.

xoxo,

Eve

VOGUE COLLECTION

I have really built up an interest when it comes to fashion the past few months.  Not just shopping for clothes, but really paying attention to style and fashion.  Now I have always been a person to really believe that a person sets and makes their own fashion trends and rules.  But it honestly doesn't hurt to grab inspiration from the fashion world to create your own style.

I have never been one to pick up a magazine and really look into the trends for the season.  But when I came across this VOGUE Collection magazine I started to become inspired just by quickly flipping through the pages.  In this issue, VOGUE puts together the Fall 2012 fashion line of every designer that from New York, Milan, Paris, London, and more.  Around 140 designers, 2000 looks, and 1300 accessories!

Now, not all of these looks are easy every day looks that a person can wear, but if you pick apart the different colors, styles, and pieces of one look you can definitely be inspired and incorporate it into your own look.

This is definitely going to be one of my go to guide when it comes to picking up Fall inspired pieces for my wardrobe.

Follow my blog here: http://xoxobeautyxoxo.blogspot.com/

xoxo

CVS Haul

Last weekend I decided to stop by my local CVS to pick up a few things I needed to stock up on (the usual cotton swaps and toothpaste), but as I was walking pass the beauty aisle I noticed that they were having a Buy One Get One 50% Off sale on most of their products.  It's sales like this that makes picking up the drugstore products even more worth it.

I am very particular when it comes to the drugstore products.  I love saving money and finding great drugstore dupes for more affordable prices.  However, when the drugstore products just don't live up to their claims and the products are just going in the trash (along with the money you spend on it), I rather just invest in a product I know that works.

However, there are drugstore products out there that I am a fan of, and ones that are more affordable than their higher end competitors while also living up to their claims.  So I decided to pick up the following:

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Shadows: Pomegranate Punk, Gold Shimmer, Bold Gold, Fierce & Tangy

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss: #12, #11, #06

I love the quality of the Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Shadows because they are very comparable to the MAC Paint Pots and other cream shadows and bases on the market while still being affordable.  They have a great color selection, and they also have just released a limited edition line of colors that are just gorgeous.

I am also a fan of drugstore lipsticks, especially Revlon, but I have never tried the Rimmel line.  However, after reading reviews and swatching around, I was quite impressed with the colors and the formula.

Swatches and reviews of the products will be coming soon...

xoxo,

Eve

Kate Spade Cluster Studs

A few weeks ago Kate Spade was having one of their amazing flash sales online where you could save up to 70% off of some of their items from past seasons.  I absolutely love the Kate Spade flash sales because you can get such great items for such a bargain.

So while I was browsing their flash sale I came across these cluster studs that I just immediately fell in love with.  At first I held myself back and just told myself I didn't need anymore earrings.  However, when I looked in my armoire I noticed that I did not have more than two pairs of studs.  So of course I made that my reason for purchasing not one, but two pairs of the Kate Spade Cluster Studs.

These are clustered, faceted glass and gold plated metal earrings that are crafted so beautifully.  When I look at them I think of art pieces (such as mosaics) and I thought that both the darker and clear  faceted glass were just so sophisticated.

They are a great size and honestly can be worn with any outfit, for any occasion.  Ever since I received them in the mail I have been wearing them with just plain tees and a pair of jeans, which really spruced up a casual look.  And because I picked up both the clear and darker faceted glass I can wear them during any season.

If you want to be alerted for Kate Spade's next flash sale, sign up for their email subscription and like them on Facebook at the following link: https://www.facebook.com/katespade.


xoxo,

Eve