Archive for January 2011

M.A.C. Wonder Woman NYC Pop-Up Shop

Monday, January 31, 2011

POW! NYC gals head on down to Soho to browse M.A.C.'s Wonder Woman collection a couple of weeks early! This is the only place to purchase items from collection before Feb 8th. After this, M.A.C. will be having a bit of fun on foursquare, so look out for that upcoming competition/giveaway! Exciting stuff, no!? I will likely be stopping by the shop today after work! I'll be sure to share my haul...

M·A·C Wonder Woman Pop-up store

109 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 334-4641

Store Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 11am-7pm
Thursday – Saturday: 11am -8pm
Sunday: 12pm-7pm


Update/Thoughts on the collection: I stopped in the store, as promised to see the collection in person for the first time. If you are a fan of Wonder Woman and are in NYC stop in if only to check out the cool decorations! I was a bit underwhelmed by the collection though. On my shopping list were the following items: Valiant eye-shadow quad, Emancipation lipglass, Athena's kiss lipglass, Amazon Princess Blush Duo, Mighty Aphrodite Blush Duo, Pink Power MSF. I adore the lipglass shades, but the super-sized bottle and applicator is just too much for me-they really are a just a standard lipglass on steroids. I also wasn't impressed enough by eyeshadow quads to justify the $40 price tag. I really would love the Valiant eyeshadow if it was sold singularly, but Diana Undercover wasn't appealing to me in the swatch and I have dupes or near dupes of the other shades. The pigments are Pro shades, the reflects/glitter aren't eye safe, the eye-liner is really just a sharpie, and the lipsticks are dupeable. The blush duos and MSFs are, in my opinion, the only things worth buying from the collection. I am going to consider purchasing Mighty Aphrodite, Amazon Princess, and/or Pink Power. While I think they are truly beautiful, I'm not sure I need any of them, especially not in their super-sized form, so I'm going to continue checking for dupe & swatch posts on the forums before the actual launch date, so until then I have no haul to report. I really encourage you all to check out the collection in person as you may have a different take! You may very well love the super-sized applicator of the lipglass or you might want to get creative with a sharpie sized eyeliner! Go for it, Wonder Woman! If you can't make it to the pop-up you're in luck because the collection is now available ONLINE.


UPDATE II: M.A.C. Just posted this amazing Wonder Woman video, which makes me think twice about passing on the collection (good marketing!) :

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On A Jet Plane: Vacation Style

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Last week I jetted off to San Juan, Puerto Rico to escape winter for a few days. I cannot lie, it was quite fun walking around in a spring/summer wardrobe in the middle of January! I received two lovely Madewell dresses for my birthday, so I threw those in my suitcase with my existing warm weather wardrobe favorites. Check out some of my warm weather essentials below:

{top} Clarins Sunscreen Spray Gentle Milk-Lotion Progressive Tanning SPF 20, $32 @ Sephora; Nars Orgasm/Laguna Blush-Bronzer Duo $39 @ Sephora; Coral Reef nail polish by Essie; Shady Lane Dress $158 @ Madewell; Striped Tee Dress $138 @ Madewell; Pins and Needles Straw Fedora $24 @ Urban Outfitters; Marc by Marc Jacobs Saddlery Cadet Putty $348 @ Zappos; Skinny braided belt $29.50 @ Gap;
{bottom} Paul Smith Brushed Zebra Print Ring Halter Bandeau $103.44 & Paul Smith Brushed Zebra Print Ring Hipster Pant $89.65 @ ASOS; Rosa Cha Amplitude One-Piece $298 @ Anthropologie; Printed Tunic Cover-up $68 @ Victoria's Secret; Marc by Marc Jacobs Leather sandals $275 @ Net-A-Porter; TOMS Ash Canvas shoes $44; 
My Looks From Puerto Rico:


Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Necklace: Tiffany & Co.
Dress: Shady Lane Dress @ Madewell
Bag: Madewell Mini Messenger Bag

Hat: Urban Outfitters (similar to above)
Dress: Madewell Striped Silk Tee Dress
Belt: Gap (similar to above)
Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target Sandals

A Few Of My Photos From Puerto Rico: 
Ocean Park Beach, Puerto Rico


All The Pretty Buildings


Old San Juan, Puerto Rico


Castillo San Felipe del Morro


Rainbow outside my window in San Juan, Puerto Rico


So Small


Next vacation: ARUBA! Can't wait! Until then, I'm stuck in snowy NYC! :)

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A Good Note

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Last night I caught an episode of the 10th season of American Idol. While Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, & Ryan Seacrest were searching for talent in Milwaukee, my fashion radar alerted me to JLo's fabulous embellished Treble Clef shirt.
I absolutely love it! With a bit of investigating and I located it on the Moschino website on sale.

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M.A.C. Wonder Woman Collection

Friday, January 14, 2011

M.A.C. will be debuting its Wonder Woman collection on February 10th, just in time for spring!This looks like a comically fun collaboration with vivid colors and over-sized products packing a whole lot of punch. Check out the line up below! I can't wait to see it in person!


Lipglass (super-sized) $19.50:

Wonder Woman Bright red with soft pearl
Athena’s Kiss Bright blue fuchsia
Emancipation Pale neutral pink 
Secret Identity Mid-tone copper with soft pearl


Lipstick $15.50:

Marquise d’ Sandy cream peach (Lustre)
Spitfire Bright creamy magenta (Satin)
Russian Red Intense bluish-red (Matte)
Heroine Brown bronze (Frost)

Opulash $15:
 
Army of Amazons
Black Black
Themyscira Blue
Victorious Purple


Reflects/Glitter/Pigment $21:
 

 

Reflects Bronze Sparkling Rich Gold
Marine Ultra Vivid Marine Blue
Reflects Pearl White Glitter With A Pearl Sheen
Bright Fuchsia (bright magenta)


  

Penultimate Eye Liner $18.50: Rapidblack True black
Eyeshadow Quads $40:  
Defiance Quad: Defiance Iridescent white pink (Veluxe pearl)/Paradise Island Soft warm pink (Satin)/Star Studded Mid-tone violet pink (Satin)/Real Drama Dark burgundy with pink pearl (Satin)

Lady Justice Quad:  Lady Justice Bright silver with white pearl (Frost)/Insurmountable Dirty blue grey (Veluxe Pearl)/Bold Babe Deep metal blue with white pearl (Frost)/Deep Truth True dark blue (Frost)

Valiant Quad (not pictured): Valiant Light lime with yellow pearl (Frost)/Spinning Transformation Deep olive bronze with yellow pearl (Frost)/Diana Undercover Dark forest green (Satin)/Manila Paper Pale frost white gold (Veluxe Pearl)

 
Nail Lacquer $14:

Obey Me True red
Spirit of Truth Navy blue
Mineralize Skinfinish $35:
 
Golden Lariat True coral with fine gold shimmer/Soft suntanned bronze/Soft gold with fine shimmer
Pink Power Peachy rose with pink shimmer/Soft rosy bronze/Soft shell pink with fine shimmer

Powder Blush (Duo) $24:
Mighty Aphrodite Warm peach coral with gold pearl/Bright coral pink with gold pearl (Satin/Frost)
Amazon Princess Bright yellow pink/Deep blue pink with gold pearl (Satin)
 Accessories:

M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Invincible Mirror  $20
M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Bulletproof Blue Makeup Bag $30
M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Red Makeup Bag $30
M∙A∙C Wonder Woman T Small, Medium, Large (not pictured) $25


Brush Sets:

M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Utility Belt Face Brush Set $49.50 
M∙A∙C Wonder Woman Utility Belt Eye Brush Set $49.50


Shazam! The M.A.C. Wonder Woman Collection hits stores on February 10th. Will you be picking up anything from the collection?

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Twenty Nine Things To Do Before I'm Thirty

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Photo via Gaby J Photography

Yesterday was my birthday--my 29th to be exact. 2011 is bound to be a big and important year for me, so I decided to make a list of twenty nine things I want to do before I turn the dreaded 3-0. I even added a few notes to myself...
  1. Get married!
    --April 29, 2011 is the date, the groom is just as charming as any prince.
  2. Buy a bike, and ride it, often.
    --bike storage in NYC apartments is challenging, but the rewards will be worth the hassle!
  3. Run a marathon.--and even if the ING NYC Marathon folks don't choose your lottery number keep running, because you know how hard it is to start after you stop.
  4. Travel to new and interesting places
    --trips to Aruba & Puerto Rico are planned. Argentina and Paris are on the top of my destination wish lists!
  5. Read more of the classics --less of that vampire crap.
  6. Refine knitting skills, and successfully knit this among other fabulous things.
    --I am currently knitting myself wrist cuffs and a couple scarves before starting the cowl
  7. Volunteer at an animal shelter
    --if anyone has tips on where I can volunteer in NYC let me know, this is a MUST!
  8. Get an iPhone already
    --thanks to Verizon + Apple partnership Feb. 10th is the date! :)
  9. Draw in my sketchbook multiple times a week.
    --i bought this book to help inspire me:)
  10. Take more photographs
    --and maybe reward yourself with a  better camera or at least a new lens
  11. Make another attempt at a 365 project
    --no excuses, laugh in the face of failure!
  12. Expand my record collection
    --it took me far too long to buy a record player, I enjoy it immensely
  13. Bake an apple pie
    --I am an avid baker who has oddly have never baked an apple pie I must remedy this.
  14. Make paper chains... lots of them
    --and hang them around your apartment just for fun!
  15. Take a sewing or knitting class
    --or maybe both!
  16. Buy a sewing machine
    --move beyond the apron! :)
  17. Give my apartment a makeover
    --furniture & wall decor need an update :)
  18. Save some money to ditch said apartment!
    --get furniture (#17) at a discount :)
  19. Take an ab class
    --and stick with it!
  20. Go skiing --and try not to fall :)
  21. Convince husband to go skiing with you
    --(see #1 & #19)
  22. Don't neglect this blog
    --2010 was a bad year for blogging, so make up for it!
  23. Make homemade ice cream 
    -- and eat it on the cone or in the form of homemade ice cream sandwiches!
  24. Experiment with film photography
    --and develop your film for Pete's sake!
  25. Make french onion soup--with extra cheese
  26. Go sledding on a flexible flyer --just like old times
  27. Explore my own city
    --you aren't allowed to be bored!
  28. Watch old movies
    --and try really hard to pick ones that don't have Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn in them...expand your horizons.
  29. Drink more water and less caffeine
    --a lot less, as in, avoid Starbucks

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Current Obsession: Statement Rings

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

{clockwise} photos via: Slip Into Reverie; The Blonde Salad; Slip Into Reverie; The Style Playlist; Heart + Bleecker; & birdsnest on flickr;
My right hand has been heavily decorated (or armed & dangerous depending on which way you look at it!).  Some days a right hook from me might deal a pretty devastating blow despite my complete lack of upper body strength. I've been sporting over-sized rings with rough stones, double rings with clusters of pearls, flowers, or a single bow. I love adding a bit of glam or tough girl edge every once in awhile and a statement ring can do just that. Check out these fantastic rings that they are just dying to load up your hands and your jewel boxes.

{top} MELANIE MARIE black onyx duo 2-finger ring $47 @ Stanton James; Soixante Neuf 14k Gold Hammered Ring with Chalcedony Gems $326 @ Singer 22;  ALL FOR THE MOUNTAIN crystal growth ring $119 @ Stanton James; Luv Aj Fools Gold Knucklebuster $98 @ Singer 22; Anuja Tolia Dark Stone Double Ring $207 @ Max & Chloe;


{bottom} Leaf rhinestone double ring $18 @ TopShop; Erica Anenberg Bow Twosome Ring $118 @ Max & Chloe; A(R)MOR abee chain double ring $75 @ Stanton James; MELINDA MARIA "Pod Collection" Ring $125 @ Endless; Low Luv x Erin Wasson 14kt Yellow Gold Plated Double Finger Ring $68 @ Singer 22;Low Luv x Erin Wasson Silver Plated Aztec Finger Ring $38 @ Singer 22; Elizabeth and James Silver Knuckle Ring $195 @ Bloomingdales; Two finger Love Ring $4 @ Charlotte Russe; Marc by Marc Jacobs Faceted Double Finger Ring $88 @ Shopbop;


{top} Metal Logs Ring $17.24 @ ASOS; Dara Ettinger Bridget Ring $90
 @ Urban Outfitters; Wendy Nichol Seabark Ring $253 @ La Garconne; Melinda Maria Pod Pave Ring $98 @ Boutique to You; Horsehoe Bay Ring $128 @ Anthropologie; Rock Candy Ring $34 @ Anthropologie; Raw Stone Ring $28 @ Urban Outfitters; Dara Ettinger Baja Volcano Ring $98 @ Anthropologie;

{middle} Low Luv Gold Plated Faceted Boulder Ring $80 @ Endless; Enamel Ring With Metal Surround $13.79 @ ASOS;  Rugged Stone Ring $24.14 @ ASOS; Dara Ettinger Chelsea Ring $80 @ Urban Outfitters; Earth's Gift Ring $98 @ Anthropologie;

{bottom} Veridiaum Prism Crystal Ring $239 @ Stanton James; Lush Jewelry Pink Champagne Ring $58 @ Stanton James; Bleachblack Tangled Branch and Stone Ring $18 @ Urban Outfitters; Long Oval Semi Precious Stone Ring $28 @ Urban Outfitters; Dara Ettinger Sharon Ring $150 @ Urban Outfitters; Gara Danielle Gold Druzy Ring $144 @ Shopbop; Alex & Ani Space Ring $58 @ Shopbop; Charlene K Round Carnelian Ring in Gold $123 @ Pink Mascara; Pamela Love Two Tone Mood Ring with Bronze Center $220 @ Shopbop; Jules Smith Festival Ring $95 @ Shopbop;

{top} Alexander McQueenBrass flower ring $225 @ Net-A-Porter; Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian Honey Hexagon Border Ring in 14kt Yellow Gold @ Singer 22; Burnished Bow Stretch Ring  $4 @ Charlotte Russe; Lush jewelry love ring $25 @ Stanton James; Earn Your Wings Ring $18 by Chain Chain Chain @ Mod Cloth; Matte Flower Stretch Ring $6.50 @ Charlotte Russe; Yves Saint Laurent Arty flower ring $195 @ Net-A-Porter;


{bottom} Empress Ring $128 @ Anthropologie; House of Harlow 1960 14ct Gold Large Key Cocktail Ring $45 @ Bloomingdales; Elizabeth and James Sterling Silver Scallop Ring $75 @ Bloomingdales; Vanessa Mooney Clear Quartz Wire Wrap Ring $114 @ Shopbop; Alex Monroe 22-karat gold-plated sterling silver ring $205 @ Net-A-Porter; Bing Bang & TIMO.WEILAND Brass And Leather Bow Ring $118.96 @ ASOS;

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Emmadime

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Hailey Bow $22; Tiny Bow $20 by Emmadime
I'm not sure how likely it is for me to dust off my knitting needles and actually finish a knitting project before the calendar year is up, so in order to satisfy my craving for lovely knits I've been checking out Emmadime where my love of knits and bows collide. I am coveting the mini knitted bow pins and the bow headbands! I am obsessed! See more from Emma at her shop or her blog.

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Urban Decay Vol III NYC Palette Swatches & Review

Monday, January 03, 2011


top cover
Sephora gave me $20 to spend last month via their V.I.B. Beauty Insiders Program, so despite the fact I swore I wasn't going to purchase the Urban Decay Vol. III NYC Palette, I did exactly that. I can only hope this isn't going to be a theme I'll be carrying over into the new year or else it is likely me swearing off junk food will have me walking out of Dylan's Candy Bar with a bus load of sour patch kids very soon thereafter. In this case, I'm going to accept that I made myself out to be a liar and try to make the best of it by enjoying this palette...


Lighted pop-up display w/ mirror and pull-out drawer with shadows, liners, and mini primer potion
The palette is exactly like the Alice In Wonderland palette in lay-out. There is a pull out drawer with the product and a top cover that opens with a pop-up display and mirror. In the case of the NYC palette the display is lit which gives the pop up display a cool city feel. The mirror does not stay open on its own while sitting on a table. In order to use the mirror you have to tilt the palette backwards or hold the lid open. The palette is certainly pleasing to the eye, but the mirror, much like the pop-up display, is more of a novelty.

Lighted Pop-Up Display w/out flash

The pull-out shadow drawer includes the following products:
Pull-Out Drawer

Eyeshadows:
Perversion – matte charcoal black (Permanent)
Uzi – white silver w/ glitter (Permanent)
Loaded – dark forest green with sheen (New Shade)
Kush – grassy green (New Shade) - similar to UD's Homegrown
Midnight Cowboy Rides Again– champagne with lots of glitter (Permanent) --This shadow is known for its fall out and though it is a pretty shade, it requires a lot of extra work. The extra work for me isn't really worth it given that this is a shade that is very easy to duplicate. I own this a few times over, and I really wish that UD would stop insisting on putting it in its palettes. At this point, I feel like they are mocking me. :)
Last Call – plum with red undertones and a shimmery finish (Permanent) -- One of my all time favorite shadows, but I already own it a couple of times over.
Rockstar – deep shade of eggplant (New Shade) -- I own the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Rockstar and it is one of my favorites! I use the eyeliner frequently in place of a dark brown liner. 
Money – silvered blue with a metallic blue-green sheen (New Shade)
Haight – shimmering teal (was sold as a Sephora Exclusive)
Maui Wowie – medium gold w/ silver glitter (Permanent) a very pretty shade, has some fall out issues though...
Smog – coppery bronze (Permanent) This is a beautiful shadow also in Urban Decay's Naked Palette
Bordello – mauve-pink with glitter (New Shade)
Radium – bright medium blue w/ frost finish (New Shade)
Snatch – peachy pink w/ glitter (Permanent) This shade was in Urban Decay's Show Pony palette
Suspect – taupe with a hint of bronze (New Shade)
Psychedelic Sister – Purple Amethyst (Sephora Exclusive shade)

24/7 Eyeliners:

Zero- a fantastic black liner
Ransom- an iridescent violet liner

Primer Potion- a mini version of the now ubiquitous primer potion
A look at the liners:
24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils in Ransom & Zero

Glide-On Eye Pencil Swatches: Zero, Ransom
Ransom is a nice addition to my liner collection as I have nothing like it. It reminds me of M.A.C.'s violet pigment in a liner form. I own L'Oreal Hip's Violet Volt Chrome Eyeliner which is by comparison much darker and more purple than Ransom.

NYC Display
Eyeshadow Swatches:

Perversion, Uzi, Loaded, Kush, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar, Money, Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello

Swatches: Perversion, Uzi, Loaded, Kush, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar & Money
Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Last Call, Rockstar, Money, Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello, Radium, Snatch, Suspect, Psychedelic Sister


Swatches: Haight, Maui Wowie, Smog, Bordello, Radium, Snatch, Suspect, Psychedelic Sister

I now have a ton of Last Call, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Mauie Wowie, & Smog eye shadows so unless I have a serious lapse in judgement I don't think I'll be purchasing any additional palettes from Urban Decay that contain any of those shadows. This time I plan on sticking to my guns! I mean it this time!

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M.A.C. Peacocky Collection

Sunday, January 02, 2011


M.A.C. is determined to start the new year on the right foot by introducing two new limited edition formulas for eyes and lips with their Peacocky collection debuting on January 6th.  The Kissable Lipcolor is described as being a longwearing, medium coverage gloss meant to combine the comfort of lipstick with the finish of a gloss. The Mega Metal Shadow is a creamy metallic powder that promises smooth application, long lasting medium-buildable coverage, and vitamins a & e to help condition the eye area. 

Kissable Lipcolor $18 (Limited Edition):


  • Enchantée- Light blue pink
  • Exxxhibitionist- Red-toned coral
  • Flaunting It- Grey mauve
  • Love Peck- Blackened blood red
  • Peacocky- Sky blue with red pearl
  • Scandelicious- Blue fuchsia


  • So Vain- Muted dirty coral
  • Strut Your Stuff- Bright true red
  • Super Muted- neutral brown
  • Temper Tantra- Mid-tone reddish brown
  • Vanity Fair- Mid-tone blue pink
  • Woo Me- Light pinky nude

Mega Metal Shadow $19.50 (Limited Edition):




{top} Top of the Posh-Frosted white pink; Mating Call- Dirty frosted violet; Sexpectations- Metallic burgundy; Unflappable- Frosted black with purple pearl; Spectacle of Yourself- Deep bronze

{middle} Paparazz-she- Deep copper bronze; Peek-at-You- Frosted yellow white; Tweet Me- Gold bronze; Centre Stage- Frosted chocolate brown; Dalliance- Light champagne
{bottom} Ego- Forest green; Dandizette- Navy with silver pearl; Odalisque-Deep teal; Noir Plum- True purple with silver pearl; Prance-Frosted mauve pearl


Personally, I am really excited about these new eye shadows, so as an early birthday present to myself I will be picking up a few of those come the 6th! More on that later ;)

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