Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen (the designers behind The Row and Elizabeth & James) are launching a new t-shirt venture beginning July 1st at StyleMint. The super soft and stylish cotton tees will be available for $29.99 exclusively online at the members only. Style suggestions will be offered up based on your personal preferences once you answer a series of questions.

On my most recent drugstore detour I picked up a few winners from Revlon:

I am keen on achieving a perfect pink pout, so I decided to test drive Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain + Balm in Passion. I am generally a big fan of lip stains, but find most formulas to be drying without gloss. Revlon's Just Bitten lip stain marker has two ends, one for color, the other with a clear gloss to set and smooth the shade.

The two pronged approach simplifies the application process and eliminates the mess that came with old school lip stains. I did find it a bit difficult to get the stain to apply evenly, but, as intended, the gloss helped smooth out and set the color.  Easy application, and long lasting color makes this the perfect product to throw in your bag and reapply as needed. 

The Just Bitten product line has a nice range of colors, including Passion, a shade of barbie pink that is perfect for summer. Check out my swatches below:

My new favorite drugstore product is easily Revlon Colorburst lip gloss. The packaging looks and feels high end, the gloss is super shiny without being drying or sticky. I tried the shades Papaya and Peony, and will likely be picking up a few more because I liked them so much. Papaya was semi-opaque while Peony was more on the sheer side with micro glitter. Peony will very likely wind up in my daily lip gloss rotation.

I've been on the hunt for some shatter/crackle top coats for some time now. I've been dying to try one out. I recently came across a huge display of O.P.I. Silver Shatter, so naturally I was inclined to make a purchase. My nails had been painted a pretty coral color (also by O.P.I., but the name escapes me), so I applied one coat over each nail and watched as the silver top coat "shattered".

The top coat is fast drying and almost immediately after application begins to crack. Because of this, a liberal swipe of color works best.

Over the course of several months I've been working on making some exciting new changes to PBL to bring you all new and original content. In honor of that, I have created a new Facebook page that will help you follow the content on the blog. Head on over and give PBL the thumbs up!

Summer calls for bright hues, bold accessories, and sexy beachwear. Here are ten things that will help brighten up your summer wardrobe:

1)Graphic Mini: Aryn K Orange Creamsicle Silk Skirt $75 @ Lulus

2)Bold Cocktail Ring: Marc by Marc Jacobs Rosa Rugosa Ring $78 @ Shopbop;

3)Envelope Clutch Appropriate for Day & Night:  ASOS Pyramid Metal Tip Clutch $31.03 @ ASOS;

4)Silk Tee: Silk layering tank in bright cumin $75 @ J.Crew - this tank can be worn a thousand different ways, hence it is essential;

5)Necklace:  Mare of the Sea Necklace $360 @ BHLDN- This is a splurge, but I adore it and would be great alone or layered.

6) Color-blocked shoes:  Deveaux suede sandals in toffee $198 @ J.Crew- this merges two shoe trends: neutral & bold hoes giving you the best of both worlds. What is better, they can easily be worn into the fall; 

7) Sexy Swimwear:  Sunset Tri w/ Detail Pink $78 & Sunset Long Tie Pink $82 @ Vix Swimwear- Vix has a fantastic selection of printed bikinis to show off your tan & toned gams;

8)Beach Towel: Natori "Monarch" Beach Towel $29.99 @ Bloomingdales -Bloomingdales has a fantastic selection of pretty beach towels be sure to check them out!

9) Friendship bracelets:  wanderlust angkor friendship bracelets $12 each @ Madewell- Friendship bracelets are HUGE, I make my own (more on that later) but you can easily stack Madewell's version up on your arm; 

10) Beach/Pool Sandals:  Juicy Couture Frankie Starfish Flip-Flop $98 @ Zappos- These flip-flops will look great by the pool or on the beach. Furthermore, My wedding had starfish accent & details so I can't really bring myself to resist.

Colorful watches have been a huge trend this season. On my most recent to Henri Bendel brightly hued timepieces lined the tables on the 2nd floor. It was impossible not to be drawn to them! Naturally, almost all of them were in the 50-150 range. Sure, they aren't expensive as far as watches go, but hard to justify if you are on a budget. Luckily, on my weekend Target run my attention was diverted to the non-essential jewelry department. While browsing, my husband pointed out these big bright watches lining an end-cap. I grabbed one in teal (they also had hot pink), and headed to the checkout where the asking price was a cool $12.99. I can't remember being so pleased with a $13 purchase! The watch looks very lovely in person and fits my wrist perfectly. Most watches are a bit too big for me so, I was very happy with that. I will say that the watch doesn't look to be that adjustable, but there are some links that look like they could be removed if your wrist is smaller than mine. Sadly, if you have larger wrists these watches might not fit, although for $13 it is worth a try. Target has an excellent return policy if it doesn't work out. 

M.A.C. will be launching a massive collection on July 7th that has a lot of buzz surrounding it. The press and promo images merit a closer inspection not to mention a bigger bank account. Furthermore, I felt it was worthy of a post in its own right. Keep your eye out on maccosmetics.com as the collection could pop up there early (July 5th I would guess). Personally I will likely splurge on some of the limited edition brushes blushes and MSFs, a blush, and maybe an eyeshadow or two.  I don't want to go crazy, but I don't think I have it in me to resist all together!

Mineralize Charged Water $22 (Limited Edition); Mineralize Face & Body Lotion $29.50 (Limited Edition);

Cremesheen Glass $18.50 (All Limited Edition): Geo Pink [strawberry pink]; Looks Like Sin [mid-tone reddish brown]; Natural Flare [light caramel nude]; Pure Magnificence [light grey pink] ; Richly Revered [deep brown plum];

Lipstick $14.50 (all limited edition): Gem Of Roses [Mid-tone strawberry pink (Lustre)] ; Lush Amber [Light nude beige (Lustre)]; Musky Amethyst [Deep plum (Frost)]; One Of A Kind [Mid-tone rosy neutral (Lustre)];

Clarity- melange of light pink, off white green, gold, and black 

Unsurpassable- melange of green, teal, purple, copper

Faux Gold- melange of coral, gold, lime, bronze 

Golden Glaze- melange of gold and black 

Hint of Sapphire- melange of pink, violet, teal, copper, blue
Mineral Mode- melange of white base with copper and gray 

Quartz Fusion- melange of soft pink, silver, deep pink 

Rare Find- melange of violet, brown, gold 

Smoky Ruby- melange of burgundy and black
  

Semi-Precious Rose Quartz rosy pink base with inner circle of silver, lime, white-pink copper
Semi-Precious Pearl beige champagne base with inner circle of white, plum, bronze

Warmth of Coral - Melange peach and coral
Feeling Flush - Melange pink, deep blue pink and soft brown
Pressed Amber - Melange nude, beige and brown

179 Angled Split Fibre Buffer Brush $47

234 Split Fibre Eye Blending Brush $22.50

235 Split Fibre All Over Eye Brush $30

128 Split Fibre Cheek Brush $32

My Nikon DSLR has been my constant travel companion over the past few years. It is frequently accompanied by least one toy or film camera and a few different lens options.  Blame it on my wanderlust, or my tendency to over pack, but I have been in desperate need of a camera bag that A) protects my gear & B) isn't too terribly bulky or ugly to carry.  I also would love to have a new camera strap as I still have the black Nikon strap that came with my camera. Sure, the black Nikon strap has served its purpose for many years, but a little color never hurt anyone.  Check out some of the camera bags and straps I am currently coveting below!

These bags were made for a girl like me in mind. When I first spied them at Adorama, I couldn't believe they were camera bags!  The bags come in a variety of colors and are made out of man-made water resistant materials and have padded, removable, adjustable dividers. Not only will my gear fit in these, but it will be protected and I'll look GOOD carrying it:  

These camera straps come in a variety of color and patterns and cost $30 (unless noted otherwise). If you are so inclined you can have a custom strap made as well. Some of my favorite colors/patters are below:

I've been trying to incorporate more prints into my summer wardrobe. I've been favoring Ikat, tribal, Aztec prints lately, so I thought I would share ten of my favorite items showcasing this spring/summer trend:

1) Pencey Tollan Sandals $248 @ Anthropologie;

2) Kente Bangle $48 @ Anthropologie;

3) MARC by Marc Jacobs Sleeveless Army Twill Vest & Frida Flag-Print Dress $278 @ Bergdorf Goodman;

4) Stolen Girlfriends Club Anja Tribal Shorts $216 @ ASOS;

5)Tribal Stripes Contrast Tank $17.80 @ Forever 21;

6) Lisa Stewart Pink Modern Myth Small Cuff $65 @ Max & Chloe;

7) BCBGMAXAZRIA Amara Tribal Patchwork Maxi Dress $178 @ Bloomingdales;

8) Tribal Print Sweetheart Dress $22.80 @ Forever 21;

9) BCBGeneration Aztec Clutch $62.40 @ Zappos;

10) BCBGMAXAZRIA Thalia Sleeveless Jumpsuit $248 @ Lord & Taylor;

This is definitely a case of me putting the cart before the horse, but when we finally move into a home big enough to entertain I would like to have china as darling as this.

I adore the watercolor illustrations on these platters, tea sets, plates, and mugs. These would be fun to mix and match. That tea pot would be a fantastic place to start! Of course, barware is something my husband (still getting used to that) and I specialize in...the majority of our cabinet space is filled with it, so I think the his & hers or yours & mine highball glasses would fit in nicely.

Since I've come back from Aruba with sun kissed glow I've been favoring peach and coral lips, bronzed cheeks, and summer-y colors on my lids. M.A.C.'s Surf, Baby! collection sucked me right in. Now that I've had some time to play with the collection, I am sharing my photos of my stash, swatches, and of course my overall thoughts on the collection.

I didn't purchase Viva Glam Cyndi lipstick but judging from the lipglass swatch I would imagine the colors are very similar. Hibiscus has a beautiful gold shimmer that sets it apart, but depending on your lip pigmentation these might look very similar on the lips.

Pink Lemonade and Strange Potion are nearly identical, but as you can see Pink Lemonade is slightly more pink.   Mimmy in the tube looks to be very similar just a tad lighter, but is extremely sheer in comparison. Out of curiousity I included gumdrop as it had previously been unopened, I will be utilizing it this summer though!

I didn't have a cream bronzer, so I decided to purchase skinsheen bronzer stick and try using it under my bronzer of choice Nars Laguna. It does the job...I applied it using M.A.C.'s 188 brush. It is extremely pigmented and creamy and blends nicely. It also has some staying power once it is dry. It is a promising product that can be improved upon, but ultimately nothing to go crazy over.