I Can't Make A Decision

Lately I can't choose when it comes to my favorite celebrity outfits.  When shopping I have the attitude if it comes in multiple colors then get them all, so that's the philosophy I am going to use here.  It all makes sense right? Just tell me it does so I don't feel crazy.  At least this week I narrowed it down to five instead of last week's nine.

Pictures from people.com
-Kate Beckinsale in Gucci at the LACMA Art & Film Gala in Los Angeles. -Kate Hudson in Gucci at the LACMA Art & Film Gala in Los Angeles. -Olivia Wilde in Gucci at the LACMA Art & Film Gala in Los Angeles.

Pictures from people.com
-Maria Menounos in Kayat at premier of "Thor: The Dark World" in Hollywood. -Kiernan Shipka at TV Guide's Host List Party in Los Angeles.

Under $50: Mint / Black Under $100: Red / Nude Under $200: Magenta / Navy
Kiernan Shipka's short & sassy party dress got me thinking that the holidays are approaching & that means party season is coming up as well!  Here are some pretty dresses at a variety of price points that would be perfect for any holiday party.  Here's a shocker I can't decide which one I like best, they are all so chic!  Metallic heels would top off any of these dresses & add a little extra glam to them.  Check out hairstyles here (make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post!) & makeup looks here (make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post!) that would pair well with these dresses to make for the perfect party look.

Today I'm going to finish with some Britney: Remember to #backthatazzup this weekend!

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Natural Makeup Look

Concealer / Eyelash Curler / Mascara

Brow Gel / Blush / Lip Tint / Lip Balm

After showing you all my makeup yesterday, I thought it would be fun to show you what I do with some of it.  A natural makeup look is what I wear most days.  The look I am going for is basically a 'no makeup' look, I like to use makeup to enhance facial features not exaggerate them.  I do add eyeshadow & liner for nighttime looks, but I don't like looking too done up for class, hanging out with friends, or running errands.  Here is how to achieve a look that enhances your natural beauty:

Conceal Bags & Blemishes - TheBalm TimeBalm concealer is the best concealer I have ever used.  Use this to conceal any imperfections especially bags or dark circles under your eyes, I typically apply with my a concealer brush not the little sponge.

Curl & Darken Lashes - Curling your lashes opens up your eyes & makes them look larger, Shu Uemura makes one of the best eyelash curlers on the market.  Applying mascara makes your lashes darker & more defined, helping your eyes to stand out, DiorShow mascara is one of the most luxe & popular mascaras available (see what I am currently using here).

Groom Brows - No one likes unruly eyebrows, you should regularly have your brows waxed (what I do), threaded, or tweeze them yourself to keep a clean shape, you can then use clear mascara or brow gel to to tame brows & make sure that all of the hairs are in their right places.

Add Flush to Cheeks - You want to look like you're blushing or have a natural flush to add a little color to your face & define your cheekbones.  Nars blush in Orgasm is universally flattering & one of the most celebrated beauty products out there (see what I am currently using here).

Perfect Your Pout -  To do this you can use a lip tint in a color similar to that of your lips, which adds a little sheen or sparkle to your lips & makes them looks full & pouty.  You can also go really natural & just apply some lip balm; EOS makes great all natural, gluten free ones.

What do you do when you're going for a natural look?

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What's In My: Makeup Bag

I've been seeing 'What's In My: Makeup Bag, Handbag, Backpack, etcetera' all over blogland lately & I've been dying to do my own.  Well I finally got around to taking the pictures of what is in my makeup bag, so here we go!

I keep my makeup in a tray on my desk that I use as a vanity.  I recently started doing this & it has been working so well, it's great to have everything out & not have to dig through a bag to look for things!  The only time I use a makeup bag anymore is when I travel.  I am obsessed with this tray, I made it over the summer & you can find the tutorial for it here.  It's so sparkly & girly, & is overall such a fun piece.  Now onto the makeup, I decided to break my makeup into two different categories so it was a little bit easier to share!  For everyday I do a very natural look, but I have a lot of great products to dress it up too.
Face

1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- I love this stuff it smoothes your skin & allows face makeup to glide on effortlessly.  On a day to day basis I use this under my eyes, but when I am going out I put it under my eyes, on my t-zone, & on my chin. 2. Benefit Cosmetics Watt's Up!- This is a much buzzed about highligheter that lives up to the hype.  I like to use this on my cheekbones over blush to make them really standout. 3. NYX Green Tea Blotting Paper- I picked these up on a whim & am happy with them, I typically use the Clean & Clear ones, but I don't really prefer one over the other.  You can use these to soak up oil throughout the day without messing up your makeup.  For some reason the area under my eyes is super oily so I use them before I apply concealer there. 4. mark Just Blushing Powder in Afterglow- The color of this is comparable to NARS Orgasm, it gives you a sexy flushed look. 5. me Makeover Essentials Shimmer Powder Brush Bronze- I love this bronzer, it has great color that you can build up & it is very blendable. 6. mark Good Riddance & Conceal for Real- I only use Conceal for Real occasionally on a stubborn pimple because it has super thick coverage.  Good Riddance is my favorite I am so bummed they stopped making this, but I may have brought 4 of them before they did.  It is the perfect color & goes on so easily, you can use it anywhere on your face to coverup imperfections. 7. theBalm timeBalm Concealer in Lighter than Light- I've been using this under my eyes mixed with Good Riddance.  While I do still do that, I recently realized that my eyelids are super veiny thanks to my very fair complexion, this amazing girl at Sephora showed me that if you put some concealer on your lids when you don't wear eyeshadow (which I typically don't for day to day) it just makes them look so much better.  I was pleasantly surprised & have been doing it ever since! 8. AVON Ideal Flawless Loose Powder in Translucent- I use this to lock in the concealer under my eyes.  Recently I haven't been loving it because it seems to darken wherever I put it, so I am looking into getting something new.
Eyes

1. Makeup Palette- One of my friends gave this to me for my birthday last year.  I'm not sure of the brand, but the eyeshadows in this kit are amazing.  They are so pigmented, are very blendable, & go on so smooth.

2. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler- The mecca of eyelash curlers deserves all the buzz it gets. 3. Too Faced Liquif-Eye Shadow Collection- I got this limited edition kit a while ago, it combines some of Too Faced's most popular eye shadows with a product called Liquif-Eye Eyeliner which is a clear liquid that turns eyeshadows into eyeliner.  I use the eyeshadows included as both eyeliner and shadow, they are great colors that look super pretty. 4. LANCÔME Artliner in Noir- I only do liquid liner, it has just always been my favorite.  Lancome makes the best ones that glide on smoothly & stay put. 5. LANCÔME Artliner in Navy- This is the same as #4, but in navy! 6. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion- Another much buzzed about product, when you apply this your eyeshadow & eyeliner will not budge until you take it off.  I recommend using a natural oil to take it off though because that is definitely the most effective way to remove it. 7. COVERGIRL Professional Natural Lash Mascara in Clear Neutral- I use this to groom my brows & keep them in their place! 8. Mary Kay Lash Love Lengthening Mascara in I ♥ Black- I really like this mascara, it's easy to apply & stays on for a long time without flaking. 9. Mary Kay Lash Primer- Read my review here, this stuff is great. 10. Too Faced Shimmer Veils- This is a fun liquid eyeshadow, it's a gold color that has some chunky glitter in it, it's nice to wear when going out. 11. mark Winkstick in Demure- This is a stick shadow, it is a golden tan color that glides on & blends well with powder shadows. 12. Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadow in No 63 Under the Covers- I like to use this to highlight the brow bone & the 'V' area in the inner eye. 13. MaryKay Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm- Read my review about this here, it works well for a smokey eye look. 14. Clinique All About Shadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge- I love this shadow, it goes on great.  The colors are so pretty, it includes a pink & a brown shadows, they both have gold undertones & compliment each other well.
So that is what I have in my makeup tray.  I asked for some new makeup for Christmas to replace somethings that are getting old, so I will have to do another one of these in the new year!  Lately I have been super obsessed with Sephora & have been having fun experimenting with makeup again.  Now that you know what makeup I have, do you have any of the same things?  What's your favorite product in your makeup bag?

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Beauty Review: European Wax Center

So I am in love with the European Wax Center.  I had my first experience there in early August, & have been addicted ever since!

My mom, sister, & I walked into a relatively new location that is super close to our house on a Saturday morning with no appointments & coupons for a free eyebrow wax.  The people could not have been nicer & took us right away.  This is a place that celebrates waxing instead of sticking you in some dimly lit room in the back of the salon.  They are truly experts at waxing & have a four step process: 1. Cleanse 2. Protect 3. Wax 4. Rejuvenate. (For a better & more in depth explanation check out their website.)  This is seriously the cleanest waxing place I have ever seen.  The wax they use is exclusive to the European Wax Center, called 'Comfort Wax,' which is supposed to make waxing a less painful experience.  In all honesty, I was a little skeptical at first because I was thinking "no matter what they use they are still ripping hair out of my skin!".  I have been waxing my brows for almost 10 years now & this was my least painful experience by a long shot.  A bonus was that my skin was not super red afterwards like it usually is!

Not the best picture, but they're not red!

Their pricing is on par with salons, even a little cheaper then the ones near my house & you can buy multiple services at once, which makes them cheaper.  While they explain to you their products & pricing plans, they really don't pressure you or make you feel obligated to buy anything if you don't want to, which was awesome.  There's nothing I hate more then being harassed to buy things after getting a service at a salon.  My experience here was so great that I would love to go here for all of my waxing from now on.   The only bummer is that they do not have any near school!  So for now I can only go when I am home.  I have been back twice since my first appointment & they were both equally great experiences.  If you have one near you, I highly recommend trying them for your next wax service!

Have you ever tried a European Wax Center?

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(This is not a sponsored post.)

French Beauty

Have you ever read Kisses and Croissants?  Well if you haven't you're missing out, it's a great blog written by Patricia, an American who lives in France.  Patricia went to France to study abroad, fell in love, & moved there after she finished school.  She is so sweet & hysterical, it's awesome to listen to her stories about being a French expat.  The one sad part is that recently Patricia finished her blog, but I still recommend checking it all out, her posts are really great!

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Back in April Patricia wrote a post titled 10 American Beauty Tips - From a French Perspective, & it was so cool.  In America we are slightly obsessed with finding out French women's beauty secrets, but little did we know they want to know our beauty secrets too!  For her post Patricia kindly translated an article from L'express, which is a popular online French newspaper, & she so sweetly let me steal parts of her post to do my own!  I wanted to share this because it's great to see what the French had to say.  Below is the post with my opinions plugged in!

As Beautiful as a New Yorker

from L'express

"New York I Love You" is out in theaters.  Sure, we love the Big Apple and it's inhabitants, but their beauty rituals leave us scratching our heads.  Are they worth copying? The answer in 10 points. 

1. They wash their hair everyday 

...while in France, we compete with our girlfriends to see who washes their hair the least, American women are not ashamed to declare that they shampoo their hair everyday in order to be really clean. That's where the huge bottles, much bigger than ours, that take over the space in the shower come from.

Copy it?  NON.  But if you happen to be a hopeless shampoo-addict, the least you can do is respect this one rule: Pick a nourishing shampoo, take really good care of your scalp, and avoid over drying your hair with a super hot blow dryer.

Me: I agree with the French!  As I've said many times washing your hair every day is bad for it & I recommend waiting a few days between washing, now I'm not saying don't shower just don't wash your hair.  I wait a few days between washing & my hair isn't dirty at all, I've picked up a few tricks to prevent it from getting oily, & my hair looks better when I don't wash it.  The best part about this is that it is so good for your hair & makes it super healthy.  I hate that a lot of times it's looked down on in America when people wait a few days between washes.

2. They define the It-girl haircut

Copy it?  We don't really have a choice.  Even the stars here in the hexagon copy the Americans!  

Me: Way to go America, we always have the trendiest haircuts first!

3. They are obsessed with whitening their teeth

You simply need to visit an American bathroom to figure this out for yourself.  There you'll find a huge bottle of mouth wash, an electric toothbrush, and dental floss. To put it simply, the Americans don't kid around with dental hygiene.   

Copy it? Oui!  However you can totally skip the strips or the tooth "paint," what a pain.  Nothing's quite as good as a simple cleaning from the dentist.

Me: I can't imagine not being crazy about my teeth, I floss, brush, & gargle twice a day.  I also do whiten my teeth occasionally, I just think that a whiter smile looks nicer.

4. They let fish eat the dead skin off their feet

This is where the fish spa first became popular.  It's a sort of pedicure, rather special since little fish nibble the dead skin off your feet. 

Copy it? NON!  Having said that, risk-takers can try it in Paris, at the salon Rufafish.  But be aware that the state of New York banned it for hygienic reasons.

Me: I've read about this pedicure being done all over the world & thought that it originated in Japan.  I agree with them on not trying it, I've always been curious, but don't think I could ever actually do it!

5. They handle the self-bronzer with more confidence than us

Copy it? NON!  But if your turnip-tinted skin bothers you, at least ask a willing (and precise) girlfriend  to spray you.  Not glam', but efficient.

Me: I agree with the French.  I have very fair skin, & used to self tan, but it just looked bad.  I've stopped using tanners or trying to get tan from the sun & just embrace my skin.  I'm really not a fan of tanning in any form.

6. They don't think twice about putting rhinestones on... Everywhere

Jennifer Love Hewitt is the self-proclaimed standard-bearer of vajazzling, a new trend that consists of glueing rhinestones to one's pre-shaved pubic area. 

Copy it? NON!  Remember that France is the country of Catherine Deneuve and good taste, there is no "but" here. 

Me: I don't think that all Americans put rhinestones everywhere.  Don't get me wrong I love things that sparkle, but tasteful things, & vajazzling is just gross!

7. They use sun protection all year long

It's these women that made foundation with built-in SPF popular.  They wear it all year long to fight against the enemy - wrinkles.

Copy it? Oui!  If you want adopt a "NYC attitude", we recommend Clinique products. Their quality is impeccable. 

Me: I love that the French are recognizing the importance of vigilant sun protection, no one wants skin cancer or premature wrinkles.

8. There is a nail salon on every corner

You can find a salon, the American movie cliché, every 3 blocks in NYC.  The advantage: Manicures become affordable and everyone has clean nails. 

Copy it? Oui, but sparingly... For pity's sake, forget about a french manicure on your feet! 

Me: I agree with the French, while it's nice we have nail salons everywhere & I do indulge in manicures & pedicures as often as I can, it never killed anyone to do their own nails.  I also agree that French mani/pedis are just tacky.

9. They have a healthier relation with their gym

... Simply put, the United States, land of contrasts, is also the home of the hardcore gym...

Copy it? NON. We prefer eating croissants for breakfast while enjoying the best-seller "French Women Don't Get Fat".  

Me: I don't understand how "French Women Don't Get Fat" (I've heard of the book & need to read it).  As we all know though exercising & eating healthy is good for your body & your health.

10. They aren't afraid to be perfect

Copy it? NON! Considering our worn in jeans and wavy locks are seductive, why make more of an effort? American women are always praising the je-ne-sais-quoi of French women, who prefer a natural look (think Charlotte Gainsbourg), rather than something over the top (think Demi Moore).  

Me: I agree with the French big time on this.  I feel like they have a much more relaxed attitude towards fashion & beauty & it works so well for them.  I like natural makeup, & unwashed hair, & I'm not a fan of plastic surgery to make people look younger.  Sometimes you just need to relax & accept that no one is perfect & that is okay.

It's so interesting to read how the French view our beauty routines.  I also really like that they don't make fun of them, they simply agree with them or provide some constructive criticism as to why they don't like a particular point.  It's always been a dream of mine to go to France & until I make it there reading Kisses & Croissants will do.

So what do you think of this list & how the French view how we do beauty?

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Saturday Roundup

Since I kind of blew off my Celebrity Outfit of the Week yesterday I thought today would be the perfect day to do it!  There were so many super chic looks this week that I could not narrow it down to just once, so I decided to do a 'round up' of this week's best looks organized by some trends I noticed. Pale Dresses

-Natalie Portman in Dior at the premiere of "Thor: The Dark World" in Berlin, Germany.  -Blake Lively in Balmain announcing her new contract with L'Oreal in Paris. -Olivia Wilde in Cushnie et Ochs at the IWMF Journalism Awards in Beverly Hills. Black Pants

-Sofia Vergara wearing Valentino heels at a "Modern Family" event in Los Angeles. -Alessandra Ambrosio at the Chloe fashion show in Beverly Hills. -Ashley Tisdale at the Lucky Brand store opening in Beverly Hills. Dark Dresses

-Diane Kruger in Chanel Couture at the Chanel Little Black Jacket event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. -Alicia Silverstone at the premiere of "Ass Backwards" in Los Angeles.  -Cat Deeley at the Global Fashion Awards in London. Can't you see why I couldn't possibly pick just one?  Each of these ladies looked amazing & were styled to perfection!  I would love to have any of these looks hanging in my closet.   In the spirit of the round up here are my favorite celeb Halloween Costumes too! Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes

-Alessandra Ambrosio as the Queen of Hearts.  She was having a good week!  She's the prettiest Queen of Hearts I've ever seen. -Lauren Conrad as the Tooth Fairy.  I love this frothy confection, you can find her tutorial for it here. -Naya Rivera as Carmen Sandiego.  Who didn't love this game as a kid?!  Although Naya looks sexier then I remember Carmen being. Well that's all I have for today.  Who has your favorite outfit & costume?  Make sure to let me know, I really need some help picking my absolute faves!

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The Day After Halloween

So I'm forgoing my usual Friday post to share some Halloween pictures with you guys today.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't hurting from all the festivities last night.  I apologize that some of these pictures are bad, tipsy girls in the club are not the best photographers.

I had so much fun & loved my costume.  As you can tell I was a flapper & the fringe dress was awesome to dance in.  I went full 20's with the super dark eye makeup & darkish lips, I wasn't committed enough to get the bob though so I just curled my hair.  I got to hang out with a bunch of my sorority sisters & even ran into my actual sister so that was all great!  Well that's all I have for today, I need to pull myself together & work on some homework.
Actually, one more thing before I go!  Here's a little Nicki Minaj to get you in the weekend mood:

What did you do for Halloween?

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