Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Haul

I decided to stop by my local Nordstrom to check out the Anniversary Sale this weekend and although I didn't go crazy I did pick up something I was really lusting after.

First let's talk about my Nordstrom. Don't get me wrong I love the store. Once Pittsburgh lost Saks Fifth Avenue, it became the only high end department store in the area really. As fabulous as the store is, it's really lacking in the women's clothing. The second floor women's clothing area is rather skimpy. They do have a decent size area for mid-level brands but their specifically higher end area, that included Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, etc. is rather bare. They do have a few items but they only have a few sizes, and not an extensive enough selection for someone who isn't a standard size 2 or 4. I also kinda don't like their upstairs area because they're aren't a ton of people around so for some reason I feel like a creeper walking around with the few sales associates staring at me.

Their shoes and accessories selection is really stellar though so I tend to find the best scores there. It was pretty crazy on Saturday and I wasn't feeling up to fighting all the crowds so I looked around for a bit, found what I wanted and headed out. I probably could have found other things but I just wasn't feeling all the other sale-crazed shoppers that day.

 I had spotted these Vince Camuto Vionet pumps online before heading out and was immediately in love with them. I loved the vibrant color especially. The thick heel is retro and on trend and the combo of the leather and suede heel is chic while fun at the same time. Plus-I can't resist a cute mary jane, they are seriously my favorite shoe style.

I snagged these for $79.00 but after the sale they go back up to $128 so if you're liking these pumps which you must be by now I suggest heading out to your Nordstrom A.S.A.P. to pick them up!

xoxo,
Amanda

I'm a Barbie Girl!

If there was ever an unofficial Barbie nailpolish it would seriously have to be Essie's Cascade Cool. It's been my most recent manicure and I've just loved the super girly and fun essence of it.

This color looks a bit more purple in the bottle (although it doesn't necessarily read that way in photos) but it definitely comes up bright, blushing pink even after 2 coats. After a few weeks of doing more trendy colors I decided to go back to classic nail colors for a fun "break" so to speak.

I've always read and heard of people raving over Essie polishes but honestly this formula really left a lot to be desired. It didn't spread well and even after two coats it was kind of streaky. I'm not sure if it was just an issue with this color but it was a big bummer for a brand people usually rave over. My Seche Vite helped even out the streaks so they're not too noticeable but without I probably would have taken all of it off given how streaky it was.

Final verdict is fabulous color, terrible formula. Better luck next time Essie!

xoxo,
Amanda

My Favorite Fragrances

I'm a self confessed fragrance junkie. Spending some quality time with the perfume wall at Sephora is a staple of my shopping day. I love trying out new perfumes and maybe even finding a new one to add to my collection. 

With my picky nose and ability to get easily nauseated by too-strong scents, finding a new perfume that works with me isn't always an easy task. It takes some time to find out which perfumes work for my chemistry but once I find something I love I tend to stick with it for years, which is the case for most of my signature scents.

Left to Right- YSL Parisienne, Vera Wang Princess, Taylor Swift Wonderstruck, and Givenchy Very Irresistible.

I found Yves Saint Laurent's Parisienne a few years ago and it was immediately added in to my favorite fragrances. It's a very rich, floral scent but with a definite warmth. The scent reminds me of the effortlessly chic women I saw around Paris; confident and sensual. I usually wear this for a night out and it gives me this incredible feminine confidence unlike any perfume I've ever worn.

While Parisienne is ultra-chic, Vera Wang's Princess is ultra-girly. It's a warm, sweet scent full of hints of apple, chocolate, vanilla, and apricot. I love wearing this scent during the fall and winter because it always brings up memories of being curled up with a warm blanket and a good book.  The bottle for this scent really is the perfect embodiment of the perfume, and it looks so pretty on my make-up table.

Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck is the newest addition to my perfume collection. I got a sample of it with my June Birchbox and I instantly loved it. I got a big hint of vanilla, but when I check descriptions on the scents I don't see vanilla listed so I may be crazy, lol. Combined with the floral and fruity hints I really like the overall scent of this perfume. It's fun and flirty and fills the flirty area of perfume collection perfectly. Because I already have three large bottles of perfume I decided to go with the rollerball version until one of my other bottles is empty, then I might go pick up the full size of Wonderstruck.

If any of these perfumes is my signature scent it's Givenchy's Very Irresistible. I started wearing this perfume so many years ago that I can barely remember if I first got it in middle school or high school. This bright perfume is full of multiple rose scents but isn't old at all. It's entrancing and honestly, irresistible! The array of roses create a mystifying scent that's feminine and a little bit seductive as well. Out of all my perfumes this is the one I get the most compliments on as well, people really notice me when I wear this scent, so heads up!

I've also just ordered the rollerball version of Oscar de la Renta's Live in Love that I adored from July's Birchbox so we'll see if I love it enough to add into my fragrance collection!

Fragrance tip~ While samples are great, I really love rollerball versions as a way to test perfumes out. Not all perfumes have them but the price point is great for the ones that do, most of the ones I've seen are all around $20.00. They have a decent amount of perfume and they are a great way to see if you really love a certain perfume before making the full size commitment.

What are you're favorite perfumes?

xoxo,

Amanda

DIY Pom Trim Bikini

Pom Trim is everywhere this season, and my love for my pom trim scarf and pillow made me want to pom trim something else. Since the weather has been especially hot in the Northeast lately, I decided to upcycle a boring bikini into something fun and fantastic.

Supplies:
Plain triangle bikini
Small pom trim-I used approximately 2.5 yards
Needle/thread/scissors

For the top part of the bikini I added the pom trim from top to bottom. You can work on both triangles are once like I did or you can do one then the other. I found it easier to be accurate if I alternated, but that's just me! Lay the pom trim along the bikini and cut a piece long enough to touch each side. I chose to have my drape a bit but you don't necessarily have to- your choice! Pin to the bikini and attach it too the bikini using small discrete stitches.

To match the sides all I did was lay the trim over the already sewn on piece and cut it to match. I measured slightly to make sure it was in the right place on the opposite side and then I attached it. Super simple right?!

Continue down the top of the bikini until you've completed the top. For the last row of pom trim, I ran it directly about the tube for the ties.

My apologies but I guess my camera ate my pictures of trimming the bottom. You'll see it in the final pictures, but all I did was run pom trim along the top of the bottoms on the front and back. It's so simple, way easier than doing the top.

Voila! Boring bikini turned into fun-in-the-sun fabulous!

As always gently hand wash the bikini to ensure the pom trim doesn't get torn apart.


I really love how the pom trim changed this bikini so much. It was a plain boring bikini before and now it's fun and really just perfect for this summer.

xoxo,
Amanda

Budget Beauty favs

I'm always on the look-out for new drugstore beauty favs. Finding a product that's inexpensive but also does the job is a double score in my book. The past couple of weeks I've found a few of those scores that I'd love to let you guys in on.

Covergirl lash blash length waterproof mascara-

After getting tired of my last mascara not living up to the hype I decided to give this new Covergirl mascara a run. It's the lash blast length version and its pretty great. It makes my lashes so amazingly long and the slender brush really allows me to pay special attention to each lash. Although it's great at making my lashes look longer, I wish it made them look fuller as well. I used a couple coupons at CVS so this mascara was kind of a steal, so I don't mind but I'm gonna keep looking for a mascara that can lengthen and amplify as well. If you're looking solely for something to length your lashes, I definitely recommend this mascara.


Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunblock stick SPF 60+

I have a love/hate relationship with sunscreen. I know it's absolutely necessary to fight aging but I hate that it takes so long to apply, especially in the morning when I'm crunched for time. I'm always worried if it's all blended in properly and then I hate that I always have some residual sunscreen on my hands that I'm worried is gonna rub off on my clothes. I decided to try a sunscreen stick in the hopes it would make my morning routine easier and it really has. This Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby sunblock stick is easy to apply and doesn't leave any greasy residue on my hands. I swipe it over my skin, rub it in for a bit and I'm ready to go. It doesn't make my hands feel gross so I don't have to worry about ruining my outfit. I seriously love how much easier it's made my routine.


Revlon Colorburst Sunset Peach lipgloss-

I'm always looking for a perfect summer gloss. After seeing Elle over at Elle Sees rave about how awesome this gloss was I decided to give it a try myself. This totally lived up to the hype. It's a perfect summer peach/coral shade and it looks great. The glitter is very subtle so it gives it an added shimmer instead of intense tween-like glitter. I won't lie-I usually hate lip gloss, I hate how sticky it gets. This stuff doesn't and it's fabulous. It's soft, glides on great and never gets sticky. It also doesn't give me that gross lip gunk along the inside of my lips, yay!

That's all of my new beauty favs for now, but there's sure to be more in the future. Stay tuned!

xoxo,
Amanda

Shoe-gasm alert

As much as I love clothes I've kinda been having a serious obsession with shoes lately. I've picked up a bunch of new kicks that have needed gushed about desperately.

During the last shoe sale Nordstrom had I scored a bunch of gorgeous shoes that I had been drooling over for months.

I've had an eye on these Sperry flats since they started appearing in their magazine ads. I love the chic but preppy style these have. The cute loafer detailing is exactly what I've wanted minus the actual heaviness that a loafer has. Combined with the lightness and easy feeling of ballet flats, they're the perfect everyday flat. Don't forget they're crazy comfortable because they're Sperry!

These fabulous Vera Wang Lavender pumps were just waiting for me, I know it. They were the only pair and they were also my size so I kind of took it as a sign they were waiting for me to take them home. I was lusting after these pumps since Rachel wore them to Prom on Glee so I was jumping for joy when I spotted them at Nordstrom.

The slight blush shade is pretty and easy to pair with tons of dresses so I'm gonna be able to wear them with more than one outfit. I really like that although they're a special occasion pump, they don't really read that way so I can pair it with less formal dresses for a still super cute look.

I actually scored these at Nordstrom's online sale since my store didn't carry them. The cute VC Signature pumps are the best. The short stacked heel is so mod and the red color is just absolutely fabulous. I particulary love the gold detail on the heel.

I was dying to snag these to finish off the look Rachel wore during Heart.

I picked up the Eva Franco dress a couple of months ago after dreaming of it for months and I just knew I had to have the shoes to finish off the ensemble. This outfit is one of my favorite looks on Glee ever and I'm pleased as punch to have it in my closet.

I finally got myself a pair of Toms after talk for years and years about them. I've always wanted a pair of these uber comfortable, socially-conscious shoes and after staring at them in the store both the boyfriend and I decided to get a pair. I've been hearing how awesome they are for like eternity and even though I knew that, I was blown away by how light they were. They don't feel like anything really, it's fantastic.  They're light and comfortable and if the weather would ease up in the slightest I would be wearing them all the time. It's just been so hot lately that I haven't gotten out of my sandals and flip flops.

I was serious when I said I've been a bit shoe obsessed lately.

xoxo,
Amanda

Birchbox July 2012 review

As an added weekend surprise my July Birchbox arrived Saturday and as usual, I basically ripped into it like a kid on Christmas. I anxiously await Birchbox delivery day-it's one of my favorite mail days!

My July Birchbox included:
Oscar de la Renta Live in Love perfume sample
Boscia Green tea blotting linens sample
Eyeko Skinny liquid eyeliner in black-full size!
Birchbox green and pink headphones
Jouer Luminizing moisture tint
Larabar Uber in Bananas Foster

This month's box was a collaboration with Glamour magazine focusing on the five senses. All in all it was a pretty good box. The samples were varied and getting the full size eyeliner was a great perk! I'm super happy I got basic black because it's the color I wear everyday so I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. The Larabar was really good and the perfume sample is exactly the kind of scent I wear, it's feminine and floral and I'm honestly thinking about purchasing myself a bottle. I just tried the blotting tissues and they worked well so I'm throwing those in my purse A.S.A.P.  Sound quality with the headphones leaves a little bit to be desired but I can honestly always use another pair and the cute color combo makes it a great addition to my box. 

I'm always happy for my Birchboxes but I have two issues with my box this month. That Jouer is ridiculously small. For a lipgloss that size is perfectly fine but for a moisturizer your supposed to use on your whole face, that's barely going to be enough for one use. Deluxe sample it is not. I've always wanted to try Jouer's products but it's going to be hard to discern whether I like it or not with a sample as small as this.

I'm also quite frustrated that I didn't receive a beauty blender this month. My (terrible) first Birchbox included a sample of beauty blender cleanser. I was super upset about receiving it because I didn't have a beauty blender to begin with. Even though you can use it on make-up brushes it seemed like a huge waste for me. Months before I started subscribing to Birchbox I knew they had included the blenders in boxes so including the cleanser would have been a great sample for those subscribers who had previously got the blender. Once I realized that they were including blenders in boxes again this month I really hoped that they would be sent out to those who had received the cleanser but not the blender previously. Birchbox keeps track of samples you've received in order to ensure you don't receive a duplicate in months to come, this concept could have been used perfectly in order to send blenders to those who never got them. This wasn't the case for me and as you can tell I'm quite disappointed in this fact.

I'm still pleased with my box contents, I'm just irritated with the blender fiasco.

Till next month-

xoxo,
Amanda

Beauty box five June 2012 review

Once I started recieving Birchbox I was intrigued by Beauty Box Five, another beauty subscription service. I was honestly sucked in by the seriously pretty Tiffany-esque blue box. I figured why not and gave it a try last month. I know I'm a little late on the review but here goes.

Unlike Birchbox, from what I understand, all boxes are the same. This month subscribers received Blinc eyeliner, Blum oil absorbing tissues, Comodynes facial peel towelette, The All Natural face vegan eyeshadow and blush from Everyday Minerals.

For my first box I was satisfied. The samples were varied and although they weren't all from brands I was familiar with, they covered a lot of beauty ground. It also hit a lot of my favorite make-up categories-blush, eyeliner and eyeshadow.  I appreciated that aspect because I feel sometimes Birchbox focuses more on lifestyle or face/body items as opposed to make-up which is what I'm really searching for.

Although I was satisfied with this box I wasn't extremely happy with it. In comparison to my other beauty subscription box it was a let down, not only because of what was in the box but other things as well.

First off, I really enjoy that I can reuse my Birchboxes for other things. This box really is one time use only. The tulle bag was cute but I would rather have a sturdy box for storage.

I fully understand that these subscription boxes are meant to let you try out brands before committing  to purchasing the full size product. While I realize that I also see that just about every month Birchbox offers the possibility of receiving a full size product of a well known brand. Samples are great but it's also nice to get a full size thrown in. Since Beauty box five is $12.00 compared to $10.00 not getting a full size product is kind of a big strike against them in my book.

Overall my conclusion regarding these boxes is that they are mostly hit or miss. Birchbox has a variety of boxes per month with the possibility of a full size but Beauty box five has what seems like more make-up samples. Neither one is perfect so far. I'm gonna give them a 3 month try out and we'll see what my decision is then.

xoxo,
Amanda

Weekly Pinterest Bakes- Peanut butter bars

This week's Pinterest bake was both primarily for my boyfriend and entirely no bake so the title is a huge misnomer. With the sweltering heat I needed a heat free treat and this recipe was exactly what I was looking for.

While I saw the recipe on Pinterest, I accidentally forgot to "pin" it so I honestly can't remember where the exact recipe is from. This one over at Food.com looks about identical.

My boyfriend and his friend went nuts for these. They kind of basically inhaled them. Me on the other hand, I just liked them. Honestly, I'm not a huge chocolate and peanut butter fan, it usually is too overwhelming for my taste buds. These were delicious but I can only have small bites at a time.

I did really like the sorta crunchy texture. It's very faint but it was fun getting small bits of graham cracker here and there. It was great for the hot week-end also. It's no bake so it satisfied my baking urge but didn't make me wanna pass out from the heat.

All in all- this was a good recipe, maybe not my favorite but good nonetheless.

xoxo,
Amanda

Happy Fourth-Fashions

I'm always one to dress up for an occasion so in honor of July 4th, I bring you a few of my favorite star spangled fashions.

Pinup Couture Hello Sailor Bettie Swimsuit $78.00

 

 

Modcloth Red, White, and Cute dress $44.99

Modcloth Polite and Day Dress $44.99

Adrianna Papell Pleated Burn Out Dot Fit and Flare dress $178.00

Red Captain Circle Skirt Swing dress $160.00

xoxo,
Amanda