Nude York City with NYC New York Color and Influenster

During all of the commotion of the holidays, my Holiday VoxBox made its way into my hands, thanks to Influenster. In it, I was very pleasantly surprised to find the Lip Gloss from one of my favorite bargain beauty brands - New York Color. 

Tonight, a great friend of mine from college had a birthday party so I played it neutral and nude. I used the Nude York City Liquid Lipshine for a quick pucker (I’m wearing a bright gold choker and didn’t want to overwhelm).

Shimmering, gold flecks make this gloss pop at $2.49 in your nearest beauty department (Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS…you name it!). The 3D effect combined with a Vitamin E formula put this gloss on my list for winter lip treatments for the budget beauty queen.

While I’m usually a nude/gold kind of gal, New York Color offers Liquid Lipshine in 10 shades, including Wine and Dine and Midtown Mulberry (a bronze and a plum, both of which are sneaking their way into my daily face). 

The differentiator? The flexible wand applicator. It almost springs back and forth as you sweep across your lips. This is especially helpful for ladies like me, who will tend to overapply product! 

[New York Color also has great nail polish collections, which I am a huge fan of, and can be found on Lacquer’d]

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Socialista NY x Opensky

The ladies of @SocialistaNY gathered for a night of food and fantasy at @KiboNYC, replete with fortune cookies, dress-up, green screens and bright smiles. Liz Lange and Jane Wagman of Shopafrolic stopped in to share their fondest OpenSky moments thus far and their love for all things style. 

I had a great time dressing in the curated items from New York’s Princess, LaLa Anthony (she is one of my TOP OpenSky celebs!). I even found some Ippolita jewelry, which has become a favorite.

The food at Kibo NYC? To die for. Zero-calorie chicken ramen, banana lobster rolls, and a chocolate layer cake with a Whopper of a surprise. What more could a girl ask for?!

Pictured: Tineey, Laf Out Loud Beauty, Nubia

Photo Credits: Socialista

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SPONSORED: Duncan Hines and my Dessert w/ Friends (and Family!)

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

It hasn’t been feeling like much of christmas around these parts - the combination of mild weather and the lackluster show of enthusiasm has been such a snore in NYC. Whats the solution? Decorate!

My grandmother and I had a friend over (who prefers to remain faceless), and my kitty, Silver, and we decorated the living room like we’ve never decorated before - sans tree! We had so much fun finding creative ways to string lights on things, hang wreaths in crazy places, and give love to our sassy ornaments. 

Silver even joined in the fun, making herself right at home in a basket of lights, ornaments and pine cones. 

I decided to bake some brownies to add to our festive spirits. Why not have a bit of egg nog and treats? I used Duncan Hines Double Fudge Brownie Mix (I added 2 eggs for extra cakey fluff, yum!), with a layer of hazelnut spread, a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of soft peppermints. Voila!

I’m really getting the hang of this baking thing. My darling Melissa made some amazing brownies recently, and I’m totally inspired. What are you guys gnoshing on while hanging lights and humming carols?

For your listening pleasure…Who doesnt love some Mariah?!

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective :)

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Vision Board Party

Inspired by Ms. Patrice of Looking Fly on a Dime, I thought it’d be a great idea to get some of my girls together for a vision board party. This year is the big 2-5 for me, so I want to make sure I go into it with all of my priorities in order. 

After eating tons of chicken wings and working them off with the Dance Party game for Kinect, we clipped and snipped and figured out all of our lives. Tres productive and a great way to start the holiday season/new year! 

This is definitely I suggest doing with girlfriends at least once a year. I would love to do this every six months, just to check up on goals. How do you plan for new years resolutions? 

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First MyGlam Bag: December

My MyGlam bag came yesterday, full of goodies. For those of you who know me personally, you’ve heard me complain about Birchbox and how hard it fell off. I was spending $10 a month getting products that were either a) practically unusable because of their size or b) nothing that I would ever want to use (or eat, which was kind of strange too). 

Then came MyGlam, a subscription based cosmetic service for the people. Started by Michelle Phan and her team of beauty vlogger vixens, MyGlam’s monthly shipments come in cute REUSEABLE cosmetic bags. The product sizes? Either full or deluxe sample sizes. AWESOME.

Mine arrived yesterday in all of its shiny aluminum pink glory and I tried a face with all the products:

• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow in “Sin”
• Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara
• Mai Couture Blotting Papers (Regular and Blush in a Rush)

I will continue to praise heaven and the STARS for this NYX Matte Lip Cream. I’m usually a glossy girl, but this pink is SO good. SO. It’s the perfect marriage of a moisturizing balm, a gloss, and a pigmented lip color. And the Tarte Mascara? One sweep and my lashes are raising the roof. 

This look is soft but powerful. Demure but demanding. I can wear it with black sequins or ivory lace. Impressed? Be patient - word on the street is MyGlam is sold out until March!

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"Maybe So Maybe No" by Mayer Hawthorne

I honestly feel like I’m listening to Al Green and Earth Wind and Fire. WHY is this SO GOOD?

I’m grooving this while embarking on some Sunday cleaning. Today is a GOOD day. 

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REVIEW: Pio Pio

One of my besties, Danielle, visited Pio Pio with her boyfriend and wanted to share her experience with you all! 

Thought I’d start this one off with a little humor, but nonetheless my craving for cooked food lead my boyfriend and I to the Upper Westside; where there are dining options for everyone’s pockets and straight into the loving arms of Pio Pio Slaon for an impromptu date night.

I will be honest, my boyfriend and I must have walked past this place at least 100 times on many different occasions and that is mostly due to a previous experience at the Pio Pio location in Queens. After terrible service and their ridiculous price hike we didn’t have high hopes for its UWS location. As my boyfriend dragged me towards his choice (we take turns picking dining spots), he kept muttering “Don’t worry. I have a good feeling about this.”

The line for seating had spilled out onto the sidewalk and it was evident that there was no organized front of house staff present - the hostess didn’t take down names. Both my boyfriend and I were a little annoyed by this, but we waited for what felt like eternity since we were so hungry. Once we were inside I took a look around and got a feel for the décor. The exposed brick walls are adorned with traditional Peruvian art; the color scheme was a warming mixture of robust reds, mellow yellows, and plain white tables. Pio Pio Salon does a great job of transporting you to a chic eatery in Peru. 

Two full glasses of Sangria later (amazing from a half pitcher!), we knew without hesitation we were opting for the infamous “Matador Combo” (even though the menu boasts a bountiful array of seafood options, yum). Within fifteen minutes we were served one whole rotisserie grilled chicken. It was perfectly cooked, well seasoned, hot, tender, juicy, and it had a semi-crisp outer skin. There was one Large plate of fresh hand-cut fries and sausages (a rarity in New York), along with a light and refreshing avocado salad, rice and black beans, and tostones. The star of that night’s dinner performance was not Pio Pio’s famous rotisserie chicken, but the Green (Aji) sauce which is served with practically everything on the menu. It literally tastes great on everything - I have no idea what’s in it, but the taste is anything short of A-MA-ZING!

Pio Pio’s warm atmosphere and huge portions really gives you the bang-for-your-buck. Be fair warned that it is a bit noisy, but that’s only the ambient sounds of patrons enjoying their meals. Pio Pio Salon is an awesome date night location or perfect for just wanting to grab a bite with some friends. The service was pleasant, responsive, and urgent (rarity in NYC!).

I honestly had an excellent time and am looking forward to dragging Kelly there for a dinner date. A tad bit crowded, but the food is worth the wait! 3.5 out of 4 stars :) 

Get out there and go on your own Foodie adventure. Discover it, experience it, explore it… and most importantly be sure to taste it!

Visit Pio Pio’s Website. 

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OUTFIT: Rainy Days

Every now and then, you have to go monochromatic. I figured all-black-everything with a pop of cherry red would brighten an otherwise gloomy day in NYC. 

I don’t show it, but I wore white golashes with this outfit - either my feet shrunk or my boots stretched because they were insanely huge!

The Oscar de la Renta Studio bag is a treasure from my grandmother’s closet. It’s a great bag for toting my purse, cosmetic bag, camera, notebooks, and an extra pair of shoes in. The tweed material makes it perfection for the approaching winter season. 

I can’t stop grooving to “Llove” by Kaskade feat. Haley. Izzy and I jammed so hard to this song all of Saturday night; I’ve been listening to it non-stop since then.  

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SPONSORED Makeup.com: Colored Lashes DIY

Thanks to L’Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

Last week while shopping for a birthday dress at Forever 21, my eye caught a sampler pack of colored mascaras. Since my mission was to snatch some apparel, I said bye-bye birdie to the tubes with the hopes of returning to purchase. 

Clearly I never made it back. My makeshift idea? A Colored Lashes DIY - quick and fairly simple. 

To achieve this look I used:

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, L’Oreal Le Gloss Colour Riche, Maybelline New York Fit Me Bronzer, and NYX “The All I’ve Ever Wanted Box”. After priming my face with the Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer and applying one layer of foundation power from the NYX Box, I primed my eyelids (with my finger of course), mixed red and gold eyeshadow powders, added gold to the tear ducts to brighten my eyes, and a semi-cat eye to finish.

FOR THE COLORED MASCARA DIY: Simply use a highly-pigmented eyeshadow and make sure there is a thick layer on the ball of your finger. After mascara is applied, run your finger across the tip of eyelashes. With gentle strokes, run shadow from base of the lashes to the tips. Voila! I chose green because I’m feeling festive (even though it feels more like Spring than Winter here in NYC). I cannot wait to just lose my mind with every single color in my palette!

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here

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OUTFIT: Red Robin

I’ve become disturbingly obsessed with pleated skirts and 60’s style. My Coach loafers have crept their way into almost every outfit for the past month, my skirts hit my knees daily, and I refuse to leave home without a belted waist. 

This red doosie of a skirt was a fun find from a Goodwill Store in my neighborhood (for $3). It’s polyester material makes it prone to wrinkles, but I had fun pretending I was a school girl for a day! 

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Katherine Kwei Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

I truly believe that Spring and Fall are the two biggest accessory seasons. Bags, statement pieces and the right shoe can take an outfit from good to great with little to no effort. This Spring we will have plenty to look forward to if all designers bring the flair like Katherine Kwei.

Armed with her signature knot-style, Katherine Kwei’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection is a refreshing mix of texture and color without losing its utilitarian functionality.

Katherine describes the collection as a “Tahitian-feel mixed with the discos”, inspired by a trip to Polynesia with friends. This theme is reflected throughout, with pops of corals and earthtones overlaid by discotheque strips of holographic material.    

Katherine’s favorite piece in the collection? The Vivian Chain Tote. The gold chain embellishments, knotted diamond bodice, and what seems like an infinitenumber of internal pockets make this tote a fitting home for a smartphone, tablet, camera, wallet, makeup case, and everything else a girl needs to make it through the day.

It’s a charmed life! A fun supplement to her collection, Katherine Kwei throws in some playful charms to dangle from your arm candy. 

To view the full collection, visit the Katherine Kwei Spring/Summer 2012 Collection gallery on the Masque Magazine Facebook page. While you’re there, be sure to “like” it! 

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