Chanel, Cardigans, and Coloring Books!

I have one test in between me and the sweet, sweet (long!) weekend. I have another big test coming up with only 2 classes between now and that test, so I might be a little MIA while I'm studying for that.

I'm a sucker for advertising, and in this months Glamour there was a sample of Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua foundation. Good timing because I'm out of foundation so I took advantage. Damn you Chanel and Glamour! I forgot how much I liked that foundation! I really can't spend that much on foundation right now so I'm hoping I can find something similar, suggestions are encouraged.

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Ugh. School is draining all of my funds that are already limited to begin with. Yay textbooks. Yes, you can buy them used or rent them, but for some classes you have to at least buy this "connect plus access card" because you have to register it to do the homework for the class, and you can't share them because it's registered exclusively to you. The one for my psychology class was $100 for the textbook and access code, $80 for just the access code. And the one for my math class (which I haven't bought yet) is around $150 for just the code. Yuck.

Anyway, since I have no extra funds to spend on clothes, I've really been looking at deals lately. And inspired by my cold classrooms, I figured I'd share some cardigans that are under $50. 

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I'm sure you all have heard the hype about "adult coloring books". I think it probably is a good, fun thing to do when you want to give your brain a break from writing notecard after notecard after notecard. It keeps you kind of focused on something but gives you a break from cranking out numbers or whatever you're doing, and helps bring out your creative side a little bit. It's not as distracting as say, drinking a glass of wine or 5. I wouldn't call it "therapy" and I don't think you need to spend $30 on a coloring book. There are sheets you can probably print out from your home to color, or you can design your own coloring book, or do spend the $30 on a coloring book, shit, whatever you want to do! More like $8 on average actually, but still.

Hmmm, sorry this post was just me rambling. I tried to be a little helpful. Wish me luck on my psychology test! I may not be around for a week or so. Hope you all have a great labor day weekend!

Also, please recommend a foundation if you have used one that's similar to the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. What are your weekend plans?

That's So Clutch

I feel bad for skimping on my posts lately. I'm interning as a contributing writer for Collegefashion.net. Check out my page if you want to see what I've been writing so far! Feedback is encouraged!

Anyway, we all love clutches, right? How would we survive a night out if we had to tote around a giant purse that takes up the space of a whole extra person? 

They are great for holding just the essentials, but they are also like mini pieces of art.

Moo Roo

Valentino

Charlotte Olympia 

Charlotte Olympia 

Chanel

Judith Leiber

Judith Leiber

Alexander McQueen

Jimmy Choo

Can we just start bowing down to Charlotte Olympia already?

Kate Spade

Ken Samudio

I could go on for pages with these works of art. It's fascinating that a designer can fit all of this talent and beauty into 6 (more or less) inches. Charlotte Olympia really knows what she's doing - with both shoes and handbags. 

Also, don't forget to enter my gemstone necklace giveaway! 

What's your opinion on clutches? Do you have a favorite clutch designer? 

Lovin' the Lace

I've always been a big fan of lace, whether it's a big trend at the time or not. It's so delicate and pretty and adds a little bit more to a piece of clothing or an outfit. It's popped up on the fall 2011 runways and will be big for fall/winter this year!

images via style.com and glamour.com

Now, here are some cute lacey pieces you can add to your outfits this fall!

Click on the image for product information.

What do you think? Will you be rocking lace this fall? What fall/winter trend are you most excited about?

Color Inspiration: Pink & Green

Time for another color inspiration :) I'm feeling pretty bright and happy today, so I thought pink and green would be appropriate. Enjoy!

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Hope this made your day a little brighter! The travel giveaway ends in 5 days, so enter while you still can!

The Verdict

I've had time to try out my 2 new products this week, and I think it's time to share my thoughts on them!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I ran out of my MAC Prep + Prime Skin (favorite face primer ever!) and decided to try out the Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer since I had store credit at Bluemercury. I did notice a difference in the way my makeup looked and the staying power throughout the day. I didn't get as oily as I did when I used no primer, and my makeup did stay on longer. However, I still think the MAC Prep + Prime Skin made my makeup stay on a bit longer and kept me even less oily throughout the day. I applied powder twice during the day with MAC Prep + Prime (once in the morning, and another time in the middle of the day), and I applied powder 2 or 3 times during the day with the Laura Mercier one (Morning, and 2 or 3 random times throughout the day). I do like that it's a squeeze tube though, so I can get the most out of my product and control how much I get out.

Packaging Winner: Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer

All Around Winner: MAC Prep + Prime Skin

Now onto the foundations. Before I was using the MAC Pro Longwear, and when I ran out of that I decided to give the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation a try. This is going to be a very hard decision for me because I love both so much but all for different reasons! Pro Longwear has amazing staying power, as in alllll day. I don't do a lot of sweating or running around, so I can't speak for you active people. It has medium coverage which is good to cover my redness and acne scars, and it has a natural looking finish to it. The bad thing is, I HAVE to set it with a powder otherwise it will feel kind of sticky. The blending is so-so, it dries pretty quickly. Now onto the Vitalumiere Aqua. It does not stay on ALL day but it does make it through most of it. It's light to medium coverage so this would be good for girls who don't need a lot of coverage. It feels amazing on the skin and blends so effortlessly. I've always heard people say it's like putting on a second layer of skin, and I have to agree! Since there were a lot of things to consider, I'll have to do multiple winners on this one.

Staying Power Winner: MAC Pro Longwear

Low Maintenance Winner: Vitalumiere Aqua

Winter Winner (feels a bit heavier and more coverage): MAC Pro Longwear

Summer Winner (doesn't feel like you're wearing anything but not a lot of coverage): Vitalumiere Aqua.

All Around Winner: ...Tie! I like them both a lot, it just depends on what I'm looking for that day!

And once again sorry for not posting! I haven't been around internet too much but I will when we get moved into our new house! Thanks for being patient, you guys are awesome :) And 2 more followers until 100! Yay!!!

Fall 2010 Favorites

Just a few snip-its of Fall 2010.

Chanel






Christian Dior






Louis Vuitton







Hermès


^ Badass.






Yves Saint Laurent





Getty images.



Like what you see? Which designers are your favorite? Least favorite? Comment :)

Chanel vs. China Glaze

When I first saw this new nail polish from Chanel, called Nouvelle Vague, I fell in love. I have never bought a nail polish from Chanel, however, mainly because my wallet cannot handle it, especially with my evil credit card debt I am still working on paying back. Anyway, I really wanted this color, because it reminds me of Tiffany Blue, but I was happy to discover that China Glaze has a similar color. I am probably going to buy it this weekend, so I'll let you guys know how it works out!

VS.
Images from Polyvore.

Just judging by the pictures, the colors both look very close to the Tiffany Blue color. The Chanel version seems to have just a little bit of shimmer, while the China Glaze looks pretty solid. However, the Chanel nail polish usually costs around $23, while the China Glaze sells for about $3-$6. For that much of a price difference for such a similar color, I am willing to sacrifice the shimmer. As for the quality of the China Glaze, I will let you all know :).

Weekly Inspiraton #1

Every week, I will be posting things I have collected that have inspired me, and that I think may inspire you as well! They may be quotes, pictures, songs, magazine clippings, advice somebody has given me, or anything else I find inspiring. Check back weekly for more inspiration!

"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it"

(By the way, anybody else MEGA excited to see this?! I'm feeling a girl's night out for this one!)

(see what I mean about the light blue streaks in the hair? I think it looks really cool, I am totally going to try it out!)