Monthly Archives: September 2013

Style

Leather Weather

September 30, 2013

A few years ago, my parents went on vacation to Italy. As a memento to his trip, my Dad purchased the most beautiful, buttery leather jacket from an Italian leather shop. He even had it monogrammed in gold leaf on the inside pocket. To this day, whenever he wears it, I get a twinge of jealousy. A leather jacket is quintessentially, classically fall. It’s something you can just as easily throw on over a tee shirt and jeans or a lacy dress. Leather jackets will never go out of style, so it’s a great investment piece. Don’t be afraid to splurge a little on a beautifully made, quality leather jacket this fall – I guarantee that you’ll be wearing it for many years. Here’s a round-up of some of my favorite gorgeous leather jackets.

Leather Weather

  1. Anine Bing Quilted Leather Jacket: $1,099
  2. Anthropologie Sylvana Leather Moto Jacket: $498
  3. ASOS Leather Biker Jacket: $151.88
  4. Topshop Collarless Leather Biker: $330
  5. Madewell Perfect Leather Motorcycle Jacket: $495
  6. ASOS Quilted Leather Jacket: $253.14
  7. Zara Leather Jacket: $269

How will you style your leather jacket this fall? I’d love to know!

XO, J

Beauty

3 Lip Colors to Try This Fall

September 23, 2013

Yesterday marked the first full day of fall. Fall, to me, is so bittersweet; I’m sad to see summer go, but I’m ready for cozy sweaters, apple picking, and leaf peeping! New England is truly beautiful during the fall. If you’re ready to put away your bright pink summery lipstick and try out some moodier colors, look no further! Here are fall 2013’s biggest lip color trends!

MAC So Chaud PS

M.A.C ‘So Chaud‘: By far, the biggest lip color trend this fall is orange lipstick. Orange lips were everywhere during NYFW a few weeks ago! M.A.C. ‘So Chaud’ is a very wearable, orange-y/coral lip color that is flattering on a variety of skin tones. Also, the matte finish makes it ultra-cool. Pair it with black winged eyeliner for a retro look.

Covergirl divine PS

Covergirl ‘Divine‘: I’ll be wearing this lipstick a ton this fall, I guarantee it. Don’t be scared of this unusual color because it is truly stunning on your lips. After applying it, blot it off gently with a tissue because it leaves the most gorgeous berry, dark fuchsia stain. Apply a second coat and blot again.

Revlon black cherry PS

Revlon ‘Black Cherry‘: Oxblood lips were big last fall and they’re back again this year! To pull off a dark red lip (without looking like a vampire), keep the rest of your makeup soft and feminine, with plush lashes and peach cheeks. Go easy on the foundation and powder because you want to keep your skin looking natural and dewy (not washed out). Make sure you bring the tube with you for touch-ups throughout the day!

Which lip color trend will you rock this fall?

XO, J

P.S. I’m wearing Covergirl ‘Divine’ in my About Me photo!

Hair

What’s the Deal With Purple Shampoo…?

September 22, 2013

Calling all Blondies

Calling all blondes (sorry my brunette beauties, but this post is all about the blondies)! Want to know the secret to keeping your hair color shimmery instead of brassy? Invest in a purple shampoo! With just one wash a week with a purple shampoo, you can maintain your bright blonde color without constant trips to the salon. 

purple shampoo

To maintain my blonde, I use Clairol Shimmer Lights. Don’t be intimidated by the color of the shampoo! A proper purple shampoo will be extremely pigmented, dark purple in color, and viscous. If you’re familiar with the color wheel, you know that purple is the complementary color to yellow. Therefore, by using purple shampoo, the purple pigments are deposited in your strands and cancel out any yellow, brassy tones in your hair. Purple shampoo also works if you have blonde highlights that need refreshing.

 

 

To use: lather up your hair with the purple shampoo and leave on for 3-5 minutes. Rinse out thoroughly and finish with a deep conditioner. Use 1-2 times a week for best results!

Here are some suggestions:

XO, J

P.S. Purple shampoo also works on redheads, too!

Life

Do Something That Scares You

September 20, 2013

Today, I thought we’d get real for a minute. As we all know, it’s so easy to get caught up the comfortable routines of everyday life that we tend to become complacent. As a twenty-something, I’m constantly faced with tumultuous and uncomfortable life decisions threatening to ruin my complacency. Most of the time, anxiety, guilt, and fear of change tend to hold me back and I’m left questioning myself and the decisions (or lack thereof) I’ve made. However, a little while ago I heard a saying that still strongly resonates with me and that is constantly in the forefront of my mind:

“Everyday, do something that scares you.” –E. Roosevelt

Realistically, I’m pretty sure this doesn’t mean go on a daily skydiving-bungee jumping extravaganza. To me, this saying means that you should step outside of your comfort zone. It could be as simple as voluntarily raising your hand in class to answer a teacher’s question (something that, to this day, I still have anxiety about), or as complex as asking your boss for a raise. After a while, you’ll look back and be surprised at how far you’ve come out of your comfort zone by just taking baby steps. 

Try to remind yourself daily to do something (big or small) that scares you. You are stronger and braver than you think – live your life fearlessly.

regina spektor quote

XO, J

P.S. Today I gave my grandfather a Lovenox injection in his stomach because he couldn’t do it himself. I had never injected anyone before and I was scared because didn’t want to hurt him. Be brave. :)

Style

3 Ways to Style a Chambray Shirt

September 17, 2013

A chambray shirt is an extremely versatile piece of clothing that every woman should have in her wardrobe. My chambray shirt is in heavy rotation in my closet because it’s so easy to dress up or down (I’ve been known to wear it multiple times a week). Whether you’re a chambray veteran or just trying it out, here’s three different and fresh ways to style yours!

LOOK #1

 

Look #2

 

Look #3

I hope these fresh styling tips help you get more wear out of your chambray shirt!

XO, J

P.S. I want to know how you style your chambray! Let me know in the comments section.

Beauty

10 Best Beauty Dupes

September 16, 2013

10 best beauty dupes

Hey, I love cosmetics as much as the next girl. But it pains me a little to pay tons of money on something that ends up getting washed down the drain at the end of the day. That is why I’ve put together a list of the 10 best beauty dupes for high-end cosmetics. Because we all work hard for our money, so why waste any of it on a product you can get cheaper? You’ll be saving money while looking fabulous!

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more of the best beauty dupes, tutorials, and my monthly favorites!

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Hoola vs Sunny

NYC Sunny is a 100% matte bronzer that is perfect for contouring. You can’t really beat the $2.99 price tag, either.  A near exact dupe of Benefit Hoola. Click to buy!

NARS 'Orgasm': $29; Milani 'Luminoso': $8.29

NARS ‘Orgasm’ is the best-selling, most award-winning blush in the cosmetic world. However, Milani has managed to create a phenomenal dupe with their ‘Luminoso’ blush. In my experience, I’ve only ever been able to find this blush at CVS. Be warned: it is extremely popular and has been known to fly off the shelves! Click to buy!

Beautyblender: $19.95; Beautyblender dupe: $??

As I wrote about before, I believe that the Beautyblender dupes out there work as well as the original Beautyblender. After all, nobody wants to spend $19.95 on a sponge if they can get one for $6! Click to buy!

M.A.C. 'Girl About Town': $15; Covergirl "Spellbound': $7

A creamy, fuchsia pink!  If you’re looking to dip a toe into the world of bright lipstick, ‘Spellbound’ will only set your back $7 as opposed to $15 ‘Girl About Town.’ Click to buy!

M.A.C 'Snob': $15; Revlon 'Pink Pout': $6.99

Revlon ‘Pink Pout’ is an almost identical dupe to M.A.C. ‘Snob.’ The color is matte, nude/baby pink with a hint of mauve. And Revlon’s is less than half the price of M.A.C.’s! Click to buy!

Umm… $19 for an eyeliner pencil? No, thanks. Heavy eyeliner users could probably rip through a pencil every month. But $5.99 for the same creamy formula, color payoff, and staying power as Urban Decay’s 24/7 eyeliner? Much better. Click to buy!

DiorShow mascara: $??; L'Oreal Voluminous mascara: $7.99

In my opinion, L’Oréal Voluminous mascara is the best drugstore mascara out there. This is due to the phenomenal formula and brush (remember my post about mascara?). It also bears an uncanny resemblance to Diorshow, but at $7.99, it’s a lot easier on our bank accounts. Click to buy!

YSL Touche Eclat concealer: $?; Maybelline DreamLumi Touch concealer: $?

YSL Touche Éclat is the crème de la crème of highlighting concealers. However, I’m obsessed with Maybelline’s lower-priced dupe. Its gel-like formula mimics Touche Éclat to a T. Click to buy!

Mally Roncal primer: $?; L'Oreal primer: $

Want perfect, poreless skin? Snag a jar of L’Oréal’s perfecting primer which costs a mere fraction of what Mally Roncal’s does. Click to buy!

Kerastase Masque Chroma Riche: $65; L'Oreal Total Repair Balm: $

Wanna know a secret? Kérastase, a high-end hair product line, is owned by none other than L’Oréal Paris. Which means that this L’Oréal hair mask is an almost identical dupe to Kérastase Masque Chroma Riche. A jar of this hair magic will only set you back $6.99 instead of a whopping $62.50! Click to buy!

For more best beauty dupes & style dupes, check out these posts:

XO, J