Ode to Zara

I originally found out about Zara's massive sale from Veronika's post. I admit that I'm not too familiar with the store, being that there is only one remotely close to where I live and that one is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. Zara is sort of elusive here in southern California, and I have no idea why! It is slowly becoming my favorite place to browse, when I have a day off and can make the trip up to Orange County where it's located. The sale they were having was huge. Everything in the store seemed to be marked down and I tried a half a dozen things on in the dressing room. Unfortunately, most of the tops were too big and flowy. I like flowy this time of year, the bohemian look is perfect for hot weather! But, the tops I tried on made me look like I was in my third trimester (adorable if you're preggers, not so much when you're not). I tried a cute floral dress as well, but that one also seemed to be too loose and I tried it in an X-Small. I wish I had my camera with me that day so I could do a fitting room review. A lot of my favorite bloggers have been doing those lately, and they are so fun to read! I guess next time I shop I'll be sure to bring my camera. Anyway, I didn't leave with much, only two purchases. But I love what I got, and I can't wait to go back again soon.

Ok, I know I have a love affair with the nude shoes and I need to stop! But these were so exceptionally pretty. I love the patent quilted leather. They reminded me of Chanel. When you are short like I am, any shoe that will make stubby legs appear longer are a must-buy.

This printed top fit me perfectly. I like the solid contrast of the navy collar. I actually wore this to work yesterday with gray pants and my black Zara flats that I wore in New York.

Two little deals that I was excited to snag. I can't wait to wear my new heels.

Have a safe and happy 4th Readers!

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What I Wore In NYC and Some Goodies

As an avid lover of fashion, my trip to New York was as much about clothes as it was about the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. Thank God that the boyfriend was understanding about my need to take in the sights on 5th Ave and Soho. I loved people watching everywhere we went. I felt so inspired by what I saw, not only on the streets, cafes, and stores but also in the art. It was exactly as creative and beautiful as I imagined. And to top it all off, I think boyfriend will never tease me again about my love for shoes, bags, and that "red cupcake dress" I stare at in my closet every morning. He gets it now.
I wanted to take lots of outfit pictures. Sadly, I was only able to take three. After New York, we headed to his family's farm in Ohio and it was humid like I've never felt before in my life! 90 percent humidity on top of 90 degree weather? That's just crazy! So our days spent in Ohio were wet and sticky and my hair looked like a puffy brillo pad. And I wore nothing but shorts and tees. Translation? No outfit pictures from Ohio. Oh well, from one extreme to another. New York was a playground, Ohio was a sleepy porch to enjoy the sound of thunder and watch lightning bugs zap on and off like little lightbulbs.

Our first full day in New York. It was a bit rainy, but definitely not cold. It was perfect actually. The black cardi and skinny jeans are from Express, the dusty rose top is from H&M. My ballet flats are from Zara and the purse is Michael Kors.

Of course I wore my HoH key necklace and layered it with my 36 inch Lisa Taubes chain, which is pure love by the way. It really dresses up any top.

The second day I wore my new navy chilltown dress from Lulus paired with a teal cardigan from Nordstrom. I threw on a scarf later at night when it got chilly.

At Megu in Soho wearing my red rose dress from H&M. If I could only wear one thing for the rest of my life, I'm pretty certain it would be this dress. I just love it to death. The nude pumps are from DSW by Steve Madden and the tan clutch is by Jessica Simpson.

~I also wore a black dress with a large belt and creme scarf, but I was unable to get a picture.

I looked in a lot of stores while we were walking around the city, but I didn't have a lot of time to really enjoy shopping.

Nude wedges from the giant H&M by our hotel.

Lacy creme top and teal dress from Forever 21

I love Duane reade! You New Yorkers are so lucky!

I had to get one of these.

I'm sure you all are sick of my vacation talk, so this is the last of it. Back to normal blogging, at least until we can afford another fun trip somewhere ;)

Happy Monday!

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~Recent Clothing Purchases~

Hey Everyone,

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend. It is gorgeous here in southern California, but it is expected to get into the 90's! I am going over to the boyfriend's parents house to hop in their pool =) I have been meaning to post some things that I have purchased recently, but I haven't had the time so I thought I would do it now. Most of this was acquired about a week or two ago, when I went a little spending crazy. But I am very happy with everything, and I know these things will see a lot of love over the Summer.

Chilltown dress from Lulus in Navy. I have seen this on the site in multiple colors, and they sell very well.

These pretty peep toes were only 15 dollars after being 35% off at Nordstrom Rack. I like the cool cut out design on the toe. Kinda edgy for me I guess. I'm wearing them out to a movie tonight!

Ok, this isn't clothing. But I bought this little sampler of Phyto products for two reasons at Ulta: One, I have heard really great things about this haircare line and I am curious to test it out. And two, I plan on taking this on my vacation next week. It comes with a shampoo, a leave-in cream, and a hair mask.

Tee, Forever 21

I liked the giant ruffle neckline on this tank from Forever 21

A few weeks ago, I saw this skirt in Veronika's haul. It was gorgeous in creme. I also saw Chloe wearing the same skirt. I completely stumbled upon this, and it only came in black at my Forever 21. But, I have been wanting a black skirt for ages now so I'm happy I found one with lace detailing.

My one bathing suit buy for the Summer, by Jessica Simpson. It's kinda retro as well, no?

The top makes my little girls look much bigger ;) I had to say it.

Lisa Taubes 36' gold fill chain from Lorraine Stanick's blog. I have been wanting this necklace for a long time now but I always hesitated.

Have a great weekend!

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Essie, Cynthia Vincent Sandals, MAC

Happy May Readers!
I love the month of May. It's generally a beautiful time here in Southern California. It's cool enough where you can still get away with wearing a cardigan and jeans, but warm enough to also really enjoy flowy little dresses (or in my case, shorts and my Nordies romper). I am super busy this week with finals, but I did some shopping this past weekend. I went out with the intention of buying school project supplies, as well as some birthday goodies for two of my friends. Mission accomplished! Birthday presents for them, early graduation presents for me! I have a feeling I am going to be using the grad thing as an excuse to shop for myself all month long. And why not? It only took me a few years ;)

I went to Ulta and bought three more Essie polishes. They were buy two, get one free. I don't know what it is about Essie but I can't stop buying more bottles. I don't particularly care for the formula: watery, streaky, and quite sheer. But I just love the color selection. I bought Splash of Grenadine, a gorgeous purple pink. I am wearing it on my toes right now and it looks amazing! I only had to apply two coats. I also was lucky enough to finally grab a bottle of Mint Candy Apple. It debuted in the Winter, but it was always sold out.

Mint Candy Apple, Splash of Grenadine

I had a tough time deciding what color to get for "free" until I reached towards the back of the shelf and saw this perfect coral color. And with a name like Shop Til I Drop, I just couldn't resist.

After Ulta, I stopped at Target to hunt down some Cynthia Vincent wedges. Well, I know those are long gone and I have officially given up looking for them but I am really happy that I found these cute gladiator sandals in my size, 6 1/2. I wore these to class today and they are so comfortable! I wore them with skinny jeans and a flowy top. I wanted to take an outfit picture but just didn't have enough patience.

I am going to keep the adorable yellow box. I love how the soles are a bronze color. They look nice in the sun.

I haven't really been buying much makeup lately, especially MAC because I am saving up for the Beach Collection at the end of this month. But as I was walking through Macy's, I decided I needed this after all.

Instant Chic Blush. I am also wearing this on my cheeks today and it's really natural and buildable. I am obsessed with coral!

How's the weather where you live lately? Are you as excited for Summer as I am?

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Fitting Room Frenzy and Some New Closet Additions

Wednesdays are always a bit frustrating for me. Forget the fact that we are two days closer to the weekend. I have a four hour gap in between classes, and that usually means venturing a few short miles down the freeway to my local shopping mecca. I hesitate, because do I really need to be spending money when I could be studying, writing papers, reading? Yes, yes I do. Despite the wet wintery-like weather yesterday, I hobbled on over to Nordstrom. Frizzy hair, zip up hoodie, and all. I tried on a few things, including an adorable silk top with little gold buttons and lace cascading around the neck. I knew it was a no-go as soon as I put it over my head, so I preceded to take it off. Or I tried. I tried a few times, but I couldn't get the darn thing off! I squirmed, wiggled, and shimmied, desperately contorting my body every which way to no avail. OH CRAP. What the hell Noelle, I thought you were more flexible than this?! All those hours spent at the gym and you would think I'd be able to get a sleeveless top off of MY top. I started to panic. I thought, maybe i'll just have to buy this! Then I heard a voice: "How's it going in there?" My reply: "Ah, um...I can't seem to get this top off!" So, the sweet salesgirl walked into the room and helped bring the top up and off my body. "Don't worry," she smiled. "This happens all the time." Um, really? Cuz that was super humiliating for me! God I hope that never happens again. I felt like a complete moron.
On a better note, I did manage to buy some cute things for Spring and Summer, one of which happens to be this romper:

I never in a million gazillion years thought that I could pull off a romper. I already look like a teenager because of my height so I just dismiss the trend when it comes around every so often. Except this one fits my body really well. Not too short, not too loose. I really like the little pockets on the sides, as well as the big ruffle around the neckline. I figure I can dress it up for nighttime with some low pumps, a belt, and fun accessories, maybe a jacket or cardigan. Then for day I can wear some flat sandals and keep it beach or pool appropriate, bathing suit underneath and all.

I also FINALLY found a big tan belt:

I had been searching everywhere for one of these!

And just for the hell of it, and because shoes are a girls best friend:

I remember around Christmas time that I saw a pair of Steve Maddens that looked somewhat similar to these, but I couldn't afford them at the time. Well, a few months later and Voila. These little knockoffs are mine and for a fraction of that price. I don't own any shoes that resemble these, so that's a great justification in my book. I can't wait to wear them with a little dress. Speaking of shoes, anyone who has managed to get a hold of the Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges is blessed! I doubt I'll score a pair, but they are mighty pretty.

Thanks for reading girls. It's almost Friday!

♥ Noelle

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Spring Shopping

I did some major damage the other day when I went on a spring fashion shopfest. Needless to say, I'm done for at LEAST a month...at least! But I'm so happy with all of my new purchases, and everything I bought will incorporate nicely with many pieces that I already own. My closet is bursting at the seams! Not because I own so much, but because I unfortunately don't have a walk-in. My closet is tiny (sad face). Let me know if you like these type of posts. I personally love snooping in others' shopping bags, but I know some may think that these "look what I bought" ramblings are a little over the top. I do bargain shop though, and I think I get things at good prices. So here are some new Spring additions:

From H&M:

A peachy-pink tank from the new Garden Collection. So perfect for Spring! I believe this was around $18.

The middle section of the tank consists of beautiful chiffon roses. I really want the red strapless dress from the collection but I can't seem to find it despite going to H&M twice in the past couple of weeks. Has anyone seen it?

Charcoal shorts that aren't too short. I want to wear these with a flowy top so I feel covered up. $ 24.50

Creme top with lace puffy sleeves. This top was under $10!

Gray belt. I can't for the life of me remember the price but I know it was inexpensive.

~My favorite~ Blush colored bag, $ 24.50. I am going to do an updated "what's in my purse" post ;) This bag along with my cognac colored Michael Kors purse means I'm set for Spring/Summer. No more bags until next year...I think...pretty sure.

    

And because I ♥ shoes:

One last thing from Lulus.com:

It was $33 and it fits me so well! Thank you to Chloe and to Lynn for telling me about this website!

Has anyone gone shop-crazy for Spring? I know I can't be the only one.

♥ Noelle

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A Black-Less Shopping Trip

I hope everyone has had a good week. Mine has been a bit rough, but it's almost the weekend again! I just wanted to share some things I have purchased recently. And guess what readers? No black clothes in this one. It was hard, but I am very proud of myself for venturing over into the world of color.

Bright yellow flip-flops, Express obviously ;)

It looks like a dress, but is actually a flowy top with flutter sleeves. Nordstrom Rack (Michael Kors)

Mustard (finally!) top, Forever 21. I'll have to wear this in an OOTD post. It looks much better on the body than on the hanger...trust me!

My affinity for Mr. Kors is red hot these days! This was on sale at TJ Maxx. I love the buttery feel of the leather, as well as the cognac color. Great for Spring and Summer.

From Sephora: Benefit Coralista blush and MUFE HD powder. I HAD to give in. I have been dreaming about these for a long time now. The perfume is called Velvet from Victoria's Secret. My best friend wears it, and I love the scent. It's very sexy. If sexy could be bottled, than this is what it would smell like. And how beautiful is the bottle and the velvet bow?

From AllCosmeticsWholesale.com: Another MAC "Way to love" lipstick, because I finished my first tube. I'm so lucky that I happened to look at the website that very morning! They also sell Sigma products now, so I picked up an eyeshadow in "Indian Girl." It's a very pretty taupey-silver. I really like this website. Shipping is fast, and you can find so many discontinued or LE cosmetics there.

I love retail therapy.

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~New Makeup~

Hey Girls, I just wanted to do a quick post featuring some new makeup I bought recently. I went to CVS, MAC, and Sephora. The best part is I used gift cards at the MAC counter and Sephora, and CVS was having  a buy one get one 50% off on Maybelline products. I am so excited to use my new finds. If a product doesn't meet my expectations, or if a product exceeds them, I will let you know!

All of my goodies ;)

Maybelline Color Sensational Lippies: Make Me Pink (Left) and Pink Please (Right)

From MAC's New Collection "All Ages, All Races, All Sexes." Beauty Powder Blush in Personal Style and Lustre L/S in Myself. Love these natural, go-with-everything neutrals! I am wearing the l/s right now and it is my new favorite aside from Way To Love and Nude Rose ♥

From Sephora: NARS Albatross Highlighter (a cult fave), MUFE Mat Velvet + Foundation in 30, and another (yes, another) Sephora by O.P.I. polish in Nonfat Soy Half Caff ( perfect nude-pink).

So that's my haul. I never, ever buy this much at once but then again, that's the beauty of gift cards. I am really hoping that the MUFE foundation works for me. I have heard really good things about it and the girl who helped me at Sephora said it's good for combo/oily skin like mine. We shall see! If you guys have used it, please let me know what your thoughts are. If you want any reviews or swatches, also feel free to ask!

♥ Noelle

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Mini Haul From Sephora

I went to the beauty addict's mecca a few days ago to finally use up a gift card that I was given on my birthday way back in SEPTEMBER! I know, I waited a long time! But there are so many things I have been curious to try, and I didn't want to buy the wrong things. So here's what I carefully picked out for myself:

~You guys know I love Korres. I just ran out of face wipes, and I decided to give these a try. They smell great! I have noticed they are a bit on the dry side though.

I also got one of the Korres lip butters in Jasmine. It is a pretty nude/carmel color that leaves a nice sheen on

my lips. I absolutely love it! Aside from my MAC tendertone, this lip butter is really moisturizing and I just love how soft it makes my lips feel. The smell, like all of Korres products, is wonderful.

My favorite purchase is defintely this: The Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Paramour. I watched Michele1218

from YouTube rave about it, and she convinced me to go out and at least test it on the back of my hand. I can't say enough positive things about this. The color is so creamy. And the pen-like packaging is perfect for application. It's a cross between a lip liner, with the creaminess of a lipstick, and the subtle shine of a gloss. The berry-red color makes my teeth look super white, always a plus ;) I will be wearing this on Christmas, New Years, and nights out for sure.

So that's my little haul! Thank you for reading~

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Small Haul

Hey girls, I have a small haul to share with you. I went shopping with my mom earlier today, mainly because I had a birthday present to buy for my boyfriend's sister. But of course, I bought a few things for myself as well ;)

I stopped at the MAC counter at Nordstrom to check out the new holiday collection. As you know from past postings, I was super excited to get two cremesheen glasses: Ever So Rich, a pale lilac and Boy Bait, a beige-nude. I know a lot of beauty bloggers don't particularly like the cremesheens because they are very sheer, but that is exactly the same reason why I adore them! I didn't get anything else from the collection, mainly because nothing looked unique. I think it's a great collection for those who are new to MAC because the eye and face kits are great deals. The collection is also perfect for gift giving. I think I might go back next week and take a second look, but I am more than happy with my cremesheens!



After MAC, I decided to take a look in Sephora. I wanted to buy more nail polishes, and this set of three immediately caught my eye. It came with A True Romantic, Domestic Goddess, and Metro Chic ( my new favorite for fall).



My other purchases were kind of random. I got a new body spray at Victorias Secret in Heavenly Enchanted. It is a very warm scent that reminds me of berries and apple pie...and maybe a hint of musky vanilla?
Right next door to VS is an H&M, and I bought a beautiful bracelet that has opal and creme colored stones. I can't wait to wear it!



On the way home from the mall, my mom wanted to stop at Wal-Mart, so while she looked in the housewares section ;), I looked at the cosmetics and hair care. I spotted a new mascara by Loreal that is an imitation of the Givenchy mascara. The one with a tiny spikey ball on the end of the wand? I have heard many mixed reviews of that mascara, but I have always wanted to try it out for myself. I can't wait to see how the Loreal version works. I will do a review for you girls once I have used it a few times.
I also bought the Aussie 3-minute miracle sydney smooth conditioner. I have the other "moist" conditioner, but I have never tried "Sydney Smooth."



~Overall, it was a really fun shopping trip! I have yet to use any of it, but if you have any questions or comments, let me know~

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