~Beauty Buys~

*Click on the picture to see it larger*

Here are some recent beauty products that I have admired and acquired over the past couple of weeks:

1. Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Pink Ice
2. MAC Mega Metal Shadow in Dalliance
3. MAC Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick
4. MAC Shy Girl Lipstick (repurchase)
5. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer
6. Essie Polish in Chinchilly
7. Essie Polish in Over the Edge
8. ELF Facial Whip in Lilac Shimmer ($1.00!)


~If you would like a closer look at anything or have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment!~

Happy February Loves

♥ Noelle

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I'm a Bag Lady! Plus I'm starting to ♥ Anthro

When I was in high school, I used to change my purse every week. Sometimes every day! I look back at some of my fashion faux pas from those angsty teen years and laugh. I can't believe some of the purses I carried. They were all teeny-tiny and of course matched my outfits perfectly, color and all. Yuck. I'm happy I got rid of all of them a couple years ago when I was sifting through my closet and realized that so much of my old wardrobe needed to go. These days, I don't really switch bags very often. Occasionally yes, especially if I feel like I'm neglecting one but generally I carry the same one. All of my bags are neutral in color and so they can all interchange and mesh effortlessly with everything I wear. If you read this little blog AT ALL, you know that one of my goals in life is to own a Chanel. Silly goal to have according to some of my male friends, but this coming from guys who are coveting toy helicopters. Hmmmmm. Right. Since I can't yet afford a Chanel, I have tried desperately to not purchase anymore hand bags. Save up for a really amazing one! I was doing so well Readers (minus the Mulberry for Target bag, which my mom has stolen from me. I let her keep it). Then I walked into Zara yesterday and spied this:

I love her. Soft AND quilted AND Charcoal? I had to.

The best part is that it's completely practical. There are pockets everywhere to hold all of my things.

I've already made the switch. My Michael Kors and H&M bags are retiring for a bit.

On another note, I also walked into Anthro yesterday and became deliriously happy with the scent of voluspa candles wafting everywhere. I recently started following Anthroholic's Blog as well as a few other girls who have inspired me to jump on the Anthro bandwagon whole-heartedly. Don't get me wrong, I've always liked Anthropologie but it was never that accessible to me. Now a bunch of new stores have cropped up around me so I have no more excuses not to go.

I walked out with two more grey pieces. Hey, grey is the IT color of the season is it not?

Anthropologie Volante Tee.

I got this in a Size S. I've seen tons of other bloggers in this, and I knew I had to have it. Looks great with jeans!

Anthropologie Fancy Clad Hoodie

I know. It's a hoodie. But this looks so cute on! The ruffle down the front is adorable. Plus, I don't own a single hoodie anymore and I needed one for work. Ha, that makes me smile. The fact that I need a hoodie to wear to work is hilarious to me =)

I hope you all have a wonderful Friday! One of my good friends is getting married tomorrow and I'm so happy for her! I'll have pictures up hopefully on Sunday before I have to go to work...

♥ Noelle

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Sephora F&F Order, MAC Blush, and OOTD

Thursday I posted some recent purchases, and I desperately needed your help with a pair of boots I was very iffy about. I got mixed reviews on them: some said I should keep them, others said the color or style was a bit off, and yet another lovely girl said they looked like pirate boots! No offense taken Natalia =) I adore Johnny Depp in Pirates of The Caribbean but I don't want to resemble him. I decided to return them yesterday morning. I mulled the boots over, and although I orginally loved their appearance on the shelf in the store, once I got them home and tried them on I was certain they weren't for me. I just needed some opinions to confirm my own thoughts. Thank you for the feedback, I really loved hearing what you girls all had to say. Your honesty was just what I needed!

My Sephora Friends and Family goodies arrived yesterday as well. I strayed quite a bit from my original wishlist. I skipped the NARS blush because I wanted to buy some from MAC instead. I also decided to forgo Benefit's Skinny Jeans creme shadow, although I'm sure I'll want it again in the future. Here's what I got:

Lancome Artliner in Noir, BE Buxom Mascara, UDPP in the LE Pro Tube, and Smith's Rosebud Salve. Three random samples were also included.

I stopped into the MAC counter to purchase two blushes. One is part of the Tartan Tale collection called My Highland Honey. It has no shimmer and is the perfect peachy-orange. The second blush has a cult following - Pink Swoon (permanent). Kardashian cheeks, here I come!

They are much more color saturated in person. The camera reads them as being muted, but they are not. Expect swatches and or reviews coming soon!

My OOTD (Friday)

Striped top with puffy shoulders - Forever 21

Chain necklaces - American Eagle

Jeans - Express. Please bring this style back! I don't like the new styles and washes

Green flats - Zara

Have I ever mentioned I have a ballet flat obsession? These are quite possibly my favorite. I love the combination of the green with the navy stripes in my top.

I am going to a Halloween party tonight! What are your plans?

♥ Noelle

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Recent Closet Additions

The thing I've discovered about following amazingly-gorgeous-creative-inspiring fashion bloggers is that their style sort of rubs off on you. Or at least it tends to rub off on me. My style is continually evolving, and thank Heaven for that! I've made some serious blunders in my day! Here are two new additions to my wardrobe, courtesy of  seriously fab fashion girls.

The striped top is from Forever 21, inspired by Vivian of Diamonds and Tulle.

The floral cami is from Target, and it has previously been spotted on Chloe. It looks great with grey!

I also purchased this from Forever 21's Love 21 line.

I love how flowy it is, and the little pocket is so cute. No. More. Lace. That's it, I'm starting to resemble my great-grandmother again. I do this so much. I fasten on to a certain trend I love each season, and then I buy it in bulk!

And this was too cute for words. I purchased it on Shopruche.com

I thought of you Katie ♥ Every girl loves Audrey.

One last thing Readers. I need some advice. I just bought these leather taupe boots from TJ-Maxx. The brand is dv by Dolce Vita

I just don't know what I think of them, so I may return them.

Pros: They are flat, comfortable, and good quality. They can also be worn over the knee

Cons: I want true brown or camel colored flat boots. Plus, I'm just not sure if these look "right" on me.

I need your input! Please let me know what you think!

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Sephora F&F And OOTD

Happy Monday Readers. I can't lie and say that I love Mondays, because I don't! But, may as well make the most out of  'em. I just wanted to do a quick post about the Sephora Friends and Family Sale, going on October 22nd and running through November 3rd. I don't know about you, but I am super excited for this! I love discounts, and 20% is pretty good especially since beauty products are rarely ever discounted at Sephora.

Here is what is in my shopping cart, ready to go:

Urban Decay Primer Potion Professional Size

Buxom Buxom Mascara

NARS Blush - either the color Douceur or Sex Appeal!

Benefit Creasless Creme Shadow - Skinny Jeans

OOTD:

Navy ruffle jacket: Aryn K

Striped top underneath: Forever 21

Jeans: Express (this style is no longer available)

Flats: Tory Burch Revas (yes, I do wear them a lot now and although they are still a tiny bit uncomfortable after a few hours of wear, I still love them)

Are you planning on indulging in the Sephora Friends and Family Sale?

Let me know!

♥ Noelle

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It was my birthday, and I can shop if I want to!

So I did! The best part of birthdays is being able to treat yourself. I love and appreciate the sweet gifts that my family and friends give me, but there is something so rewarding about being able to go out and shop for yourself, especially when you are like me and have been ultra-stressed at work! These are just some things that I have collected over the past week and I must say - I am very happy with all of my new finds.

First, the Lela Rose booties I received this week: Tip - I had them delivered at my local Payless instead of having them delivered to my home. It saved me a few bucks in shipping.

They look incredible on. I found my Perfect pair of booties for the Fall.

Petite Cotton Animal Print Cardi - Banana Republic.

Thank God for stores like Banana offering up petite sizing right in their stores.

This long cardi is from Forever 21. I have been looking for an extra long cardi to wear with leggings.

I saw this long black and white tank on Veronika and wasn't even looking for it when I walked into Target the other day to look at the Tucker for Target line. It looks great tucked into a skirt or worn with leggings.

This beautiful classic trench coat is only $50 dollars at H&M! The striped inner lining is really cute, and it peeks out when you wear the sleeves rolled up. I think every girl should own a trench coat, and this one is well-made and affordable.

~My two favorite purchases~

It may not be the real thing, but hey? What can I say? I bought this at Mango, my new favorite store.

I saved and finally got my Tory Burch Classic Revas.

Do you girls splurge on yourselves for your birthday? I hope so, at least a little! Have a happy weekend!

♥ Noelle

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Updates and Ramblings

Happy September my Dears! I hope everyone had a good start to the month today. Work was crazy, but then again, it usually is. I just wanted to do a quick/ semi-random post about a couple things that I am loving at the moment, along with some recent online shopping purchases that I can't wait to receive in the mail.

First: NARS' Albatross lipgloss is gorgeous! I am so happy that I made a wise choice in grabbing it at Sephora. I have so many colorful glosses, from pink to purple to coral. I guess I needed a break from those sort of stand-out colors, and simply let my own lips do the talking so to speak.

With flash

Natural light

Natural light, on my lips.

See the slightly golden/honey gleam? It makes my pout look ten times fuller. I normally don't receive compliments or comments on my lipgloss or lipstick, but I have when I am wearing this. If Albatross is the perfect highlight to the cheeks, than this gloss version is equally stunning on lips. I need to buy another tube because I read this is LE. Of course, right?!

I am also loving these flats from The Gap that I just purchased over the weekend. I have worn them to work all week! The soles feel like I am walking on air. Not exaggerating. They are comfy, period.

While browsing the lovely Natasha xoxo's blog, I nearly stopped dead in my tracks when I saw these booties (they call them shooties?) on the Payless website. They are designed by Lela Rose:

I was hoping to snag the taupe pair she featured on her blog, but my size was long gone and now all that remains is black. You girls know that I have been dying for a pair of booties to wear with dresses, skirts, and skinny jeans for Fall. The peep toes, cut-outs, and back zipper were what made these my ideal find. But who knows? I still might get another pair ;)

Keeping with the subject of Fall and coveted items, I searched every ULTA near me for this nail polish by Essie. I know, I need to stop with the Essie, especially since the formula is becoming more and more questionable by the minute! But this dirty, dingey, olive is nowhere to be found and I was getting this feeling of Panic! The Urban Decay Naked Palette has escaped me thus far, I couldn't let Sew Psyched escape me too. I ordered a bottle for $6.95 off of Amazon:

Lastly, to complete this ridiculously all-over-the-place post, I leave you with three women who I absolutely and positively adore. Two of these pictures are now gracing the side bar of my page.

Gorgeous

Gorgeous

And...Gorgeous

A little beauty (well, beauty IMHO) to leave you with

♥ Noelle

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The City Of Angels

Happy Monday Everyone! I've missed you, I feel like I've been away from my little laptop for far too long. It's funny how attached to it I've become, despite the fact that I still have a lot to learn about technology. I hope you all had a great weekend as usual. Saturday I went to Los Angeles, in particular Hollywood. I was born in L.A., only live about two hours away, but had never fully experienced the magic of it. Millions of people travel to Hollywood from different parts of the world each year, and yet I had never even set foot on the walk of fame. A travesty of sorts I guess. The boyfriend and I had a great time just being tourists and enjoying the scenery. Such great people watching! I didn't really take too many pictures, but I did manage to do a quick outfit before we left:

Top: Ella Moss (Anthropologie)

White cotton eyelet shorts: Banana Republic outlet

Heeled sandals (actually very comfortable): TJmaxx

Necklaces: Lisa Taubes and HoH

Rings: Ann Taylor and a boutique

Bag: Michael Kors (TJmaxx)

Nails: Essie Boat house

We saw some great signatures at the Chinese Theatre. We were mainly interested in the old Hollywood actors ;)

Marilyn Monroe's hands. Bigger than mine!

What a legend!

Oh, and I wanted to post this from last weekend's shopping trip. I completely forgot! I will have a review of the Phyto hair masque on Wednesday.

~Phyto restructuring masque, NARS lipgloss in Albatross, MAC lipglass in Flurry of Fun. I saw the MAC gloss on my friend Katie and just had to find one for myself~

♥ Noelle

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~My first Anthro purchase plus a new ring~

As I have been reading all of your blogs from this past weekend, I can spot one giant commonality: What happened to the month of July? I can't believe how quickly the Summer is going by!

Anyway, I hope you all had a lovely weekend Readers. I certainly did =) I just wanted to show some goodies I picked up while doing some shopping. Luckily, my wallet didn't suffer too badly.

I made my first Anthropologie purchase! Can I just comment on how beautiful that store is? I know I'm behind the times, as many of you rave about Anthro but it was really my first time there! Upon entering, I was struck by the smell. It smelled like candles and flowers, two of my favorite things. I also loved the mix of clothing, furniture, books, and gorgeous jewelry like this:

Double Torsade Necklace 

***EDIT(8/3)*** Thank you to a reader for pointing out it is now on sale!

I read some pretty negative reviews online, mostly about the overall bulkiness of it, and how it doesn't lay flat against the skin. I have to completely disagree. I think this is really a beautiful statement piece, and it should be the focus of an outfit. I don't find it cumbersome at all. For the price, you definitely get what you pay for! I am in love with it and couldn't be happier with the color.

Also from Anthropologie, I got this sweet Ella Moss top with an Ikat print. I have been looking for something like this for awhile now and I love the fit of it. I think it will look great with shorts and gladiator sandals.

Aside from my first Anthropologie experience, there is a boutique by my work that was having a sale last week, so I bought this delicate little heart ring (resembling a pretzel, lol). I don't know the maker, but the saleslady told me that the line is based out of La Jolla (San Diego). My best friend used to work in La Jolla, so I instantly thought of her.

It's so light-weight, I can hardly feel it on my finger. LOVE!

Happy Monday!

♥ Noelle

P.S. The Rachel Zoe Project returns to Bravo tomorrow night for another season. *Happiness*

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I did a teeny-tiny bit of shopping

Happy Monday Everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed your weekends. Mine was incredibly relaxing, just the way I like it! The boyfriend's Aunt is in town visiting, so we spent Sunday talking by the pool. She told us that every weekend in the Summertime should be treated as a mini vacation, and that every evening should be seen as a little vacation too. I thought that was a really nice way of looking at things, because I don't know about you, but all I want to do this time of year is have fun with friends, go to the beach, and shop! The monotony of daily life can often interfere with living it to the fullest, and I am trying my best to enjoy every minute of it.

I picked up a few things that I wanted to share with you. I really love reading posts about shopping, so hopefully you do too.

I had to go to Target and while I was there, I decided to take a peek at the jewelry section. This little sterling silver compass necklace has been talked about by Michele1218 and TiffanyD. It's so dainty and delicate, I knew I had to have it. It was about $20 dollars.

I also stopped at Macy's and made a beeline for the MAC counter. This Stereo Rose MSF was the only thing I really wanted from "In The Groove" and luckily they still had some left! I wore this on my cheeks all weekend and am truly in love with its bronzy-coral sheen. I love that it isn't glittery or gritty as many MSF's tend to be. This one is soft and finely milled.

I also got a dress in from Lulus. I had a 15 percent off code, so that basically took care of the shipping cost.

This was my initial try-on. Success!

Did anyone else pick anything up from In the Groove? Or any other shopping?

♥ Noelle

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