Things I am Thankful For

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, I have been thinking about gratitute and what I am truly thankful for. There are so many things I could list, but for the purposes of this blog, I'll keep it rather short and concise.

 The Boyfriend. Yes, he does have a name and a nice one at that. But I like referring to him on here as "The Boyfriend." After all, he is! This was taken on a trip to Maui, a trip I'll never forget as long as I live.

My BFF. She's just a really incredible person, both inside and out. I'd be lost without her.

Dogs. Any breed(s), whether they are puppies or old timers. Fat, skinny, short, long. Love them all!

I mean, C'mon!

Clothes and pretty things in general. These aren't labels I can personally afford, but I can still appreciate the work, creativity, and craftsmanship behind some of today's most glamorous designs. I just love looking at them, even from afar.

The beach, especially at sunset. It never ceases in leaving me breathless.

 I have to end with blogging. I really am thankful for having my own little space in blogger-land, and happy to have you here.

Here's to being grateful,
♥ Noelle

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Colorful Kisser

When I first started this little blog, I was all about smokey eyes and nude lips. In fact, you couldn't possibly get my lips near a bright colored lipstick. "It just doesn't look right" I often said. I have naturally fuller lips. A blessing some would argue, but I used to be terribly self'conscious about them. I felt like they overwhelmed my other features so I picked out lighter, softer looking lipsticks and glosses in order to downplay them. If you have read my blog for awhile, you know I have quite a vast array of "pinky nudes." Pinky nudes are makeup's version of a squishy down comforter or an oversized sweatshirt. In a word - comfortable. Safe. I know I can slap on my pinky nudes whenever I please and I also know that it will look "right" on me.

However...

I'm feeling an evolution Readers, and it's coming fast! This season, I have a dirty little confession to make: I'm tired of the pinky nudes and have jumped into Fall and Winter's hottest makeup trend: colorful kissers. I believe Glamour Magazine called it "Serious Lipstick."

My tiny stash of serious lipsticks. Not for the faint of heart I suppose.

Left to Right: Revlon Matte Lipstick in Strawberry Suede, Revlon Colorburst in Raspberry, and MAC Lustre lipstick in See Sheer.

See Sheer was previously seen on me here:

This lipstick is a daily product for me. It plays to my subtle lip sensibilities. It's red, but extremely sheer and wearable. I will repurchase over and over.

Raspberry by Revlon. It has color, but if dabbed on still is also very wearable. I like to layer it over See Sheer. It also makes teeth look white!

Strawberry Suede by Revlon. This one's tricky! This one's fierce. But it isn't for the faint of heart. I definitely dab this one on, blot, then apply some balm. I orginally saw this featured on Cupcakes and Cashmere, and since I love Emily, I decided to be brave and give it a try.

Don't forget my lipstain post. I think stains are perfect for those of you who aren't fully into the bright lips. I'm still getting used to it myself!

My inspirations:

All over the Spring 2011 runways, expect this trend to stick around.

So, what do you girls think? Fun, flirty, pretty? Or too much?

♥ Noelle

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Anthro Fancy Clad Hoodie

I got a request asking about the Anthropologie hoodie I bought and I wore it yesterday in order to take some pictures. Overall, I love it! Zip-up hoodies used to be a staple in my wardrobe while I was in high school and in college but around my last year, I realized I needed to up the ante and quit dressing so casually. However, as soon as I spotted the Fancy Clad Hoodie, I knew that this darling little ruffle sweater was anything but ordinary college daze attire.

It is incredibly soft and stretchy thanks to its mix of poly, spandex, and rayon. It is also machine washable. I may just wash it by hand in order to ensure it holds its shape. I find that rayon can be tricky to wash. I've had a few tops and dresses made of rayon shrink to the point of non-wearability. I don't want to take any chances with this one. In general, dry cleaning is best with rayon but since this is a blend, I think I'll be safe.

My only reservation then is sleeve length. The sleeves are long, but they don't come up to my wrists. No, they come just shy of being full length. But, they aren't quarter sleeved either. I guess this is just another example of being petite and not having the typical "average" sized limbs. I personally don't mind the slightly awkward length. Maybe I should care, but I don't! I can overlook things easily Readers.

The ruffle is on one side of the zipper. It comes together very nicely when zipped closed.

What I'm Wearing:

Anthropologie Fancy Clad Hoodie size M. My usual S was too snug in the arms. I would say size up.

White H&M Camisole

Express Stella Skinny Jeans (old style and wash)

Vera Wang Lavender Ballet Flats

Zara Bag *loves*

♥ Noelle

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Vegas, Baby!

Aside from Christmas, I'm really looking forward to December 17th this year. I booked a room at Treasure Island in Las Vegas in celebration of the boyfriend's birthday. Said boyfriend is turning 29 on December 30th, but instead of battling out New Years on the strip (something we have done twice now), I decided to give him his present a little early this time. I'm so excited! We used to go to Vegas often because we had a friend that lived there. Now that friend lives down the street from us, so we don't have anymore excuses to go visit.

Of course in typical Noelle -OCD madness, I'm already planning out my clothes. I ordered a dress from Forever21.com and it has already apparently sold out because I can't find it on the site! It is a white, jacquard dress that has cap sleeves and is more of a sheath style. I think I may have to get it tailored a bit because it is large in the chest area. December can be chilly in Vegas, so I do plan on wearing little jackets during the day while we walk around.

We stayed at Treasure Island about two years ago for a friend's wedding and we fell in love with our room!

I love visiting Ceasar's Palace. The shopping! I want to splurge on something while I'm there.

Does anyone have any fun Vegas recommendations? Any must-do shopping? We will be there Friday through Sunday so I'm hoping we can get a lot in.

♥ Noelle

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Sparkles Are A Girl's Best Friend

Vera Wang Lavender Label (Nordstrom Rack)

I know what you're thinking! But they are so sparkly and oh so eye-catching. And COMFORTABLE. I wore them wine tasting with friends yesterday and I couldn't stop staring down at my feet. They're my version of princess shoes.

Happy Sunday!

♥Noelle

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Mini Product Reviews

I received my Sephora Friends & Family order about two weeks ago and I have been playing around with the products I bought ever since. I thought it might be helpful to some of you if I let you know my initial impressions. I'll call these "mini" reviews. I am still testing things out and deciding if I will re-purchase certain items and keep them as staples in my beauty aresenal or if I can live without them.

First up, a total must-have in my beauty drawer: Urban Decay Primer Potion. I fell in love with this eyeshadow primer about two years ago and I have re-purchased it several times now. The one complaint many have about the product is the packaging. The little genie type tube is cute, but the wand applicator can be difficult to maneuver all the way down the tube. Enter UDPP Pro, which comes in a massive sqeeze tube and will hopefully last me eons. So far, so good! Same wonderful product that keeps my oily lids from sabotaging my shadow throughout the day. My only concern is that it will dry up before I get a chance to use every last drop. Oh, and it's limited edition for some unknown reason.

I have to rave about the next product, Lancome's ArtLiner. Let me preface this by saying that I am a mess with liquid liner. I blink and the next thing I know I look like Tammy Faye. I don't mean to be rude, but you get the picture. I remember when I was in the midst of my Lauren Conrad obsession, I tried and tried to recreate her gorgeous subtle cat-eye. I failed miserably each try. I wish I had known about ArtLiner sooner. The wand offers so much control and the liquid applies so smoothly and evenly. I have been wearing this constantly on my upper lash line and I have received many compliments on how thick my lashes look (something I have never been told before!) I know it's because of this liner.

I also ordered Bare Escentuals Buxom mascara and I am still on the fence about it. I love the plastic wand. Plastic wands are my favorite because I feel they grab my lashes a lot better than typical mascara wands. The only thing is, I still would take my Holy Grail CoverGirl LashBlast over this, and LashBlast is half the price! I do like Buxom, but I don't know if I'll be re-purchasing it once I run out. It just doesn't live up to it's name. It does thicken, but you have to apply several coats to get the full effect. Maybe once the formula dries out a bit I will appreciate it more. Have any of you tried Buxom? What are your thoughts?

The last thing I purchased from the sale is a tube of Smith's Rosebud Salve. When I was in high school, the first thing I ever bought from Sephora was Smith's Rosebud in a tin. First Sephora purchase ever! I think I just bought this again purely for nostalgia. I love that it smells like roses. I love that it's in a tube so I can carry it in my bag and whip it out whenever. But I personally don't think it's all that moisturizing and the formula is incredibly thin.

I have to include a couple of swatches of my new MAC blushes. I am in love with both colors and have them on rotation - one day I use Pink Swoon, the next My Highland Honey. They look very bright in their pans but apply a lot more sheerly. Of course, they can also be built up to intensity very easily if that's what your going for. I have lighter skin these days and I think both colors could work on lighter skin like mine as well as darker skin tones. I also like the fact that they are pretty matte and not shimmery at all.

Pink Swoon (permanent)

My Highland Honey (part of the Tartan Tale collection and LE)

I hope this was somewhat useful! If you have any questions about anything, please let me know. Happy Friday !

♥ Noelle

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