4.06.2011

My mother used to be a manicurist. I was around ten years old, and I distinctly remember going with her some days to the salon where she worked. I even gave a little old lady a foot massage once, where she proceeded to give me a five dollar tip! Big bucks when you're ten! I loved watching my mom work on nails. She even did a house call to my second grade teacher, who became one of her regular clients. I was mesmerized by the pretty, shiny nail lacquers that littered the floors of our house while she practiced different techniques. Mannequin hands and nail tools strewn about the kitchen table. Bottles and bottles of nail polish remover, cuticle oils, and nail files. To this day, when I pass a salon and smell the acetone, it brings back fond, happy memories of my mom's days as a manicurist.

Yes, I believe this contributed to my love affair with nail polish. I'm an addict. Thanks, Mom.

This is my little nail station. I recently bought the storage container from Wal-Mart. It was around five dollars. I love that it has three roomy drawers, perfect for separating and sorting by color.


First drawer: Reds, Corals, Peaches, and Wines


Second drawer: Nudes, Pinks, Purples, and Lilacs


Third drawer: Blues, Greens, Greys, Taupes, and other miscellaneous shades that are more unique in my collection.

I love all brands, but I actually own more Essie than any other.  I have to say that Zoya is my new obsession.



I also keep my tools, base coats, top coats, and cuticle softeners right next to my nail polish stash.


How and where do you store your nail polish? Although my collection is large, I don't feel overwhelmed by it as I did when I stored my polish in a small bin a couple months back. However, I do need to downsize and stop buying more. But just as any addiction is difficult to break, so is mine!
♥ Noelle

4.04.2011

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend, and I also hope we all have a great week ahead of us. Here are two outfits I wore, one from Friday and the other from Saturday.

White tank - H&M, Cardigan - Halogen via Nordstrom, Skirt - Forever 21, Flats - Zara, Watch - Michael Kors, Necklace - MyNameNecklace via Beso. Lips - Revlon's Fuchsia, Nails - LC by Zoya





Lace top - Charlotte Russe, Cami - Forever 21, Jeans - BR, Leopard heels - Guess, Bag - Juicy Couture, Necklace - Forever 21, Ring - YSL




How was your weekend? Did you wear something special? I'm just loving the warmer weather!
♥ Noelle

3.31.2011

You girls all know that I'm obsessed with bright, colorful lips (mentioned here and here). It's grown quite a bit since I first dipped my feet into the color pool. To prove this point further, I set up my little stash of lipsticks and took some pictures.



L to R: See Sheer by MAC, Viva Glam Cyndi by MAC, Strawberry Suede by Revlon (matte), Raspberry by Revlon (colorburst).

Swatched, same order as above.




L to R: Crosswires by MAC, Ultra Darling by MAC, Fuchsia by Revlon, Blase' Apricot by Revlon.


Swatched, same order as above.



I think it is safe to say that my go-to brands are MAC and Revlon. I find that they are affordable and offer a wide range of finishes and colors. Some of them are rather sheer, while others I actually have to dab on for fear of going overboard. I recommend keeping the rest of the face clean and simple if you are doing a neon, rainbow bright lip. The overall look is fresh, young, and most importantly, fun! Pair a bright lip with more neutral clothing and it almost acts as an accessory! Or, you can go all out with colorful clothing AND lipstick. I still love my natural nudes when I do a smokey eye, but colorful lips are here to stay. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Here's to happy lips,
♥ Noelle

3.28.2011

It was rainy and cold yesterday, so I decided to browse Barnes & Noble. I spotted a book on fashion history and snapped it up. I've been interested in learning more about my favorite designers.  I couldn't leave without checking out the enormous magazine section. I was about to call it a day when out of the corner of my eye I saw Rachel Bilson on the cover of Califonia Style magazine. I stopped dead in my tracks, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the beautiful pictures. I love Rachel Bilson. In my opinion, she has never looked better. In case you haven't seen them, here they are.
















Images found using Google and The Stylist

There's almost something ethereal about her. What do you think?
♥ Noelle

3.24.2011

I'm taking inspiration from everyone right now, including some from the beautiful Andi. She just wrote a blog post about Spring fashion, and looks that are inspiring her while she's under the weather this week. Given that I've been under the weather too, I figured what better way to put a giant grin on my face than to look at gorgeous pictures of gorgeous clothes?  'Nuf said.



Lauren Conrad. I love nude! I love her!


Can someone tell me who Mollie King is? Because I love her polka dot dress and chic bag.


Here she is again in sky high heels and skinnies - my favorite look for night!


I am seriously tempted to try a maxi skirt or dress this year. I've never been drawn to them as I'm short and I thought they might make me look even smaller. Hmmmmmm....Olivia Palermo looks perfect.


Taylor Swift. I LOVE sweet floral dresses and nude pumps.


I'm not done with tights just yet! And to think I was afraid to wear them!




Kristin Cavallari just makes me want to work out. I love her turquoise necklace.



 All images courtesy of The Vogue Diaries. It's such a fun blog to look through!



I also wanted to say thank you for all the kind words on my last post. I'm feeling much better since the accident. I'm just really sore and my neck is stiff, but the doctor told me I should feel more like myself starting next week.
Have a great Thursday!
♥ Noelle


3.21.2011

Hey Friends!
I apologize for the lack of posts the past few days. The boyfriend and I had a very eventful weekend, one in which we both had to take a trip to the ER. An extremely sore neck, a pounding head, and an immobile arm have rendered me a bit useless. I'm typing this with one hand ;)  But alas, I'll spare the gory details and just say that I'm thankful we are both alright, that we both have health insurance, and that I've met some lovely new friends I'm extremely grateful for.

In the meantime, (while I'm recovering) I just wanted to do a quick post featuring some bags I'm loving from Aldo. You all remember my beloved Cyphert:


Here are other great bags for Spring, and all at affordable prices.



~Starliper - so cute with a little dress!

~Niesen - I'm obsessed with camel. I want!

~Moltz - Yup. I want this one too.


I'm still saving for a designer bag, but what I love about Aldo is that I don't have to feel guilty if I want to treat myself a little before then.

I hope you all are happy and healthy! That's really all that matters.
Noelle