High Heel Cookies

Besides playing with makeup all day, I also like to bake when I have the time. Winter break has alloted me ample time to get crafty in the kitchen. Today I made high heel sugar cookies!

Tomorrow I am attending an intimate tea party with a good friend of mine, Anna, who has been featured on the blog before. I'm bringing her an assortment of these shoes as a hostess gift. My favorite is the shoe with the edible pearls around the edges! 


I used the basic vegan sugar cookie recipe this time which I found to taste just like the real thing. Sweet but really just a simple dough to cut out shoes. 

• 2.5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 tablespoon organic vanilla, almond, coconut or lemon extract
• 6.5 oz. of vegan butter like earth balance or coconut oil. (I used a mixture of both)

Bake for 12 minutes at 350 


If you are looking for a shoe cookie cutter of your own, I found mine at Wal-Mart. It came in a pack of 3 with a crown and a castle all for $2.95. 


Can't wait to pass along these treats!
XOXO
Kelsey

Fashion Obsession: Scarves

I have always been slightly obsessed with all things lady-like. I even have a stack of articles I've clipped from the weekend style section of the Wall Street Journal about domestic loveliness and etiquette. For some reason, these things help me feel confident to walk into any situation and be able to make a good impression and conduct myself well. It has recently affected my reading list and wardrobe. 

When it comes to reading, my Kindle Fire is currently stocked with biographies of Audrey Hepburn and Emily Post.  As for fashion, I've been stocking up on scarves. Here are few of my favorites. 

This scarf is from H&M, one of my favorite places to pick up a "silk" scarf. H&M has a wide variety of prints, sizes, and weight. I especially like this one because it is so light weight, I can fold it several times over and wear it as a headband. 

This scarf is also from H&M and is the one I wear most often. With its muted color pallet it is wearable with most neutral outfits and pulls in the color of my purse. I usually wear this one like a bib with it looping in the front. 

I got this one and the one I am wearing in the first picture at a consignment shop in Madison, WI called re-threads. This one is label-less but the pink one I'm wearing is Escada and 100% Silk. They were each $10 and around the same price as the H&M finds. I think vintage stores are the perfect place to find scarves because they were popular long ago and you can find some great retro patterns for reasonable prices. 

There are also tons of different, modern ways to wear scarves. (Click here to see Michelle Phan's youtube video with 9 different ways to wear a silk scarf)They are the perfect way to add a pop of color to an outfit and an accessory that a woman of any age would love. Scarves are also great for traveling because you can change an outfit by switching out the scarf  helping to stretch a basic few items over the time you are on your trip (this is what I'm doing while at home for winter break!)

Enjoy wearing scarves this season! 

XOXO

Kelsey

Johnson and Johnson Job?! Not for Me

I am disappointed to write that I did not receive an offer to join the Neutrogena team at Johnson and Johnson after graduation. After waiting to hear back for two and half weeks the email finally came today that said sorry but no. 

One thing that helped lessen the blow was that at the same time I received an offer to join Ford as a marketing consultant. This would allow me to travel 4 days a week and meet with many interesting individuals. Although it is not where my passion lies in beauty, I am thankful that an opportunity has presented itself to me.

For those of you that have been discouraged or lost out on a job opportunity you really wanted remember that the company is looking for the individuals that will be best suited for the job that they are offering and you may have excelled better in another environment. Also, if you are interviewing with friends and classmates, as I did with many of my interviews, know that their success does not equal your failure and vice versa. Do not get angry with them for receiving an opportunity you wanted (although this can be difficult at first). Finally, its ok to be jealous. Jealousy shows us what we want and should be used to help motivate us. 

If I get to do nothing else today let me leave you with this:

"A smile is the perfect gift, personal and encouraging" 

I hope I was able to encourage you a little bit. Writing on the blog sometimes helps me to encourage myself. 

Wishing everyone the best success,

Kelsey 

Dining Room Items that Inspire Me

Ok ok so I know this blog is supposed to be about beauty products and finding a job in the beauty industry but lately I have been obsessing over my hypothetical kitchen. Being vegan I cook the majority of my own meals so having things in the kitchen that inspire me to try out new dishes is important to me. My current dorm kitchen is cramped to say the least and I swear I have lost half of the dishes I purchased sophomore year at Target so today I went out to buy some plates (and bowls and mugs) that will stay with me when I move into my new apartment next year... wherever that may be...

These plates are so pretty with their icy peacock blue finish and feather details around the edge. They were definitely a splurge but if you want to check them out you can HERE. They were designed by Rachel Bilson for Macy's and she has a few other patterns but none as clean and modern as this. 

While thinking about my future dining room I came across this photo posted by Kandee Johnson. 

This is the fashion designer Betsy Johnson's dining room. I think it is so girly, glamourous and fresh! I would love to have a decorator come in a help me recreate this look. Don't you think my knew plates would look perfect on this table?

Since coming to DC the cherry blossoms have come to be my favorite part of the spring. I saw this light fixture and fell in love. 

It even has little lights in the flower blossoms. Unfortunately, it is way out of my price range! I do love the whimsy of it though and when I am able to afford it and if it is still available, I am ordering it for myself. 

I hope you were inspired by something today whether it was a kitchen item or something totally different. Have a wonderful week! 

XOXO

Kelsey 

Feeling like Jenny from the Block Waiting for J&J

Don't be fooled by the offers that I got... I'm still I'm still Kelsey from the block!
I think I was channeling J-Lo this morning when I got dressed...

Although this look is sort of a departure from my usual pearls and such I am kind of feeling it. To me getting dressed up in totally random and different looks is part of the fun of experimentation.

But I digress...

The key info for this blog post is that today is the day I am supposed to hear back from Johnson and Johnson about my potential job offer with their beauty segment. I interviewed with them last week for their full time positions in beauty sales. In case you didn't know... here are some of the amazing brands that you probably have in your bathroom as we speak:

• Neutrogena
• Clean and Clear
• Aveeno
• Roc
• Johnson and Johnson Baby

I interviewed with three groups, Neutrogena Beauty Sales Strategy, eCommerce, and Consumer Products Beauty Sales Strategy. I'm really hoping I end up with an offer to join Neutrogena. They are located in LA (so I would be close to my sister!) and I would get to learn all about the skin care category.

Fun Fact Alert! Did you know that Neutrogena skin care makes 9X the revenue that Neutrogena cosmetics makes?

The moment I get a call I will post on the blog.

Gotta run to class... in my J-Lo gear of course...

XOXO
Kelsey

3 On-The-Go Makeup Essentials

There three items that I keep with me in my school tote at all times. I have gym class every morning so when I run to a real class directly after I want to have just a few items to touch up and help me look presentable. These three products are super east to apply without a mirror and can be found at the drug store so no need to worry if you loose it or it gets banged up with your stash of pens and pennies. 

1. A Good Mascara: This one is actually a free-be I got from L'Oreal but in general choose a mascara that volumizes because it will help define your lashes more and than a lengthening mascara. TIP: Choose one that has a traditional brush because they are easier to maneuver without a mirror than some of the more "innovative" brush shapes.

2. Under Eye Concealer: I love the Anti-Dark Circle eye roller from Garnier. It has caffeine in the formula to help reduce puffiness and is tinted to conceal. You can layer several coats of it without it looking cakey. The only downside with this product is that it only comes in one color so its not so good for the darker skin ladies.

3. Tinted Lip Balm: I am in love with this Nivea touch of shimmer lip balm. It adds a beautiful soft pink frost effect to the lips without looking overly done. Burt's Bees make a bigger range of tinted lip balms that are also pretty great.

These 3 products are the only things you need to freshen up quickly if your running late or if your ending a workout. All super accessible and all super easy to use. No brushes required!

And I'm back to paying attention to class. We are talking about weather men and how they don't actually point at real maps haha. Who knew!?

XOXO,
Kelsey

Revlon Touch of Mauve Manicure

I have an interview tomorrow with two non-beauty related companies so I thought I would give myself a fresh manicure to add a little polish (haha pun intended)! 

Tonight I used a Revlon polish in 100 Touch of Mauve, which is really more of a dusty rose pink. I thought it was professional enough because it was a semi-neutral but still feminine. I even painted a little "good luck" heart on the thumb. What I love about all of the Revlon polishes I have used is that they are super opaque with one coat. They are also readily available and affordable. 

Once my fingers were complete I felt like going a little more glitzy on my toes... WARNING! Feet picture ahead!

I used a nail art pen I got from the beauty supply store to create the lattice design. Clearly not interview appropriate but hey! no one will see my toes in my 5" pumps.   

Lastly I just wanted to post this because I found it in my camera as I was uploading these nail pictures. Let me introduce you to my sister Naomi. 

This was taken in my dorm room over the summer in Brooklyn. My sister has a mohawk and we wanted to do a little feminine twist on the spiky traditional rocker look. She totally isn't a rocker though so we curled her hair and put in a bandana like an old fashion housewife! 

Off to finish my project for GAP. I'm creating a pretend business to add to their brand portfolios. 

XOXO

Kelsey 

New HD Camcorder (my love!)

In early October tragedy struck when my trusty Sony handycam was lost. I like to think that it is in a new loving home with someone who will cherish it like I did. Losing it was a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to guiltlessly upgrade to a new Sony Handycam HD camcorder. Check out this baby!

Introducing the HRD-CX160. I got mine at Best Buy. What's great about this camera is that it has built in memory so you don't have to worry about using a memory card. It also has a super easy to use touch screen. One of my favorite features is the built in USB connectivity. It stores in the hand strap!

You can even charge the camera using the USB in a pinch. No more carrying around a ton of unnecessary cables. 

When I first tested it out I was amazed at how detailed the image quality was. You could literally count the baby hairs on my cheek... which also means you could see every detail of the face (ideal for makeup tutorials). I can't wait to start cranking out more videos for my YouTube channel. Its been feeling neglected lately. 

I'm off to study for my Entrepreneurship midterm. Senior year is kicking my butt!

XOXO

Kelsey

Nail Trend: Beige for Fall

You can find it in the drug store, in your nail salon and in the department store. What is it you ask? Beige nail polish (or nail lacquer if your being fancy). 

When there is a little downtime at Macy's (my part-time gig) I browse the new launches from all the cosmetic lines and I had to do a double take when I came across Oyster Shell nail lacquer from MAC.  This polish is a little pricy at $15. You can purchase it online here http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/6843/641/Nail-Lacquer/index.tmpl

If your thinking "Hummm that looks familiar" your right.

Loads of brands have been coming out with this beige color this fall. Magazines call it mannequin hands. I have to admit. I do find it to be rather fresh and a great neutral to add to your collection. 

OPI's version of the mannequin hand is with Skull and Glossbones (I love OPI names!). My co-worker was wearing Skull and Glossbones yesterday and while I painted my fingers with MAC's Oyster Shell and they are almost identical. In fact, she ended up buying Oyster Shell to touch up her manicure. 

If your looking for a drug store brand, Essie has you covered. Its fall collection "Brand New Bag" features a slightly warmer brown tone called Case Study. This little bottle will set you back around $8.

What do you think about mannequin hands? Will you be trying it out this fall? I know I will!

XOXO,
Kelsey

Sofia Vergara Emmy Makeup by CoverGirl

Sofia Vergara is a hot commodity in Hollywood these days. She is an Emmy winning actress, spokes person for numerous brands including Pepsi, and on the hit show Modern Family. Most recently, Vergara signed on with CoverGirl to be a spokes model... move over Drew Berrymore!

Over the weekend stars flocked the red carpet in designer gowns to the 2011 Emmy award show. Sofia Vergara stunned in a bright coral dress with matching coral lipstick. The great thing for us college students trying to recreate this look? All the products used were from CoverGirl.

Celebrity makeup artist Kayleen McAdams focused on the lips using CoverGirl LipPerfection Lipstick. Check out Temptalia's review of LipPerfection here.

CoverGirl Queen collection eyeshadow in Hot Toffee was then used on her eyes to create a smokey brown look with lots of lashes. Of course, rock-star product Lash Blast mascara in very black was used to enhance her flirty eye fringe.

Vergara's CoverGirl campaign will launch in early 2012. Keep an eye out for her signature latina flare as it influences CoverGirl's marketing techniques. Way to go P&G... you struck gold!


Back to paying attention to this African history professor...

XOXO!
Kelsey

Top Cosmetic Companies to Work For

Now that school is in full swing for the last time I really need to take a moment and think about what I want to do with the rest of my life... I know... a daunting task!
I'm still waiting to hear back about a position at L'Oreal luxury products division but a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do and this girl is making plans B, C, D etc.

I've narrowed it down to the top 6 beauty companies I would like to work for. In no specific order...

1. L'Oreal 
2. Este Lauder
3. Revlon
4. LVMH
5. P&G (CoverGirl)
6. Coty

Today I applied to 3 positions at Coty, a marketing position at P&G, emailed the recruiters at Revlon and looked to see if there were any openings at LVMH (There are but they are all in France and require you know the language).

What do you guys think? What other beauty brands would you like to work for full time? I was thinking about maybe Allure magazine or becoming a cosmetic buyer for Sacks or Nordstrums.

I'll fill you in on the job hunt as I know more.

Your worried and stressed friend,
Kelsey
P.S. I saw this and it made my laugh. Next time your stressed click back to this post lol

Wish List: Carol's Daughter Monoi Strengthening Line

Friday was my first day at Macy's and I got to know more about the products I was working with at Carol's Daughter. Everything is free of sulfates and synthetic compounds that damage and leave build up on your hair. Also, each line has an intoxicating fragrance. Black Vanilla is that grown up vanilla that I love and Almond Cookie smells just like the Jergen's original cherry almond lotion. Yummm!

Of all the products available I can not wait to try the Monoi strengthening hair line. It comes with a shampoo, conditioner and a repairing hair mask.

This line claims to strengthen hair 13X after one use. For those of us with long hair, or over processed, over heat styled hair... this could be the miracle we have been waiting for!

If you want to learn more about this line and other Carol's Daughter products, click here for carolsdaughter.com

I have samples of the products which I will try out and report back on. Usually my hair has lots of breakage in the shower which end up on the shower wall. My test will be if that breakage stays the same or decreases. (any other suggestions as to how I can measure breakage?)

I'm off to work this afternoon as well. Sunday's are supposed to be pretty slow so hopefully I hit my sales goal. I've never worked retail like this before where you have to sell X amount each day or else! (no one ever says what the else is, they just tell you to make it haha) 

Enjoy the long weekend!

XOXO

Kelsey

Trend Alert: Matching Makeup

Perhaps you have noticed this trend popping up all over magazines, your classrooms, or on television lately. Trust me, it will be all over the runways during fashion week coming up in September. What is it?

Matching Makeup

Nails + Lips

Now nails and lips are not the only combination being seen. An even bigger trend is eye shadow matching lips or blush matching eyes. 

If you think about it, this trend can be quite the money saver. Many products can be used in multiple ways even if it is labeled "blush" who says you can not use that powder on your eyes? Take it one step further... you can mix a clear gloss (or even some petroleum jelly) with a loose pigment or crushed eye shadow to create a matching lipgloss. 

In this photo I'm matching my favorite red lipstick Revlon's Certainly Red and the only red nail polish I currently have Revlon's Candied Cherry 46

Want to read more about this trend? Check out one of my favorite bloggers Lisa Eldridge and her take on this trend http://www.lisaeldridge.com/video/18744/runway-trend-matchy-make-up/

Let me know if you try this trend out in the comments!

XOXO

Kelsey

Macy's New Hire!

Last I checked in with you I was sitting in my new dorm room applying for jobs. Fast forward a week and I'm still in my new dorm room but I have been hired by Macy's department store. I am actually very excited about this because it will allow me to get a 360 degree view of luxury cosmetics from product development and marketing strategy (this past internship) to the final customer interaction and point of purchase experience. 

Starting Friday (I know so soon!) I will be working at the Carol's Daughter counter which specializes in hair care and body products. 

I know, I know... Where is the makeup right?

Not to worry my friends! At this Macy's Carol's Daughter shares the floor with Bobbi Brown so I get to be trained and help with both but officially I will be working for Carol's Daughter.

Not at all sure what to expect but I do know that for 15 hours a week, I'll be there helping ladies of DC get beautiful hair, skin and face!

XOXO

Kelsey

Back to College (for the Last Time!)

So I made it back on campus to start my senior year.

GOSH TIME FLIES!

So what have I been up to since my last post?

I have spent a ton of time moving into the dorm and getting the ground work in place for this year's American Marketing Association calendar. We met with the freshman and it was so exciting to see how enthusiastic they were about coming to Howard to see them pick my brain about working in the beauty industry. Its crazy how it is coming more and more full circle.

Right now my next move is to finally get all of my stuff from storage (including all of my makeup!) and then to apply for jobs like crazy! This morning I applied for a part time position at Macy's in cosmetics. Now I've gotten rejected from them once before but I'm hoping my experience at L'Oreal will help and also my increased availability. Who knows... Nordstrums might also be the move but it is is farther away so the commute would be annoying.

What sounds so silly but I can not wait for is it have all of my kitchen stuff back! I can not wait to chop my own veggies and grill some tofu scramble!

I miss New York already though. I won't hear back about a full time offer until September but if it is not in the cards for me (as the fortune teller said it wasn't) then I'll move another company that is the right fit. either way... I'll make it in the industry!

From my very disorganized room,
XOXO Kelsey

Summer at L'Oreal Winding Down

It has been an intense summer and as I reread my last blog post (July 4th!) I realize I have been neglecting my duty as a "writer" to keep this blog up to date with the events of the summer. So in a nutshell...

• Presentation on the 2011 Expert Wear restage went well
• Its the last full day of working with Maybelline
• Interview set up with luxury products division
• Waiting to hear back regarding a full-time offer

This experience has taught me so much on presentation and independence. At L'Oreal, everyone is extremely busy so often times there is no one to tell you what to do and how to complete a task therefore you have to be self sufficient and figure out on your own. Some things I have figured out this summer:

• How to pull IRI database queries
• The intense creativity needed to generate shade names
• How to create a product board when you have no money to buy products!

This is definitely the industry I want to be in so now it is just a matter of figuring out where I fit into the equation. I promise to keep you updated.

XOXO
Kelsey

Happy 4th of July!

Here is a little treat from my favorite beauty guru on YouTube Kandee Johnson!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

XOXO

Kelsey

Tom Ford Private Label Lipstick in Vanilla Suede

Tom Ford Private Label Lipstick in Vanilla Suede

Tom Ford is an American designer most well known for his sophisticated red carpet tuxedos. Tom Ford embodies sexy masculinity that is universally appealing which is most notable in his line of fragrances that are all (but one) unisex (several tend to identify more feminine or masculine). The designer's departure into lipstick has been well received and he has since won Allure awards for best luxury lipstick . See full article HERE. 

Now I am a lipstick junkie and since I finally received a couple of my paychecks, I decided to splurge just a little bit and head over to Bergdof Goodman, one of the few places in the city where you can play around with the colors before you purchase. Let me do a quick rave about the Bergdof beauty department... never before have you seen so much luxury at once. At Berfdof Goodman, the "low-end" makeup counters include Lancome and Este Lauder while the highest end cosmetic counters include Tom Ford, Guerlain, and Claude de Pau Beaute. I love the selection, quality, and knowledge of the beauty advisors. I could have long conversations at every single counter and I practically did at Tom Ford yesterday so much so that we exchanged business cards to keep in touch.

But back to the Lipstick.

For dramatic effect!

The range comes in 12 shades: 4 nudes, 4 brights, and 4 reds. I, being obsessed with what I call corpusy-nudes (because they are so pale they make you look dead), gravitated to the lightest shade Vanilla Suede. This shade is a very shimmery pale nude with a hint of peach. I tend to own more matte or satin finish nudes so this is my first with a shimmer. 

Formulated with rare and exotic ingredients including soja seed extract, Brazilian murumuru butter and chamomilla flower oil, the luxurious formula has an ultra-creamy texture for an incredibly smooth application. Specially treated color pigments are blended to deliver pure color with just the right balance of luminosity. 

Side note: You can feel the shimmer in the formula when on your lips but its not annoying. What IS slightly annoying is how expensive this lipstick is, but I knew that going into it that it would set me back $50 after tax! The lipstick itself retails for $45 which is just slightly less expensive than the Guerlain Rouge G series (the one with the mirror). 

I can say that Tom Ford put all the expenses in the packaging at it is done beautifully. It is, to me the best looking lipstick on the market with its gold hefty case and while enamel panels. Its so heavy that you could use it easily as a weapon if it came to that! 

Overview: The product is lovely but the real wow-factor is in the packaging. At $45 a pop, choose the color you will wear most often and relish in the joy of applying. 

If you get a chance, stop by Bergdof Goodman and take a look at the range of Tom Ford lipsticks. PSSST! Come September Tom Ford will be launching a complete cosmetic range so look out for that too.  

Packaging

Vanilla Suede with a smokey eye look

XOXO

Kelsey, College Cosmetic/Intern/Makeup Junkie/Increasingly broke college student especially after this purchase lol

Great Lash Big Review

Maybe she's born with it... Maybe its Maybelline Great Lash Big Mascara!

Great Lash Big is the second of the 6 mascaras that I will be reviewing from the beauty closet. Great Lash Big has the same formula as the original however the brush is super sized! Take a look at the difference on this baby. I guess I am so used to jumbo volumizing brushes already that I did not realize how big it was until I compared it to the original.

It must be 3 times the size!

This product is supposed to give wearable volume and act as a stepping stone into volumizing mascaras for those that have been great lash users for years. I think it is also an attempt to bring more relevance to the Great Lash brand by keeping it current and new.... which is actually pretty smart when you think about it.

The formula is super gentile which I always liked about Great Lash. I got a bunch in my eye while applying it and it did not sting at all. A con about this formula however is that it is very wet and takes a long time to dry. Because of this, I ended up with lots of black dots all over my lower lashes and on my brow bone.... NOT Cute... but not the end of the world. 

What turned me off about this product at the end of the day is that as I sweat to death shoveling dirt in Brooklyn (more on that later) it left me with black raccoon eyes. 

• Length 7/10
• Volume 8/10
• Curl Hold 7/10
• Flake-Resistant 6/10
• Wow-Factor 7/10
• Overall Score  70/100

C

The Original Great Lash does not give volume so I was skeptical that changing the brush would make that big of a difference. I expected less from this mascara and it delivered way beyond my expectations although I can't say that I prefer it to any of the other mascaras I've tried this week. 

With Great Lash Big

Before

With Great Lash Big

With Great Lash Big

XOXO 

Kelsey 

Falsies by Maybelline Mascara Review

Maybelline Falsies Mascara Review

Maybe she's born with it... Maybe its Maybelline Falsies Mascara!

Falsies is the first of the 6 mascaras that I will be reviewing from the beauty closet. So many people in the office rave about how much they love falsies and how it is the best so I had high hopes for this mega volume booster from the beginning. 

Interesting Fact: Falsies is #1 among fiery Latinas 

The product is in the Volume Express line and is supposed to give that false lash effect. Its special secret is its scooped brush that allows you to start at the roots and work up the lashes for a beautiful full flared effect. 

One thing I noticed that was strange was how quickly it dried. This is a pro because you do not have to worry about wet lash marks on your eyelids but a con because the faster it dries, the less time you have to build it up. Moral of the review? Work QUICKLY!

• Length 8/10
• Volume 8/10
• Curl Hold 9/10
• Flake-Resistant 9/10
• Wow-Factor 8/10
• Overall Score  92/100

A-

Although I loved the effect of this mascara, Doreen-the lash goddess, did not complement my lashes today meaning that they were not dramatic enough to catch her attention which lost it points on wow-factor. 

Before

After
Lashes with Maybelline Falsies

Before

After
Lashes with Maybelline Falsies