Highly Anticipated Launch: Mad Men for Estee Lauder

Have you heard about the latest collection to rock our vintage loving hearts? Estee Lauder is launching a limited edition collection inspired by the popular show Mad Men. 

The LA Times reports "The Estee Lauder Mad Men collection features a satin finish lipstick in a cherry hue ($25) and a cream rouge in a color called evening rose ($40), both packaged in gold-colored cases and boxes inspired by Estee Lauder designs from the '60s."

Read full article here

I'm already getting my pearl studs, circle skirt, and white patent leather flats ready in anticipation. The mini collection hits stores March 2012 with a second part to the collection launching in 2013. 

XOXO

Kelsey

Capital Area Blogger Event: Networking, Floral Arranging & Sangrias

I recently joined an organization called CapFABB which stands for Capital Area Fashion and Beauty Bloggers http://capfabb.com/. In a nutshell its a network for all fashion and beauty bloggers in the Washington DC area. Last night CapFABB hosted an networking event for its members to celebrate their 1-year anniversary and yours truly was in attendance! I thought I would bring you along to the event...

Me modeling the corsage H Bloom made me

The event was sponsored by H.Bloom a floral delivery company in major cities across the country including DC, NY, Chicago and San Francisco. I will totally do a plug for this company because I think its the coolest idea since liquid lipstick. Not only does this company offer weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly flower subscriptions; you can also choose what style of arrangement you like and they have floral designers come up with the perfect arrangement for you. The best part is that its super affordable-subscriptions start at $29! What a cute idea for a gift that keeps on giving.

The "Bloom Bar"  

H.Bloom constructed a "Bloom Bar" at the CapFABB meet up where H.Bloom floral specialists assisted bloggers in making their own corsages, flower necklaces, fascinators and headbands. I still have superglue on my fingers as I type this! 

Tony- the amazing floral specialist who helped me- gave me some tips to help keep your flowers blooming longer. 

1. If your cut flowers are from bulbs (ie tulips) add a few pennies to the bottom of the vase of water and it will help them stay fresh and in bloom for longer. 
2. If the flowers you buy don't come with the little packet of flower food you can make your own. All you have to do is mix together...
• Water
• Table Sugar
• 7-Up Soda
• Bleach (just a little bit)

Guests stocking up on flowers as the night wraps up

It was awesome meeting some really driven bloggers last night and I can't wait to meet more of you at upcoming events!

Off to take another exam, this time in sports marketing... wish me luck!

XOXO

Kelsey

Lipstick of the Day: MAC Kissable Lipcolor in En-Chantee

My lipstick color preferences go in spurts. Over the summer I was obsessed with uber-nude mouths and now I am loving various shades of pale pink. One of the latest in my collection is MAC's recently launched kissable lipcolor in En-Chantee which is a nice Pepto-bismal pink... right up my ally! 

The kissable lipcolors look like a lipgloss but have the coverage of a lipstick. I like the texture of the kissable lipcolors because they feel hydrating and smooth. Bonus! They are not sticky what so ever. Shout for joy! No hair caught in my mouth when a breeze blows. 

The only gripe I have about the kissable lipcolors is that they do not last as long as traditional lipstick. Although you will continue to feel hydrated and they feel as if they are on, after about 2 hours the color had faded substantially. 

I would recommend this product if you like the feeling of hydrated lips and don't mind reapplying every so often. For me the texture and feel are worth it. 

If you can't get your hands on En-Chantee, MAC Viva Glam Gaga 1 is almost identical in color

Kissable lipcolors are available with the MAC Shop MAC Cook collection in stores now and available online here.

Off to take my Marketing Planning and Strategy test... Wish me luck! 

XOXO

Kelsey

Simple Room Elements to Smile About

Fresh flowers bring life (literally) to a room

There are simple things that I like to keep around me to make me feel calm, to inspire my dreams and to make my day better. I thought I would share a few of them with you today as I will be spending the entire day in my dorm room preparing for tomorrow's marketing planning and strategy exam. 

 Even if they are from the grocery store and I bought them for myself, I always keep a vase of fresh flowers in my room. If I have the opportunity to splurge I also keep a vase full in my bathroom but that is not a healthy environment for them with all the steam and temperature changes. Last night I picked up these white tulips from the organic market. I love how they are so elegant and it reminds me of when I was younger my dad and I would plant bulb after bulb in our back yard of different types of tulips.

Perfume collection & Grandparent's wedding photo

This area is special to me because it is where I keep the picture of my grandparents on their wedding day. I remember when my grandfather passed away my grandma asked that when she dies, we burry her in this wedding dress because she wanted her husband to meet her in heaven wearing the dress she wore when they committed their love to each other on earth. This photo is a reminder to me that love exists that transcends time and space.  

Painting of DC Cherry Blossoms

One of my favorite perks about living in Washington, DC is I get to be surrounded by beautiful pink blossoms every spring. They invade the city with their bright petals and the iconic festival in their honor. I found the painting at Eastern Market, an outdoor farmers market/art fair, in one of DC's historic districts overlooking the capital. After falling in love with it I went back the next week and purchased it from the artist. It depicts everything I love about spring in Washington and it was my first real art purchase. I keep it over my bed as a bright way to wake up every morning. 

I hope you are able to identify something around you today that makes you smile and is an investment in your happiness. 

XOXO

Kelsey

LUSH Toothy Tabs

If you watched my recent LUSH haul a few posts ago you may have noticed I brought home with me Sparkle Toothy Tabs. Now these are supposed to be an alternative to traditional tooth paste and (Bonus!) they are eco-friendly because all of the packaging is made out of paper and there are no chemical ingredients. Pretty cool huh!?

I thought I would test these out and give you the play-by-play of my experience in case you were curious or interested in picking some toothy tabs up next time you head to LUSH. 

Toothy tabs come in a couple of different flavors including breath of god, ultrablast, and atomic but I was drawn to sparkle because it is supposed to be a whitening tab. 

The label reads:

"If you want your pearly whites to stop and dazzle people in the street, brush with a Sparkle-our lemon, grapefruit and black pepper tooth cleansing tab"

Yes you read correctly- lemon, grapefruit and BLACK PEPPER! To be honest, when I tried these, the black pepper was the dominant flavor. Not in a bad way, but it overpowered the lemon and grapefruit.

 Step 1: Place one tab between your front teeth and nibble to break up

Step 2: Wet your toothbrush and brush. The toothy tab will begin to foam.

Step 3: Rinse your mouth well and spit out (Do people forget to do that when they brush their teeth?)
Step 4: Give yourself a big cheesy grin in the mirror 

Overall I would give this product a "Try It" recommendation. They do leave your mouth feeling clean and your teeth shiny but I can't get over the black pepper taste. I think I would go with a more traditional mint flavor next time. Cool product ideal. 

XOXO

Kelsey

What's In My Purse... A Whole LOT!

As a busy college student I feel like I carry the world around with me, or at least enough of it to help me survive an extended period of time waiting between classes or trekking it across town to go to work. So many YouTubers have "What's in my Purse" videos and I realized that was one popular topic I had yet to film/blog about. 

So lets start with the bag itself. 

I carry around a leopard print tote from Ralph Lauren which I got a few weeks ago at Macy's. I am a huge fan of animal print because it adds a little "jazzy-ness" to any outfit. In my mind its a neutral right along with black leggings and a brown smokey eye. Everything in my tote is easy to switch over to smaller bags if I were going out with friends or wanted something a little less massive. 

Lets take a look at the goodies inside!

Starting from top left to right.

1. Pencil case complete with whiteout, a mini stapler, and post-it notes
2. On-the-Go makeup bag with extra hair elastics, hand sanitizer, lip balm & lipstick, and roll on perfume
3. Sunglasses from LouLou Boutique and case from the Sunglass Hut
4. iPhone 4 in White and Leopard print case from J Crew
5. Bobbi Brown oil blotting paper in a leather case with mirror 
6. Smart phone gloves with touch screen finger tips
7. Trident gum
8. Skull Candy headphones in pink
9. Day Runner planner
10. Novel One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
11. Jessica Simpson Wallet  
12. Henri Bendel Lipstick Keychain 
13. Kindle Fire in Juicy Couture Pink Stardust Glitter E-reader case

What's in your bag/purse/fanny pack!? Does anyone still wear fanny packs?
XOXO
Kelsey

Lush Haul Spring 2012

I recently went to LUSH with my friend Darian and we picked up loads of lush goodies! It was her first time ever being in a LUSH store and I felt like the diplomatic ambassador of all things lushy as I introduced her to Buffy and Fresh Face Masks.

Take a look at our haul:

Kelsey's Items:
Sparkle Toothy Tabs
Buffy Body Exfoliator
Big Shampoo
Love Lettuce Face Mask

Darian's Haul:
Aqua Marina Seaweed Cleanser
Honey Trap Lip Balm
Gorilla Perfume Sample
Karma Kream
Cosmetic Worrier Face Mask

Georgetown Cupcakes for Valentine's Day

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with their sweetie's last night (or your closest friends for us single ladies). Yesterday was a day to celebrate any type of love in your life so I expressed my love of cupcakes! If you have seen the show DC Cupcakes or live anywhere close to Washington DC you know about Georgetown Cupcakes. This cupcakery makes adorable cupcakes that taste amazing! There is always a line outside the door that curves up a hill and even around the corner on a extra busy day. 

My selection last night was Big Apple Crumble which is an apple flavored cupcake with cinnamon frosting. It also had a cute apple cutout on top in red sparkly fondant. I finished the night off by seeing "The Vow" which is about a couple that falls in love and after an accident erases the wife's memory, her husband has to make her fall in love with him all over again. Cute if you like that sort of thing (on Valentines day I happen to LOVE that sort of thing). 

Big virtual hugs and kisses 

XOXO

Kelsey

Yummy Healthy Breakfast

One of the secrets to having your makeup look amazing is healthy skin. Your skin is a true reflection of how your health and can be affected immensely by what you put in your body from the negatives like smoking to the positives like drinking enough water. 

To help keep my skin looking great and my body feeling great I maintain a vegan lifestyle and I thought I would share with you one of my FAVORITE breakfasts that I eat at least 5 days a week! 

Vegan Berry Parfait:

Start with frozen mixed berries. I like them frozen because it keeps the yogurt nice and cold. If you can, go with organic because berries have such a think skin that any pesticides that are sprayed on them will get absorbed easily. (No one wants to eat poison!) I like Wyman's of Main because they come in huge jumbo bags and taste delicious. 

I like to fill up the bowl 2/3 of the way or about 1 1/2 cups of frozen berries.

There are a ton of alternative yogurts on the market for those of us who don't eat dairy. I have tried the coconut milk yogurt but I prefer Silk Live! Vanilla yogurt. It has a nice creamy texture and is available in most grocery stores. I usually use about 2/3 cup of yogurt or just enough to coat the berries. Let the berries be the start of this breakfast.

To finish it off I top it with a 1/4 cup of granola to add some crunch. This is vanilla almond granola from my organic market's bulk food section. Its less expensive when you buy it from this section rather than in the cereal isle. 

Vola! a yummy vegan berry parfait that is super easy and super nutritious. 

Have a wonderful (yummy) day!

XOXO

Kelsey

Photo Shoot for LavishExposure.com

Quite a few months ago a friend of mine asked me to do the makeup for a photo shoot he was orchestrating. I agreed and we came up with a "working lumber jack glam" vibe. The shoot went really well and the pictures are finally here! Special thanks to Ricardo for sending them to me. To see more of the shoot head over to lavishexposure.com.

For the guys I airbrushed their skin and used black shadow smudged under the lower lash line to give a "lived in" look. 

I also airbrushed the main model's foundation and created a green smoky eye using urban decay loose pigments and really heavy gel liner from Maybelline under her eye. 

XOXO on this lovely Sunday evening, 

Kelsey