Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Sephora Friends & Family Sale 2011!

Why, Hello there Lovelies!

I know its been a little while, but I'm now working full time! Woot, woot! And my new job is going to hopefully help with my career in nursing!

Sephora is currently running their Friends & Family sale until November 2nd, and EVERYTHING IS 20% OFF! Whaaaat?! Of course I picked up a few things! To get into the sale, go to sephora.com/family and enter your email address, once your email address is in you get a one-time only discount code. However, you can use five different email addresses. So essentially, you can do 5 separate transactions (in case you forget something!).

FOR DISCOUNT CODE GO TO SEPHORA.COM/FRIENDS :)

So without further ado, here comes the haul!

♥ ♥ ♥

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in "Little Red Dress" : I love doing a red lip and this super rich, shimmery red is going to be perfect for an easy red lip, not to mention it'll be the bombdotcom for holiday parties and gatherings! Definitely a splurge, but compared to other glosses I saw, this one had a good amount of product!

lookatallthosefingerprints
sparklyketchupbydior


Tarte MultipEYE Liquid Liner: I know, I have too much liquid liner, but I'm a sucker for pen liners (they're more hygienic than the classic pot style) and love Tarte so I thought I'd try this out. It has a great brush-tip rather than the classic felt-tip.

EYESEEWHATYOUDIDTHERETARTE
eyeheartliner


Benefit Watt's Up?: A new, slightly shimmery, champagne highlighter with a cream-to-powder finish. One end is the product (in a stick form) and on the other end is a blending sponge. Its super pretty and glowy!

wazzzzzzzzzzzzzzuupp
wazzzuppppppswatchhhh
(Top is blended out, bottom isn't!)


Makeup Forever's Duo Mat Powder Foundation in "199": I was looking for a good powder foundation for days that liquid is too much work (aka early mornings) and this one got great reviews and sounded great for my oily skin! MUFE is also pretty good with their colors!

mufeepowder


Sephora by OPI Nailpolish in "Good Tidings We Bling": Not gonna lie, not like what was pictured online! Its a mix of chunky and fine red and green glitter, but it come off and looks pretty dark. Not that bright, I'm gonna try layering it but so far its not what I had hoped for!

goodtidingsweblinggdablingdabling



Dior Amber Diamond Highlighter: This one is in the mail, just came back in stock and I've had my eye on it! It supposed to be a universally flattering powder highlight that many double as an eyeshadow palette! Definitely a splurge but it was on sale :)

amberdiamondstockphoto


Finally, the best DEAL of the sale, and for the Holiday season!

Tarte's Lip Service Limited-Edition LipSurgence Collection: 5 Tarte lip tints for the price of ONE! All full size!! The set retails for $29 but during the sale it comes down to $23ish but retails for $120!! AMAZING!! Haven't tested these for wear yet, but will do a review!! And they're perfect for gifting!

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tarteswatcharoonies


So, did you pick anything up during the sale? Let me know!!
♥ Chelsea

Friday, September 16, 2011

What's In My Purse!

The best way to learn about a girl is to see what's in her freaking massive bag. But of course, that'd be psychotic if you were like "HI STRANGER, LET ME LOOK IN YOUR BAG! I WANNA GET TO KNOW YOU!". So obviously, "What's In My Purse" videos/blogs/articles became popular, and no restraining order needed! :) I like doing these yearly so here we gooo!


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The bag of choice: Michael Kors' Large Fulton. Because every New York girl needs a good black leather hobo! I just loved the simplicity of the bag and chicness. And I love me some MK.


insidethebag
I like to keep my bag clean and organized! Its freaking heavy enough with all my crap!


LIMABEAN
Contents!
♥ Betsey Johnson wristlet with all important cards, IDs, and my iPhone
♥ Cat-eye sunglasses
♥ Wallet and checkbook
♥ Barnes & Noble Nook (currently reading Pretty Little Liars, haha!)
♥ Lots of Twilight Woods scented goodness (pretty much obsessed with that scent)
♥ Altoids! Because I enjoy curiously strong breath!
♥ Headphones and a spare phone case (in case I feel like mixing it up)

CLUTCHH

NOOKLIKEABOOKBUTWITHAN

PHONECRAP

SUNWALLET

TWILIGHTWOOODZZ

MAKEUPBAG


So what's in your purse? Have a post or video? I'd love to see!
♥ Chelsea

Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11/01

I can never forget what happened on September 11th, 2001. It was the scariest day of my life.

It was the beginning of the sixth grade for me, I was at a new school, and was living in Metro New York (where I grew up).

My teacher's cell phone had rang around ten of 9 am. This was unusual, in 2001, cell phones weren't what we use them as now, but rather for emergencies only. She saw it was her daughter and took the call into the hall. She came back in with tears running down her face. Her daughter who lived a few blocks from the WTC had said that a plane crashed into the tower.

She told us about the "accident". We were in disbelief. A few minutes later, our principal came in and told us what had happened, and as she stood there, she heard news of the second strike. This was no accident. She told us, a room full of 10 and 11 year olds that we couldn't utter a word about this outside the classroom because our school was K-6, and she didn't want anyone under the age of 10 to hear of this. She than ran out and a few minutes later came back in and declared that school had to move to to the basement.

Teachers were shaking, crying, and carrying folders. Folders with student's contact information, like where their parents worked. Because when you live a little under an hour from Manhattan, you were about guaranteed to have one or both parents working in the city. We stayed in the basement, we had no idea why. But we had to stay calm and play games.

We were under attack. This was a war. How did this happen. We were living in a nightmare. Not an idea of what was happening, and fearing for our lives.

All day, students were in and out of the room. Teachers asking them where their parents and guardians were. We hadn't seen any of the footage. Parents came in and took their children out. I just stayed there, my mom was a single mom and working. My dad who had worked in the city, and actually at the Twin Towers during the 93 bombing, was at a business trip in Florida.

I didn't see anything until I got home that day and that's all that played. We just sat there and watched the news. How could this happen. In the days and weeks that followed it was constant fear. But at the same time, unity. We had come together, every store had an American Flag hanging up, every street corner with a sign that said "God Bless the USA". It was that comforting fact that we were all together during this horrific time, that made it easier.

Almost as if the American flag was a blanket, just comforting us and protecting us. United We Stand. We were all afraid but not alone. We all made new friends.

I remember a day or two after the attacks, Z100 had released a remix of Enrique Inglesis' "Hero", which still brings tears to my eyes.

I just want to say, God Bless America. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. And God Bless all those who lost anyone during that horrific day, and anyone who is still suffering from it. To this day, first responders are still suffering from the aftermath, from the debris and smoke. I encourage all of you to observe a moment of silence to remember all the innocent lives lost that day, and to be thankful. Thank your local fire departments, police, EMTs. And say a prayer or send a thought to all those who lost a mother, father, son, daughter, aunt, uncle..etc. Because they don't just think about 9/11 during September but every day of their life.

God bless,
♥ Chelsea

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Getting Freaky Tag! 15 Weird Questions!

This tag has been floating around Youtube so I thought I'd give it a whirl! 15 random questions!

#1. What's a nickname only your family calls you? The only one I can think of is "Redbird", which is what my Dad calls me! In High School everyone called me by my last name since we had 4 Chelsea's!

#2. What's a weird habit of yours? I constantly peel my nail polish off. CONSTANTLY. I peel/pick everything. Its so bad.

#3. Do you have any weird phobias? Standing by windows for long periods of time. Swimming pool drains, which I blame completely on that one episode of Are You Afraid of The Dark? where that freaking zombie thing lived in the pool...shit was scary then and still is!

#4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast & belt out when you're alone? Without a doubt, No Doubt's "Don't Speak" .

#5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves? I freaking HATE it when people constantly walk around with their headphones in! I think its super rude! Especially customers! I hate being like "Hi! How are you?" and they're plugged in...ANNOYING. I wanna be like "COMMUNICATE WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD!" I have like a million work related pet peeves.

#6. What's one of your nervous habits? Again, nail polish peeling, cuticle ripping. Nasty and bad.

#7. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Both!

#8. What was your first stuffed animal & it's name? My blanket bunny! My Dad constantly bought me these little floppy blanket bunnies in the City from random street vendors, hahaha. I hope my Mom washed them...Also, his name was Bunny ( I know, freaking genius)

#9. What's the drink you ALWAYS order at starbucks? I NEVER go to Starbucks. I hate coffee. I'll get hot chocolate, but only from Dunkin :)

#10. What's the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice?
Cleaning my brushes! I wash them but not as often as I should!

#11. Which way do you face in the shower? Against the shower, so facing the wall!

#12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'? I can sometimes get my feet over my shoulders/head and become like a ball. Not because I'm flexible, just because my legs are freaking long.

#13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food thats 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways? Chocolate and Chinese.

#14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say? "SERIOUSLY?!" and I had someone at work point out to me the other day that I do it too much. Seriously?!

#15. Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing? NYPD shirt with gray cheetah pajama pants.


I tag you!!

♥ Chelsea

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette

Hello Lovelies!

Ok, I was very on the fence about getting Urban Decay's new limited-edition 15th Anniversary Palette. When I first saw it blowing up on the blogsphere, I had to get it! The perfect blend of neutrals and colors in super sexy packaging!

But then I thought to myself, I never wear colors. I'll probably only really use the neutrals. But that had me thinking, I NEED COLOR! And then my logic went like this:

One UD Shadow = $17
These are full size shadows so thats $17 x 15 = $255 value
$55 = 3.23 UD Shadows (I went there, decimals, I went there)
So thats like buying 3 UD shadows and getting 12 for free!

And I'm so happy I splurged! The colors are perfectly balanced, the first column being perfect every day neutral, the middle column having the brighter colors and the last column holding colors that are amazeballs for smoking everything out!

AND DID I MENTION THAT THESE ARE 15 BRAND-SPANKING-NEW SHADOWS?! YES! 15 brand new shadows that are exclusive to this jeweled-mirrored beauty!

I'll let Urban Decay do a run-down on the shadows!
♥ Deeper (deep shimmery golden brown)
♥ M.I.A. (soft shimmery dark brown)
♥ Ace (dark gunmetal shimmer)
♥ Blackout (darkest, most saturated black)
♥ Half Truth (shimmery smoky purple)
♥ Tainted (pale matte purple with golden shimmer)
♥ Junkshow (bright pink w/fuchsia shift)
♥ Omen (shimmery metallic bright purple w/blue shift)
♥ Evidence (deep metallic blue)
♥ Deep End (bright teal shimmer)
♥ Midnight Rodeo (medium metallic brown w/silver and gold glitter)
♥ Midnight 15 (oyster pearl w/silver glitter)
♥ Vanilla (shimmery white gold)
♥ Flow (soft peach shimmer)
♥ Chase (metallic bright bronze)
**Lovely descriptions courtsey of Urbandecay.com

As far as shadow quality goes, all the shadows are super pigmented and the same high-quality from Urban Decay! I'd have to admit that Midnight Rodeo has some of their infamous glitter-fallout but that seems to be the only problem shadow! All of the shadows are shimmery, with the exception of Blackout which is a matte black! I kinda wish they had a matte highlight color but its not a necessity!

Ok, I'll shut up now, picture time!

sexyudbeast1
The whole container is shiny and mirrored, its gorgeous but attracts fingerprint! The Urban Decay "UD" logo is a pretty purple gem!

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The color lineup on the back.

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A simple, intricate detail on the sides, reminds me of the Lip Junkie gloss caps!

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Lift the palette up and there lies a little velvet box to hold goodies! Perfect for little things like liners and tweezers when traveling!

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Full mirror inside the lid, awesome!

shadowsallupinhere
15 brand new shades!

swatchbatch1
(L-R) Midnight Rodeo, Midnight 15, Vanilla, Flow, Chase, Tainted and Junkshow

swatchbatch2
(L-R) Omen, Evidence, Deep End, Deeper, M.I.A., Ace, Blackout and Half-Truth

udlook1
And a quick look! :)


Anybody planning on picking this up? If so, hop on it! This beauty is limited edition and available at Sephora, Sephora.com, Ulta, ulta.com, select Macy*s stores, macys.com and Urbandecay.com and retails for $55.

♥ Chelsea

Monday, August 15, 2011

A Revolution for Your Eyelashes?!

Hello Lovelies!

I rarely follow makeup collections, for me its "Oh, I like this! I shall buy it!". But when Urban Decay released all their new products for Fall, my interest peaked. Its their 15th Anniversary and they're releasing some pretty awesome products!

But one of them just confused me enough that I ordered it. And it was their "The Revolution" eyelash curler. Its a "cageless" curler that is supposed to be pinch-free and curl your lashes.

Now, Urban Decay, I love you. I really do, you're one of my favorite brands, but SERIOUSLY?!

therevolution

I just don't even know. I wanted to love it. Its a freaking eyelash curler that costs $19 that looks like something that belongs in MoMA.

The first thing I noticed was how small it is compared to other curlers. Smaller in both length and little curling bed.

The next thing I noticed? The fact that its mechanics were a simple coil. A little stupid coil. Now, the problem with this is that it provides more resistance, meaning its not going to curl as well.

Or in my case, it didn't curl my lashes at all. I squeezed and squeezed and squeezed until my fingers cried. No curl. I applied mascara and tried again and alas, nothing. And not to mention that the curler is too small to curl all my lashes at once. I would have to do my outer lashes and then my inner.

Now, this could be good. But like I said, it didn't curl AT ALL.

The "cageless" aspect? I never felt like it was those little side bars that pinched my lashes, but the concept is interesting. Then again, maybe there is a reason why we have never seen a curler like this before.

Final verdict? HUGE MISS! Its a pretty piece for your vanity with its polished gunmetal frame and sleek design, but completely impractical for curling your lashes. You're better off getting E.L.F'.s $1 curler.

curlerbattleyo
Traditional curler on the left against the Revolution on right.

What is your favorite eyelash curler? Or do you skip curling? Let me know!

♥ Chelsea

Monday, August 1, 2011

A Mid-Summer Night's Favorites!

Hello Lovelies!

So I was going to do a monthly favorites but I decided that I would do some of my favorites of the summer! Because since its scorching, I've been keeping things simple and light. Cream products, waterproof makeup and lots of gloss!

midsummerfav
All together now!

fixplusbeautyblender
I have been loving MAC's Fix+ with my beauty blender! Seriously, its the best way to set my makeup. Just a few spritz on the blender and bounce on top of my foundation so it looks in place, fresh and not powdery!

msfnatural
Ok, even though I haven't been a fan of powder, I have wearing pretty much only a dab of concealer and a quick swirl of MSF Natural. And the Sigma F30 does an amazeballs job of covering!

eyes
udswatches
Urban Decay's shadow pencils and their new liquid liner = staple. They're waterproof, last all day and don't smudge! Left swatch is "Midnight Cowboy" and "Sin". My only problem is that you kinda have to get their ten dollar sharpener. I'm too afraid to butcher the pencils!

moreeyes
potswatcbes
Cream shadows! With a primer, these last all day, and look fresh. Swatches from left to right are MAC's "Rubenesque" , "Bare Study" and Makeup Forever's "016". I gotta admit, I prefer MAC's paintpots to MUFE's Aqua Shadows, the MUFE shadows have the WORST chemical odor. It reminds me of acetone, not a fan. And paint pots are much easier to blend!

facee
cswatches
Yup, creams and stains are my new loves. From left to right, Benefit's "Coralista", Urban Decay's "Crush" and "Quickie" and Benefit's "Benetint". "Coralista" is the only powder blush that I have been really wearing, and the UD cheek tints last all day and stain the cheeks! "Benetint" is a hardcore stain, and it looks scary in the bottle but gives you a sexy flush! All about that flush!

lips
lswatches
I have not picked up a lipstick all summer. All glossy goodness! From left to right are Urban Decay's Lip Junkie in "Crush", MAC lipglasses in "Pink Poodle" and "Pink Lemonade", YSL Volupte Sheer Candy in "04" and "06" and Buxom gloss in "Kanani".

In a nutshell, keeping it light and simple, pink and coral, and neutral/bronzey lids (hey, I can't get naturally bronze on my face!)

Any summer must haves for you? Of course SPF, but I work inside all day ;)

062
Aaaaaaaaaand Max is watching some trashy Jersey shows with me! Real Housewives of New Jersey and Jerseylicious! He knows his mama is a New Yorker!

♥ Chelsea

Thursday, July 7, 2011

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy Glossy Balm Lip Color: A Lip Luxury

Hello Lovelies!

I apologize for not posting! I have been caught up with work, but now I have a few days off!

So I kinda lost my mind and bought two of the new YSL Volupte Sheer Candy balm/gloss/lipstick/whatever. Now I don't typically go look at high-end, designer brands, but I heard about that these in a bunch of magazines as a summer must-have.


Its a sheer, moisturizing lip color that smells and tastes amazing! Its like the love child of lip balm, gloss and lipstick. Its sheer, not as opaque as a lipstick, but a bit more color than gloss. In fact, it actually slightly stains the lips. It leaves a glossy finish and makes my lips feel hydrated and happy! And it has a melon taste, which is delicious! These last a few hours and once the glossy effect disappears, it gently stains the lips.

These are the only 2 products that I've been rocking on my lips this month! And I have gotten so many compliments on them! I would recommend getting these in the darker colors, since they are sheer in nature! And for $30, you want to get your money's worth!

The two colors I have are "4: Succulent Pomegranate" which is a beautiful bright pink with a little bit of red tones; and "6: Luscious Cherry" a gorgeous bright red with a gold shimmer. Both of these are perfect for summer!

packagingysl
The packaging is gorgeous, then again it should be for the price!

4and6
On the Left is "4" and on the Right is "6"

sidebyside
Love and love!

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#6 and this is a bit more red in person!

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#4 and this too is brighter in person!

These retail for thirty bucks and can be found wherever YSL is sold, I got mine at sephora.com! They're a bit pricey, but I think they're perfect for summer!

Anyone try these? Any summer must-haves?!

♥ Chelsea


Thursday, June 9, 2011

Stila Stunning in Sayulita Palette

Ok, not gonna lie, I had to Google where Sayulita was. Haha. It is in Mexico, in case you were also wondering.

Anywhozie! Hello Lovelies!

I picked up this little gem at Sephora for $14, and it is the first Stila Beach Girl Palette series. Over the course of the summer, Stila is releasing 5 of these beach-themed travel and budget friendly palettes. So far there are 3 out and 2 more to go!

stunningpalette

The palette comes with four eyeshadows, one blush and one "bronzing powder". The four eyeshadows are super wearable and all neural. The top left color, "Starfish" is a nice light champagne, "Sandbar", which is located next to it, is a nice shimmery chocolate brown. It has a gold sheen/shimmer and almost has a touch of a blue shimmer in it. "Getaway" the bottom left color is a pretty taupe and "Palm Trees" is a nice rich-medium green. All the shadows are on the shimmery side, but I haven't had horrible fallout from them.

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stilastunningswatches
L to R: "Banderas Bay" (highlighter/bronzing powder), "Play" (blush), "Starflish, "Sandbar", "Getaway" and "Palm Trees"

The blush is pretty, subtle, matte peach called "Playa", but their "bronzing powder"? What the fetch? Who is that gonna bronze? I thought "Banderas Bay" was a highlighter. And as a highlighter, its too shimmery, even more so with the shimmery shadows, it makes it look like fallout. But! Its pretty as an eyeshadow!

This palette is a great deal, I don't feel like they're sacrificing anything as far as quality goes. But claiming its a $62 value? Yeah.....no! But I would completely recommend it! It is perfect for someone who travels or anyone who likes a good deal!

backpalette

I think I'm going to pick up the Hamptons palette next!

Anyone try this? Let me know!

♥ Chelsea