Sam Edelman Gigi Sandal Review, Summer Casual Outfit

I ordered a pair of Sam Edelman Gigi sandals from HSN a few weeks back. Gigi retails for $60, but was on HSN for $37.50 (limited color and size selection). I found a free shipping code, and used ebates (invite) for some cashback. This was actually was my first HSN order! It processed and shipped very quickly.

Gigi is simple with a twist - thong shaped snake embossed upper, padded sole, and a slight heel. They are well made, fit true to size, and are comfortable to walk in. The shade I got was labeled as "Coral", but it appeared red in the pictures. I ordered it hoping it would look like the picture, and luckily it worked out. The bright red adds a nice splash of color.


Forever 21 Stripe Shirt, H&M White Shorts and Orange Belt, Sam Edelman Gigi, Rebecca Minkoff MAB Clutch

Gigi looks great. I've been wearing it with my casual weekend outfits like the one above. HSN is currently sold out of Gigi, but they do have other Sam Edelman sandals and shoes available at great prices.

XOXO, M

Inglot Makeup Class, Inglot Rainbow Shadows

Inglot, Chelsea Market Location

Inglot is now offering makeup classes at their retail locations - $100 for a 1-on-1 session, with the fee redeemable on products. Private classes are by appointment only. They will also offer group classes, announced via Twitter and Facebook, at a rate that is still being determined. Within New York city, the classes are offered at all their retail locations, with additional pro classes at the Chelsea Market location.

I attended a sneak peek of a "Day to Night Makeup" class. The makeup artist did a simple day time look with some neutral eyeshadows, and transitioned it into a night time smoky eye with just a few simple steps. He used the new rainbow shadows for the looks.


A black eyeliner was added to bring out the eyes and intensify the look. The makeup artist used Inglot's gel liner, which is very opaque. He then added a deep plum purple shade to the inner and outter corner of the lid, leaving the lid bare to avoid the raccoon look.


Blend, blend, blend


A gloss was added to the lipstick making the lips pop. Some bronzer blush was used on the cheeks. The MUA mentioned to never deposit the color directly on the cheeks first, instead, always work from the outside and blend inwards.


And, the finished look.

I loved all the tips and tricks the MUA shared throughout the session. Keep in mind that this was just a preview class, a full class would be much more detailed. The classes are also customizable to better suit your needs.


While at the Inglot store, I seized the opportunity to check out their new rainbow matte shadows ($7 Each). They look so pretty sitting in the pan. The shadows are pigmented, soft, and blendable. I'm not huge on matte shades myself, but can see matte and color lovers adoring these. I would love to see a shimmery variation this!


Here are some random swatches just so show what the texture is like on skin. They're non-chalky, and the color is buildable.

XOXO, M

French Connection Tube Top Dress, Hotel Eventi Veranda

French Connection Tube Top Dress, Alexis Bittar Lucite Necklace, no name sunglasses, Rebecca Minkoff MAB Clutch

French Connection was, and still is, having a sale on their Summer collection. I picked up a floral tube top dress for about $35, and wore it out to the relatively new Hotel Eventi. The tube top portion of the dress is stretchy and comfortable. I love the colors, prints, and the way it flows. The dress does run pretty long, I'm about 5'6" in the picture with 4" heels on. I don't see this dress on their website, but they have a slightly different selection in-stores. You can receive a little cashback via eBates (invite) if you shop online.



The Hotel Eventi has a sweet veranda. It's a lower level outdoor space with lovely views of 6th Avenue, and the Empire State building. Breezy nights on The Veranda are pretty awesome.

XOXO, M

Spotted, Maybelline LE Fall Fashion Week 2011 and The Jewels

Have you seen the limited edition Maybelline Fashion Week Fall 2011 line surfacing around drugstores recently? I came across it at Bed Bath and Beyond the other day :)



The metallic gold and mauve-y pink shades from this collection were on the top display in the first picture.


The limited edition "The Jewels" lipstick collection was right next to the Fashion Week goods. I was in a rush to go somewhere, but I will go back to get a better look at these punchy shades!

Did anything grab your attention?

XOXO, M

SKINFOOD Lettuce Cucumber Water, Cucumber Soothing Mask, and Facial Water Vita-B Mist

I recently made a small SKINFOOD order off Ebay seller ZinoPark. Shipping charges were reasonable - it can be combined for multiple items. Everything arrived surprisingly fast from Korea.


I wanted some soothing mists, so I ordered these cucumber and letteuce themed products:

Lettuce cucumber Water Mist ($10 for 50ml) - This is really refreshing, especially for the warmer months. The scent is light, and pleasant. It's a little expensive for the amount of product you get.

Facial Water Vita-B Mist ($11 for 145ml) - This has a strong alcohol scent to it, which I'm not keen about. The spray packaging isn't as nice as the Lettuce Cucumber Water Mist.

Cucumber Soothing Wash Off Mask ($12 for 100ml) - This is a light and soothing mask that's great for the Summer months. You apply the mask on freshly cleansed skin, and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes. Your skin should feel fresh and smooth when you rinse it off.


The seller was nice enough to include some samples. I haven't touched any of these yet, but I'm excited to try them.

XOXO, M

Rebecca Minkoff Sale on Swirl by DailyCandy with Free Shipping

Swirl (invite), a online private sale site by DailyCandy, is currently running a Rebecca Minkoff sale until 8/29/2011. They're also offering free shipping until 8/26/2011 with code "AUGFSHIP". Enjoy!

XOXO, M

Sexy Look x Hello Kitty Sheet Mask Review

Sexy Look is a popular Taiwanese face mask brand. I giggle every time I see the name - it has such a "engrish" naming convention to it! Sexy Look x Hello Kitty makes me laugh even more, triggering the thought of a sexy Hello Kitty, which I can't even imagine. Naming aside, I have to admit that the mask packaging is cute.

Hot Pink Bow Mask - Moisturizing & Rose Bud Lifting (sold here)
Pastel Pink Bow Mask - Brightening & HA Acid Lifting (sold here)

I really like these two masks! The sheet itself has a really nice texture to it - it's flat, smooth, and holds plenty of fluid. Both masks have a tingling sensation after the first few minutes (this is a little stronger on the Pastel Pink Bow Mask). My face is left feeling smooth and the glowy (brightening effect). They're priced at about $11 for 5 masks, which isn't too expensive.


I thought I'd show the back of the mask packet. There's a adorable kitty diagram on it, kind of like a short Hello Kitty manga.

XOXO, M

Zoya Cassi, Zara, Harley, Gaia Review and Swatches

My nails have seen a lot of Zoya lately...


Zoya Cassi is a peachy pink with subdued micro shimmer. It's cute, but the formula is too sheer. I have on about 3 coats and you can still see my smile line.


Zoya Zara is a purple with multi color shimmer. This is a lovely shade, just too sheer. It probably works better with a white-ish base.


Zoya Harley is a shimmery silver cement shade. Very beautiful, ideal for the cooler months. It is the most opaque out of this lot.


Zoya Gaia is a white with light peachy gold shimmer. Gaia was a huge let down - the formula was gloopy and super shreaky.

Zoya polishes haven't lived up to the hype for me. While Zoya has interesting and complex shades, the formulas are hard just too work with.

I know that many of you have tried Zoya polishes, what are your thoughts on this?

XOXO, M

Inglot Round Shadows Sale

I found out through Diana (PaperDollRevenge) that Inglot is discontinuing their round shadows and have them on sale for around $3 each while supplies last. I wanted to share this one while they're still available, this is only in stores and not online. I picked up three shades on my recent trip to the Times Sqaure store, they didn't have too many options left...

Left to right: Pearl 404, AMC Shine 12, D.S.498

The shadows are smooth and blends really well. I love the sheen in both Pearl 404 and AMC Shine 12. The sparkle in D.S.498 is more apparent in the swatch then when used on the eye.

I did a smoky bronzy look with AMC Shine 12 all over the lid, Pearl 404 blended into the inner corner, and D.S.498 on the outter corner blended into the eyeliner. Lenses are Candy Magic Browns from CandyLens.com.

I tried putting the shadows into the budget friendly $1 ELF Cosmetics element compact (available here or at a retail location like KMart) and they do fit! The shadow pans won't magnetize to the case so you'll have to DIY it by adding magnet strips to the bottom of the shadow pans.

XOXO, M

H&M Late Summer and Early Fall

I stopped by H&M to pick up a belt and ended up trying on some of their sale items as well as their early fall pieces. Here are some dressing room shots along with quick reviews of each of the pieces.

Left to right: wrap-like open top, pleated shell, tiered dress

Wrap like open front top: Awkward draping usually exposing too much of the salmon toned lining. The color is a little hard to work with.

Pleated tank top: Lovely pleated top that can be worn alone or paired with a blazer. I picked it up at the sale price of $15 (normally $24.95).

Tiered dress: Nice flattering fit but the material retains too much heat so I skipped.

Left to right: Pleated mesh dress (black and cream), Printed Blouse, Bow Skirt

The pleated portion of this dress is visually appealing. The mesh part can come off as very cheap looking- this is more apparent on the cream version than the black version. The fit is awkward (at least on me). A weird bulge appears on the side of the chest area depending on my arm position, again, more apparent on the cream than the black. I passed on these.


Printed Blouse: This blouse comes in a few patterns and I was drawn to the dusty rose one. I really like the print and the feminine appeal. It may create weird shapes when tucked in but that could be worked around. I took this one home.

Bow Skirt: There's a bow centered on the waist band that's hard to tell in the picture. This is a 3/4 length skirt that runs longer on my 5'2" frame. The material attracts a significant amount of lint, I passed.

Shirt dresses (The one on the left is the same as the one on right)

This dress didn't look like much when I first put it on. It looks much better with a belt or any sort of waist definer. It cuts a little short (even for me!) but still wearable.


This is the solid navy blue version of the dress above. I had a hard time deciding as I liked both designs. The gold toned hardware really pops against the navy. I ended up with the printed one but is currently debating on exchanging it for this navy version. Should I?


This one turned out more pajama like. My belt couldn't save it. It also comes in a skirt that was at a awkward length for me. I had to pass.


I did pick up a belt and it happens to my favorite purchase out of the bunch. This orange belt (also comes in brown and black) has subtle textured details and gold toned hardware. It looks great for $5.95.

Are you ready for Fall? Retailers are already pushing out merchandises for the next season but my head is still stuck in Summer.

XOXO, M

20% Off NARS with Free 2nd Day Shipping

NARS is currently offering 20% Off with code "NEWNARS". This can be combined with the free 2nd day shipping deal, simply select 2nd day ship at check out. Shipping restrictions may apply to certain states, please check the NARS website for details.

Readers- what's on your NARS wishlist?

XOXO, M

15% Off Caudalie at New Caudalie USA site

Caudalie is offering a 15% discount at their new website, Caudalie-USA.com, use the code "NEWSITE" at check out. Each order comes with 3 deluxe samples and free shipping is provided for purchases over $50. Sale ends 8/15/2011.

I have been using some of their face products as part of my skin care routine lately and I am loving it so far. If I could only recommend one product it would be the Beauty Exilir ($16). It is really refreshing and gives your skin a nice boost. You use the elixir on top of a toner and beneath a moisturizer. You can also use it to set your makeup.
You can watch a brief review of some the Caudalie products that I'm using in my 5 Tips for Hot & Humid Summer Makup video here.

I am in the middle of putting my order together. Happy shopping!

XOXO, M

DHC Mild Touch Cleansing Oil Review

The DHC Mild Touch Cleansing Oil (available here) is the mineral oil-free sister of the brand's popular Deep Cleansing Oil. Packaging wise, this mild version comes in a girly pink pump top container and is significantly prettier than the original.

If you're not familiar with cleansing oils, it's a 2-in-1 facial cleansing product. It removes makeup and acts as a face wash. You apply the oil without water to dry skin, massage it around your skin, then add water to emulsify and finally rinse off.

The DHC Mild Touch was suprisingly thick in consistency, it's almost jello like coming out of the pump. The oil effectively removes my makeup and leaves my face feeling clean, none of that residue feeling that some cleansing oils leave behind. This is a great drugstore find for about $14.
XOXO, M