Peaches n Cream

This Spring I am putting away all of my smoky-eye, smudgy, dark make-up and going light. A lot of the casual looks I pull together don't go with a fully made-up face so I am going minimalist... although it takes just as much time. (and just as much make-up) I am in love with peaches and blush pinks right now... so here is how I put it together:

PREPPING:

After toner and moisturizer, I prep my face with NARS foundation primer. This leaves a thin layer of silicone on your face that fills up all the pores and imperfections so that your foundation and color go on smoothly and naturally. I've tried a couple of primers but my favorite is still the NARS. Then I use Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer in Fawn. This LM tint is light and sheer but comes on dewey and gives my skin a healthy glow. The combination of these two items is perfect for the flawless skin look during the day! For nighttime, you can replace the tinted moisturizer with your favorite foundation. For me though, I don't like heavy foundations so I save that for special occasions. On a regular night out I stick with the tinted moisturizer but I set it with Chanel loose powder.

HIGHLIGHTS:

My favorite base for the eyes is the Christian Dior Skinflash. It is kind of like a concealer and highliter in one. The brush is a little bit hard to use, so I only use it to apply the skinflash on my entire eye area (lash line to browline) with a few strokes then I blend in with my pinky finger. I put a small amount under my eye too, to get rid of darkness underneath the eyes. Just this much of the skinflash immediately opens up the eye area and brightens it up!

CHEEKS:
On the cheeks I like to use a combination of two things. Sometimes I use one or the other, and for nighttime I use both (cream blush first, then set with powder blush)

My favorite cream blush of all time has to be the NARS Multiple Stick. For Spring, I've chosen South Beach. This is as easy as make-up gets, just a couple of swipes across your cheekbones then blend with your fingers.


Another favorite of mine is the Benefit blush in Georgia. Again, my main theme for this Spring is peach so this is pretty much the centerpiece. I apply it to the apples of my cheeks for a flush of color. For a more dramatic look, I add Benefit bronzer in Hoola at the hollows of my cheek and brush upwards towards my ear. This creates a highlight and gives the cheeks more depth. (Which is great for days I'm feeling bloated ~.~)

EYES:
With the peachy cheeks being the centerpiece, I like to keep the eyes simple. They've already been highlighted with skinflash (for a flawless, satin finish in skin tone). I just add a couple of strokes of Chanel Ruban Perle in Moonlight to accentuate the highlighted eyes. (In the evening I like to use Sunlight. I know, it's backwards, but it really works with the look :P)


Then, again keeping it simple, I've ditched all of my eyelines and I go straight to Mascara. My favorite is Shu Uemura Basic Mascara because it glides on smoothly without and clumps and adds just the right amount of length and thickness.

A brow brush is essential for flawless lashes: first to get rid of any clumps and second to separate each lash for a natural look.


LIPS:
The only variation I have with my looks lately are for my lips. This is really to match any mood or outfit.

For casual days, I put on a couple of layers of Too Faced Lip Injection. The plumping effect has pretty much worn off on me but I love the naturally flushed color it gives my lips. Because the "stinging" brings more bloodflow to your lips (hence making them plump) this also results in a naturally pink pout. It's also great to keep your lips moist all day!


For dressier days, I like to do a completely nude lip. The best equipment to do this is by Scott Barnes: a combination of his lip pencil and lip slick which will give you a solidly nude (but glossy) pout.


For my denim days I've fallen in love with Shu Uemura's Sweet Lip Gloss in Orchid Candy. Maybe I love the way these glosses smell more than anything but they are a good upgrade to Lancome's Juicy Tubes.

Spring Softie

My 17-year-old little sister came to me with a problem- she needed a new bag but wasn't prepared to spend too much for it. She wanted to spend about $100, wanted something that lasted (somewhat), cute, roomy and versatile. Unfortunately that put her out of the Coach (for something trustworthy) price range as well as the Juicy (for something her "age") price range.

So we went to the mall and browsed. We went to GAP~ I was hoping the new "washed leather bags" were in... because this white one from the website is too cute and I wanted to see its quality in person:


BTW- Why is this called "powder blue" on the website.. I don't see any blue?

Unfortunately they weren't out yet in our GAP. So we headed across the way to Banana Republic. I found the the perfect bag for her (sure, it was a bit more than she was expecting to pay- $128) but it seemed like the perfect fit!


BTW- Looks much cuter/softer in person. ~.~

There is a main zippered compartment which is roomy and even has a slot for your cell phone. Outside there are 2 zippered pouches in the front and on the sides. The front clasp is like a giant necklace clasp in rusted bronze. The leather is very soft and I was impressed with the quality- since BanRep leather bags tend to be on the stiff side. But there was something about the bag that just pulled me in and I convinced my lil sis to get it.

It wasn't 'til we left the mall when it hit me. Marc Jacobs Selma (due Spring '05):



Usually I'm not a fan of "knock-off" styling but this particular BanRep bag had just the twist (no pun intended- look at the strap ~.~) to differentiate it from the MJ bag and it came in a much softer, worn-in leather which looks great in the peachy/blush color.

Anyhow I really recommend this bag and its metallic counterpart for a good, inexpensive bag to throw around until Spring comes around the corner :)

Just as cute:

Washed leather mini, $88

Busy bee..

I'm officially overworked! I've been trying to keep up on all the orders for the Citizens of Humanity jeans and it's been keeping me pretty busy lately. Busy to the point where I missed both Neiman Marcus Last Call and the Ron Herman Sale... :'(

But... I'm working hard and keeping my eye on the prize...

My new list of "I need, I want, I MUST HAVE" things:


*If anyone knows the price or eta on this, please comment ~.~


Motorola Razr V3 Phone


Marc Jacobs Satin Skimmer


Mulberry Roxanne Bag


Scott Barnes Beauty Bento Box


Marc Jacobs


Bang & Olufsen Earphones (for ipod)

Best of AlohaRag.com

My picks for the best bargains:: SALE items to take you from Winter to Spring~~


GOLDEN GOOSE Jeans $227 $136.50
Wear them now: These perfectly cut bootcut jeans are slim enough to tuck into winter boots.
Wear them later: And also flattering with Spring sandals!



VENERA ARAPU Layered 3-Color Heel $298 $178.80
Wear them now: Chunky white sweater and vintage light denim.
Wear them later: Royal blue wife beater and white straight leg cropped pants.



KATAYONE ADELI Grey Bootcut Pants $360 $144
Wear them now: H&M Karl Lagerfeld face tee (or other white vintage rock band t-shirt) layered over a long black cami with lace hem. Motorcycle jacket. Slim black boots.
Wear them later: White grecian style tank top, metallic flat strappy sandals.



RACHEL COMEY Harem Shorts $161 $96.60
Wear them now: White biker jacket and white slouchy leather boots.
Wear them later: Grey cap sleeve cotton tank, metallic silver lace-up Grecian sandals.

Let's take a vote!

My free ipod came! Now it's time to buy it some clothes...

A) Vaja Case in Latte/Pink


B) Vaja Case in Pink/Red


C) Vaja Case in Peach/Pink


D) Girlshop Vinyl Metallic


E) iSkin EVO2 Plain White Case


F) ShopIntuition Metallic Silver Case


Keep in mind the Vaja cases take about 25 days to order :-(

Kitson Stop

I absolutely regretted stopping by Kitson today. I found about a million things that I want but aren't prepared to buy!

First thing I noticed (how could I not) was that they restocked on the old man river belt. They had more colors and this belt just gets cuter and cuter in person. They were $250 and it really took a LOT of self-discipline to not escort one right up to the cashier. Is this a trend that will die soon? They had about 5 left in black and white.

Then more bling caught my eye... is there an old man river wrist cuff now? This one actually said LA PIPER on the back of it so I'm not sure if it's made by the same company? (Now that I think about it the belts might not have been old man river after all? *confused*. Anyhow the cuffs come in a variety of colors like red, white, black and gold leather. They also come with either silver or gold studs. They had one left in the black with silver stud combination... I want! But I just don't look tough enough to rock one. These were $68. Not bad.

If you aren't too sick of large nail studs yet, they had the new BE & D nailstud bags in. I saw really bad knock offs at Jacqueline Jarrot in Vegas and had written them off on my "totally NOT" list but when I saw these OG versions I was converted. They were actually quite cute. Too bad they're around $695.

They had a cute array of Marc Jacobs shoes, including an awesome pair of teal knee-high boots. Also had yellow and teal flats. I am searching for a good comfy pair of flats... any suggestions? It can't be too pointy (I am a 9.5 and don't want to look like the wicked witch of the west) and can be round but not too shallow at the tip (I have long toes - serious toe cleavage). Maybe these MJ's woulda been a shoe-in but they didn't have my size left.

Antik Jeans seem to be popping up everywhere. They were cute the first time I laid my eyes on them but they are a bit too ethnic for me. Too much business around my butt area will make me a little too self-conscious. My review: the jean is very nicely tailored in the front, almost flattering. The back is recommended only for those without a full rear-end and the hipline on the sides don't smooth too well in the hips, creating the illusion of slightly bigger hips. Well, they still win the "Novelty Jean of the Season" award.

In other denim, Kitson had the usual palette of True Religion and Hudson jeans. Another surprise new jean is.... Jordache! Uh oh, are they making a come back now? It's the whole Generra from the 80's with a slightly new look and ridiculously new higher prices. We'll see how long this lasts.

Their bag section is much smaller and thank God they didn't reorder those heinous Juicy bags. I did notice one last piece of LA's newcomer must-have bag, the Dulce hobo. They had one left in a light blue/periwinkle color. It's bigger in person than perceived from magazines but I think this bag will definitely kick the Botkier out of the water. It borrows its shape from Gucci's classic logo hobos from last year and adds new soft leather in yummy colors. I think this will become the it "everyday" bag for Winter since the colors they have work so well with winter.

Contacting me ~.~

If any of you are interested in sending me a personal message or question, you can e-mail me at aneehs @ gmail.com (Obviously, take out the spaces before you send me mail. I've just added the spaces to automatic webbots don't take my e-mail and spam me) And on that note, please don't send spam ~.~

Now if you are interested in leaving a non-personal message, comment, or start a forum-type discussion please feel free to use the comment arenas at the bottom of the page. Although I check the comments often, I can't always reply right away so if you need an answer, go ahead and e-mail me!

Sale Alerts!

Neiman Marcus Last Call, starts Jan 10

Ron Herman 50% off Sale, starts Jan 14

Barneys Warehouse Sale, starts Feb 10

What do you think?

Yes? No? Maybe so?

I am waiting for my free iPod in the mail (7 to 10 business days!). I've posted about it before... I tried one of their offers and somehow got 5 of you to do it too.. and before I knew it they sent me an e-mail yesterday to let me know that my iPod has shipped! Well, when it actually gets here I'll post pics right away!

And you guys didn't believe!!!! ;)

To join in my happiness, click here.

Las Vegas Shopping!

Las Vegas shopping (not including those outlets at the border!) has improved since I've been there last. The Fashion Show Mall underwent a $1.9 Billion renovation. Caesar Palace's Forum Shops also boasted a new extension, and more importantly, several new shops.

Since I stayed at the Bellagio, that's where I started first.

Yves Saint Laurent was still having their end-of-year sale. The boutique itself is small so there wasn't much to see. However they did have a lot of shoes on markdown including the coveted red suede pumps with black ribbons.

Prada's sale was a bit better with half of their women's shoe collection at 60-70% off. I scored myself a pair of brown round-toe pumps with the curved heel at 60% off. There was a good selection of boots also, ranging from $230-$300 (Which retailed at $650+). Again, I'm lucky that I'm a size 9.5 because all the shoes on sale happen to be in my size ~.~ Accessories were also a bargain at 50% off. Satin and nylon make-up bags, small purses, black leather wallets, bracelets and other accessories were all on sale. Their new line of sunglasses also just came in so I couldn't resist bringing one home. (Of course I forgot for a couple of days that the weather in LA is dreary and I won't be able to wear the shades for days until this rain lets up :T)

Neiman Marcus.. If you're looking to score some Seven Jeans on sale then this is the place to go. I was shocked to see how many Sevens and Humanity jeans were on sale... 3 full racks. You NEVER see that in LA. They had everything from the distressed, destroyed, painted pockets, hefner and other seasonal styles. Unfortunately for me I couldn't find a pair I was satisfied with except for the new studded-waistband style. But at $264 I had to leave them behind. I did, however, score a Juicy Couture brown corduroy blazer with the puff sleeves. It was a good jacket to wear for my plane ride back to LA.

Caesar's Palace Forum Shops
I was surprised to see the boutiques that popped up in the new wing of the forum shops.

Scoop NYC had a very Ron Herman feel to it but the interior was so vastly white and empty that it was hard to get in the shopping mood. (Especially with 4 girls behind the counter staring at you) It felt like the store was stocked with a lot of old merchandise. Denim on the wall included basic versions of the Seven as well as the Paper Denim & Cloth ripper jean. There were RH Vintage Free City sweatshirts everywhere. Behind the cashier, the wall was lined with Marc Jacobs multi-pocket bags... in Fall colors. Nothing appealing.

Nanette Lepore was another new addition. Unfortunately it looked like the line didn't have enough styles to stock an entire store so this store looked vastly empty also. Everything I loved about Nanette Lepore last season they seemed to axe for this season, instead there were a lot of batik inspired prints, ethnic looking tunics, and greens and golds. Not interested.

Chrome Hearts had impressive decor... I've never been to the one in LA so this was a first. I knew Chrome Hearts accessories were expensive but I didn't know that they were THAT expensive. One of these days I'm gonna buy me an awesome ring from there. And sunglasses.

Juicy Couture was a bit frightening. In the olden days, the tiny section in Bloomingdale's was a rush to go through. Slowly it started taking up more and more square footage forcing people to exclaim, "Could there BE any more Juicy?!" Well imagine that feeling times 100. The store is wayyy too overwhelming with the Juicy crest wallpaper and graphic logos on the mirrors. It was just way too much. Not too mention everything at retail price in the Juicy store was currently on sale at Neiman Marcus!

Corsa Collections had an impressive collection of "trendy" bags. They had new Marc Jacobs styles in as well as a good amount of Chloe bags... but they also had that wall full of Nicky Hilton's Samantha Thavasa bags. (Hence the "quotes" around "trendy") This store was definitely a good upgrade from those Brighton accessory boutiques though. Oh, and also the MJ classic bags in certain colors were 40% off! Good deal. Took all of my willpower not to come home with one of those cosmetic pouches with the paddle lock.

Gucci had a good selection of sale merchandise also (although the Gucci in Bellagio had nothing on sale). Some of the basic canvas logo bags were on sale. I was looking for the round logo hobo with the leather strap that makes the entire bag look circular... anyone know what I'm talking about? So far no find. :(

So far that's all the shopping I can remember for now. Now it's time to get back to work!

Alternative to collagen shots...

There are so many new lip-plumping collagen-boosting products out there! This week I decided to give a couple a try, just for fun. I didn't -need- any plumping but I let my curiosity take over.

My first test drive was the Too Faced Lip Injection clear gloss. The first time I tried this on I really felt a strong stinging sensation and my lips turned bright red. But as promised, my lips were about 20% fuller. I would recommend you try this product a couple of times before you go out with it! It is supposed to keep your lips plump for 4 full hours but after playing with it for a week I think it's closer to one hour. You are supposed to be able to put lip gloss over this once it dries but it just becomes a huge mess so I wouldn't recommend it. Now that I've started using it more often, I don't get as big as an effect but I do like using it as a gloss because I really like the natural pink color it gives my lips.


The DuWop Lip Venom stung twice as much but only delivered half the results.


Same Venom formula with added sparkle. Too high school.


The most expensive of the group, City Lips offers a more long-term solution. It is a night treatment you are supposed to use for 30 nights straight to boost the collagen in your lips. During the day you can wear one of their glosses for maximum effect. This set works much better, is more expensive, and a bit arduous since you have to continuously wear it for best results.

Products I've yet to try:

Benefit Lip Plump - This is more of a lip primer so I'm guessing you can wear your own gloss on top of it.


Joey New York makes their collagen boosting glosses in a variety of colors, so you don't have to stick to the boring clear ones.

If any of you have tried either the Benefit or the Joey lip plumper, please let me know what you thought of it!

Warehouse Sale Part 2 Results...

For those of you who weren't able to make it to the Warehouse Sale this time, here are some pictures ~.~

We had a great turn-out again! Thanks to the savvy bargain shoppers of LA... the line was super long when we first opened, I counted about 100 people standing in line by 9am!




Our main room got crowded very fast... here are some people fighting over Rock & Republic jeans and all of our other goodies ~.~


The other half of the room....


This room was dedicated to all of our dresses and gowns...



... and finally our accessories like the Von Dutch bags, hats, shoes, Charlie Choo bags, BCBG Boots, Bags and Belts, Pet clothes and other goodies...

Til next time!