July Favorites ♡ Twenty Thirteen

01. Photo: I accidentally took this while I was photographing some stuff in my room. Love when that happens and it comes out as an awesome stretched light shot (excuse my total non-artsy description of that).

Objects

02. Wall Art: Stickygrams! I adore these and just ordered more for my apartment refrigerator at school! Stickygram is a website where you sign in through your Instagram and can order magnetic squares of your photos. Absolutely genius and I love how they look>> be sure to check out Stickygram if you haven't yet! 

03. Phone Accessory: I absolutely adore this new phone case I got from Shopjeen. It's "melted" pink top and white bottom compliments anyone looking for a girly case. It's a hard shell, so not only is it adorable, it is durable as well! Check out Shopjeen's melting cases here.

Skincare / Makeup

04. Neutrogena's Clear Pore Cleanser / Mask- I may do a blog post discussing this product more thoroughly, but in short, early this month I discovered that I had a bit of an allergic reaction to Salicylic Acid (an ingredient in about 98% of skin cleansers). With that said, I discovered that I can now only use products with Benzoyl Peroxide, and I found this particular cleanser from Neutrogena with BP as it's strongest ingredient. Not only have I noticed a difference in the clarity of my skin, but I have also noticed that this cleanser has worked brilliantly to soften, brighten, and reduce redness in my complexion. This is probably my new favorite cleanser and I would recommend trying it for any skin type whatsoever!

05. Urban Decay's Eyeshadows in 'Beware' and 'West' from The Great & Powerful Oz Collection- I've been adoring these two shades lately for my crease and outer V of my eye. "Beware" is a nice matte nude that is perfect on any part of the eyelid- it is very close to UD's "Buck" from the Naked Palette, however, it is a bit lighter in shade. "West" is a gorgeous deep metallic brown that is perfect for creating a smokey brown eye. I've been loving using "West" on my lower lash line as well this month. 

06. Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in 'Tipsy'- I have finally gotten around to purchasing one of these! This is my first clay blush from Tarte, and I have to admit, I've been using it every single day since I purchased it. "Tipsy" is a beautiful, bright coral that is gorgeous on any complexion for summer, and the wear and consistency of this stuff is off the charts. It lasts all day and is perfect for normal to oily skin for it keeps your face looking matte hours on end. I cannot wait to go to Sephora and purchase another shade of this blush as soon as I can!

07. Topshop Lipstick in 'Macaroon'- I purchased this lipstick at the Topshop in Soho because I was drawn to its unique color. While it resembles a normal bright pink, it actually has some nuance of coral in it's undertone, and creates a pretty summer lip that surely stands out. This being my first Topshop lipstick, I have noticed that I really like the creamy consistency of it however it is so creamy that the lipstick may be easy to break. If well taken care of though, this is a shade and product worth buying.

08. Mac's Lipstick in 'Impassioned'- I've been eyeing this lipstick for quite a while now, and I am so happy I finally have purchased it. My swatch above is deceiving, for this lipstick is super super bright and looks almost matte when applied. This is a gorgeous, bright, strawberry pink and is a must have for any Mac Lipstick fiends. Check out my Lake George post to see how it looks on my complexion (Photo no.8)

09. OPI's Alpine Snow- I absolutely adore thick, white nail polish any time of the year, but I especially like it for summer when it enhances the glow of your tan. I ran out of my Essie Blanc at the end of June, and wanted to purchase a different brand of white polish to see if I would like it better. As it turns out, I decided to get Alpine Snow and I absolutely love it! It can be sheer with one coat but builds up nicely with a few more. 

Fashion Purchase 

10. 'Homiès New York' Graphic Tee- Ever since I stumbled upon this concept shirt while browsing Brian Lichtenberg's site, (his version is slightly different) I knew I wanted it or something similar. Since Lichtenberg's shirt runs for $60, I knew I could find a cheaper and extremely similar alternative on another site. Low and behold, I found it on Shopjeen for exactly half the price! The design is slightly different and the print underneath says "New York" instead of "South Central" like the Lichtenberg ones, however, I feel as if the "NY" is more appropriate anyway (;. The look and wear of the shirt is the same, and I'm very happy to have gotten something so similar, if not cuter, for half the price!

Instagrams 

01. 'The Crypt Thief' which is the book I've been reading and finally finished this month- stay tuned for a book review! 02. Stuffed French Toast @ the Sagamore in LG, NY. 03. Pool @ the Sagamore in LG, NY. 04. A sweet shot I got of some of the town nightlife in LG, NY.

Here's to a so far amazing summer and an even better start to fall soon.

"In a false quarrel there is no true valor"

[Much Ado About Nothing 5.1]

Cheers! x

Week 11: Summer Twenty Thirteen- The Lake ♡

This lake is kind of my home away from home. I've been going to Lake George in the Adirondack's every summer for twelve years now, and I always look forward to my trip to The Sagamore with the beginning of each new year. It's relaxing, picturesque, and not too hot but not too cold. These are only a few photos of my stay earlier this week!

Breakfast @ The Sagamore 

Swimsuit top: H&M  | Swimsuit bottom: Gilly Hicks | Cover up: Wildfox Couture 

Top: Shopjeen | Skirt: Urban Outfitters | Sandals: Sam Edelman | Clutch: Vintage | Sunglasses: Ray Ban Clubmaster [Royal Blue] | Lips: Mac's Impassioned

Dinner @ The Boathouse 

Top: Pacsun | Pants: Pacsun (calling these my new Beetlejuice pants <3) | Bag: Nordstrom's | Sunglasses: Ray Ban Clubmaster [Royal Blue] | Sandals: Sam Edelman | Lips: YSL Rouge Volupte #109

Lake George, NY

Dress: Necessary Clothing | Sandals: Sam Edelman | Clutch: Vintage 

Dinner @ The Pavilion : The Sagamore 

On our way home, we stopped in Saratoga to have some lunch and I took this opportunity to take some more photography of course.... :)

I look forward to hopefully bringing friends up with me next time, for it's a really different and cool kind of getaway.

Happy Travels!

"The fringed curtains of thine eye advance 

And say what thou seest yond"

[The Tempest 1.2]

Cheers! x

Travel Makeup & Toiletry Bags ♡

I am in the Adirondack's this week, so I decided to share with you all of the beauty/ makeup / toiletry items I've brought along. 

My makeup case for this vacation is this old Juicy Couture makeup bag I received as a gift for one of my birthdays. I do own a train case, but I mainly use that to transport my makeup to college with me / if I am working on makeup for theater productions. 

The other, smaller, makeup bag is from Victoria's Secret. My brush roll is from Sephora.

| Makeup |

Pocket 01

Pocket 02

Pocket 03 & 04

Close up of Pocket 04 

 *Note: UD's Naked 2 Palette is great for traveling! Also, the two Mac shadows I brought along are Black Tied & Shroom.

| Brushes |

| Toiletries/ Hair |

 Happy Travels!

"And here's a few others that may work:
'They say, that they have measur'd many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass'"

[Love's Labour's Lost 5.2]

Cheers! x

Week 10: Summer Twenty Thirteen ♡

01. OOTD the other day- floral dress from Necessary Clothing 02. CHIPOTLE! >>from the other day 03. A snap I took from the West Side Highway in Manhattan 04. Catch up with Miss Noelle and chicken parm! 05. New in from Urban (fun fact: I'm a new UO Employee, actually!) 06. Dinner the other night with my cousin from Italy in Rockefeller Center! 07. An early shot of 14th Street this morning! 08. Key Lime Pie w/ blueberry sauce! 09. Sushi with Miss Amanda the other night!

Cheers to almost the end of July!

"God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another"

[Hamlet 1.3]

Cheers, x

P.S: Obsessed --

Punk: Chaos To Couture [MET 2013]

[Photo: Miss Amanda]

I can't remember a time when I wasn't in love with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The MET had, has and will always have a significant impact on my life, for it is probably one of my favorite places in New York City. Every year, however, I look forward to one particular exhibit in the Spring/Summer which attracts not only Gala guests, but fashion designers, enthusiasts, and street style connoisseurs alike; the Costume Exhibit. 

Known for the noteworthy Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit of 2011, and the recent Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibit of 2012, the Costume Exhibition is visited by thousands of New Yorkers and tourists every year. This year, the MET Gala not only celebrated Queen B [Beyoncé] as their honorary guest, but also presented an innovative, and dark collection for the Costume Exhibit of 2013, Punk: Chaos to Couture.

Note: the 'Costume' Exhibit does not necessarily only feature 'costumes' per se, it actually features past [often avant-garde] runway attire pertaining to the theme.

[Taken from the MET]

This exhibit was quite reminiscent to Savage Beauty, for its ora was dark and rebellious. The exhibit consisted of around six rooms, which were primarily either white (some with colored lighting) or black. Many of the mannequins (those who did not have a headpiece, mainly) sported big, thick colored or black "punk" wigs, depending on the shades of the garments. Upon entering, these first two pieces (above), stand across from each other in red ensembles. I particularly loved the red suit (left hand side), for the top was constructed as a straight jacket, already setting an eerie tone. The dress, (right hand side)  heavy and velvet-like, is a nice grounded piece as well and successfully balanced the stature of the mannequin in the lighter red. 

I truly liked the opening pieces they chose, for it already creates a discussion of power, a strong nod to what the "Punk" era was really all about. I believe these pieces created a strong foundation for the rest of the exhibit. 

[Taken from the MET]

The Hardware room had a ton of cool pieces, and introduced this really fascinating idea of deconstruction. A lot of the garments were either ripped or shred toward the bottoms, or held together with staples, safety pins, wires, studs, or spikes (see gowns above). Some of the gowns featured in this room were Viktor & Rolf, John Galliano, and Dolce and Gabbana. 

The Hardware room also had beautiful studded jackets made of either white or black leather. I really adored the geometric cuts and shapes of these jackets and the contrast between the hard edges and soft façades. Viktor & Rolf and Givenchy jackets were mainly featured in this room (see below).

[Photo: Miss Amanda]

Another cool part of this room would have to be the styrofoam walls, (see right), they added a unique and unexpected element, and foreshadowed the graffiti room a bit (which comes later in the exhibition).

[Taken from the MET]

The Bricolage room was another one of my favorites, for every piece in there were garments created with garbage bags and plastic items. A nuance of reconstruction is apparent in this section, for the point is ultimately, reusing old materials. The designs in the center of the room are Gareth Pugh, and I also liked the black, garbage bag-like and avant-garde Alexander McQueen gowns in this room as well (not shown).

[Taken from the MET]

The Graffiti room was full of diverse textiles and prints, which appeared on shirts, jackets, pants, but most loudly- on gowns. Many of these ball gowns and garments (see above) are from various Dolce and Gabbana collections, as well as a few pieces from Vivienne Westwood. 

[Photo: Miss Amanda]

The Graffiti room paid homage to the graphic art of the "Punk" era, and introduced the bold idea that punk is not necessarily black or gothic. I loved the ambience of this room, for it was not only contrastive, but it also expressed a more poetic, gentle, and artistic side to punk.

[Taken from the MET]

My perhaps favorite room of all however, was the last room, titled, Destroy. I really loved the catch 22 of this exhibition, for throughout- there are themes of deconstruction and reconstruction, and at the very end, the viewers see a harmony of those two concepts in garments from Comme des Garçons Autumn/ Winter 2004-2005 Collections (See above- pieces in black and white). What I adored about these garments the most was that they challenged what we know as fashion, dropping the normal concept of a jacket to the waistline, making a sleeve and leg pant connect, and overall, creating a really innovative and out of the box way of thinking about fashion less as clothing, and more as art.

Comme des Garçons Fall 2004- this piece is featured in Punk: Chaos to Couture

[Taken from Vogue.it]

Overall, this exhibition truly hit the mark on what it means to push boundaries in clothing and attitude. I believe it was a proper and honestly rather cool interpretation of the evolution of punk. I also loved the concepts and threads of deconstruction and reconstruction within the garments, for it not only appeared unique aesthetically, but also told a powerful narrative.

Punk: Chaos to Couture closes August 14, so definitely stop by the MET if you haven't seen it yet, it's well worth it.

“Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it.”

 [Macbeth 1.5]

Cheers! x