winter 2014

Chanel Cosmic nail polish review

 in Beauty / Nail Polish  tagged black / chanel / chanel nail polish / fall 2013 / reviews / winter 2014 by

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Photo: Chanel Cosmic nail polish from the “Nuit Magique” collection. Shown with one base coat and two coats of color. Photo taken in direct sun.

Chanel Cosmic is the second of two nail polish hues from Chanel’s limited edition collection “Nuit Magique.” This beautiful, special collection of nail polish was inspired by the fall/winter 2013/2014 runway collection and offers a bridge from the nail polish colors of fall and winter to the darker hues of spring 2014.

That’s right! Spring 2014 will be all about dark nail polish; despite the fact that the apparel of the season will be in medium to pale hues! Chanel Cosmic offers a neutral black background with sparkling star-like shimmer. Inside of Chanel Cosmic nail polish are thousands of beautiful, silvery circles which are tiny and powerful. The sparkles add a “cosmic” element to the nail polish which evokes the feeling of star gazing at night with a loved one.

I wore Chanel Cosmic nail polish with one base coat and two coats of color, no top coat, for a full week. Chanel Cosmic did not chip! The nail polish, which is seemingly black with silver sparkles, looks like a deep chocolate brown in artificial light. I am still convinced it is black and the deep, dark chocolate hue I see while indoors is due to poor lighting. Please leave a comment below if you have tried Chanel Cosmic nail polish and have experienced a similar color phenomena.

Chanel Cosmic nail polish is priced at $27 and can be found at Chanel Boutiques as well as Chanel.com. I have also found a few similar nail polishes around the web at softer price points which  assembled into the shopping widget below. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Silver and black

 in General Fashion  tagged bcbg / casual style / chanel / gap / kathy kamei / manolo blahnik / outfits / twisted silver / winter 2014 by

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Photos: Earrings: Kathy Kamei (similar here)/ Lipstick: c/o Laura Mercier “Mocha Myth“ / Top: BCBG (on sale!) / Bracelet: c/o Twisted Silver (use code INSIDERS for 15% off) / Handbag: Chanel (also love SAVE or SPLURGE) / Nail Polish: Chanel Magic / Pants: Gap / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

The weather has warmed up a little bit here in the San Francisco Bay Area which has allowed me to dress lighter than last week and enjoy a few rays of sunshine. Over the weekend I felt like wearing silver and black when spending time with my family and enjoying holiday activities with the kids. The studded sweater I wore was warm and cozy without being too heavy, which was perfect for the sixty degree weather we enjoyed. I am very thankful I found this sweater on sale at the BCBG store at Santana Row in San Jose!

I am also in love with these silver jeans from the Gap. They are comfortable and I was able to buy them in ankle length. Since I am only 5’4″ the ankle length is perfect. When I purchase regular length jeans or pants I always have to hem them or roll them up. These jeans are an easy way to wear the metallic trend this season, and into spring 2014! I am looking forward to pairing them with other colors both casually and dressy.

Have you been wearing the metallic trend this season? If so, what is your favorite metallic hue?

A few must-have beauty tools

 in Beauty  tagged becca / eye make-up / hand cream / holidays 2013 / ifabbo / la mer / laura mercier / revive / skin care / winter 2014 by

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Photo from left: Save Our Sweaters c/o ifabbo / Makeup Geek “New Years Eve“  c/o ifabbo/ NYX Butter c/o ifabbo/ c/o Laura Mercier Hand Cream / Becca Brush c/o ifabbo / Bon Bliss c/o ifabbo/ ReVive Face Cream / La Mer eye cream

I have a few favorite “go-to” items during the cold weather months. These items help me solve many beauty and fashion problems which occur during the cold weather! Here is a breakdown on a few of my favorite cold weather “go-to’s” during the holiday season:

“Save Our Sweaters” this solves the problem of pilling! How many times have you felt like you needed to retire your favorite sweater because you wore it so much, it started to pill! Problem solved with “Save Our Sweaters.” This product carefully and gently removes pills from knits. Who knew this was possible?!?! 

Skin Care: Let’s face it, the cold weather and constant exposure to artificial heat wreaks havoc on our skin. My “go-to” solutions? Laura Mercier hand cream, ReVive face cream and La Mer eye cream. Moisture has returned. Ahhhhh. . .

Lips: There are so many lip balms on the market today yet most of them do not offer a fashionable touch of color while protecting your lips from the cold air. My “go-to” lip balm? NYX Butter. It adds a touch of red which keeps my appearance in check and my lips moisturized. Love!

Make-Up brush: The holidays are filled with over-night trips, ski vacations and tight schedules. This means little to no time in the morning to do a full beauty routine. Never fear, the Becca Brush is here! This fabulous make-up brush allows you to apply your foundation, blush, powder and more without having to clean the brush between applications. Not only that, when you pack for a trip, you only need to pack one brush! What will you do with all that extra space in your suitcase? I end up packing more lipsticks 😉

Warm and cozy bath: “Bon Bliss” is a candy-like bath moisturizer which is perfect for cold weather dry skin. Plus, who doesn’t love a warm bath, which smells like delicious candy, on a cold day! I love how soft my skin is from using Bon Bliss, you will love it too!

The perfect eye shadow for New Years Eve.  Makeup Geek’s “New Years Eve” eye shadow is the perfect party eye shadow hue for the festive holiday season! It i sparkling, gold and ideal for holiday soiree’s and a New Years Eve bash!

Happy Holidays and sparkle on 😉

What are your favorite beauty tools during the cold weather and busy holiday season?