OOTD: Pink Stripes and McQueen

Shirt: JCrew 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen

Jeans: Siwy

Shoes: Corso Como Lizard Delicious Pump

Bracelets:  AE, Pandora, South Moon Under

A quick OOTD that I snapped inside the Zara dressing room.  As you can see, my obsession with stripes has not ended.  I wanted to pair some bright colors to celebrate the coming of spring (before it turns cold again). 

Coming soon, March beauty favorites!

OOTD: Nautical Stripes and Floral and Chains Mini Haul

 

Top: Ella Moss

Pants: Joes Jeans

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Necklace: Club Monaco

Shoes: Nine West wedges

I've been inspired lately by stripes.  Preppy?  Maybe, but I love the shock value of white before Memorial day.  Who says you have to follow rules?  The wedges are one of my favorites, sooo comfortable.  I can wear them all day long and I love how the nude color lengthens my legs.

If you're wondering what I'm holding in my hands, I managed to pick up some jewelry from Banana Republic's sale (just started today, 40% off!).  I've been really liking my Club Monaco chain necklace and so when I saw these similar versions on sale from BR with acrylic detailing, I snapped them up!

  

Also decided to include a photo of my random purchase from Target.  I am OBSESSED with the color mint.  Love, love love it!

When I saw this backpack, I knew I had to have it.  Went to three different Targets and finally scored!  The vintage flowers with the modern mint, loving the clash. 

What do you think about the backpack?  Yay or nay?

Haul: Regina Pierallini Clover Designs

I first heard of Regina Pierallini's jewelry from the lovely Veronika from Veronika'sBlushing blog.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw these exquisite clover designs.  So similar to the beloved Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, I can only dream about one day owning a piece.  This allows me to enjoy a similar design at a fraction of the cost without spending thousands on a necklace or a set of earrings.

I ordered the rounded black clover necklace, crown clover mint necklace, turquoise hoop earrings, mother of pearl rounded clover necklace, and mother of pearl clover stud earrings from Regina's site:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/LightMetals

and

http://www.reginapierallini.com/

 

As you can see the pieces are absolutely precious!  So well made, the jewelry feels strong and sturdy.  What I love about these pieces is that they are so classic and can be easily paired with almost any outfit.

Below, are two OOTDs.  Left is a weekend casual outfit where I'm sporting the crown mint clover necklace.  And on the right, I'm wearing a standard all black work outfit that showcases the mother of pearl clover necklace nicely.

The outfits are nothing much to scream about but I love, love, LOVE this jewelry line!  You can be rest assured this will not be my last time purchasing from her website!  Veronika has a coupon code for 15% off your purchase that I gladly utilized:  VERBLOG15 (expires 3/18)

Let me know if any of these items peaked your interest!

Note: All the items from this post were purchased by me and I am not being compensated for this review.

Haul: Makeup, Lorac, Prestige, Naked2, Z palettes!

Went to Ulta and hauled a bunch of new makeup based on some reviews I've seen.

 

Naked 2 Palette - Have not tried it yet, need to crack open that packaging!

Prestige Lipliner in Silk - Lovely pale pink nude lipliner for those lighter lipsticks.  I find that some "nude" or "natural" shades still pull either brown or red, distorting a pale shade.  This I definitely recommend!

Revlon Lip Butter in Sugar Frosting - I am a big fan of lip butters.  This is a good alternative to Creme Brulee, my go to everyday color.

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Blush in Exposed - This is not matte.  But the shimmers aren't too detectable on the face.  It gives a nice glow to the cheeks, but I'm not wowed by it.  Also, I don't like the fall out that tends to come off baked blushes.

Lorac Coutoure Shine Lipgloss in Haute - This was such a pretty color and highly recommended by Veronika's Blushing.  However, it was very thick and made my lips peel.  Return.

Z palettes!  I found that drugstore.com carries Z palettes, so I immediately put in an order.  I currently use MAC eyeshadow (15) and blush (6) palettes to store my depotted makeup.  However, I find that I don't use what I can't see.  So I made the switch and ... TADA!  

The after shot =)

Lovely, isn't it?  Organization (of anything) gives me such a high...

Immediate impressions -

Pros:
1) can fit about 21 MAC eyeshadows compared to 15
2) can fit irregular sized eyeshadows
3) reduces space
Cons:
1) blush palettes hold the same amount (if you take out the divider on the MAC palettes)
2) blushes are prone to shifting (same with MAC palette)
3) the pans have to be very, very shallow or else the lid won't shut.  Which might be the reason why they provided the yellow magnets (in first photo above).  But initially, when I transferred my eyeshadows over, the magnets that I used wouldn't let it close.

Let me know if you want to see any specific reviews of the products mentioned above.

Note:  All the products in this review were purchased by me.

NOTDs: Dior Spring 2012

 

504 Waterlily

694 Forget-Me-Not

Whoa, note to self - pictures taken with the iPhone are really, really clear.  Forgive the mangled hands, I'm an obsessive hand washer and am clumsy enough to constantly be injuring my hands.  Hand model I am not.  But I thought I would share my general thoughts from the Dior Spring 2012 Garden Party nail collection.  

I initially purchased Forget-Me-Not because my favorite color is purple (or some variation thereof) but I wasn't as impressed with the color on the nail as it was in the bottle.  The color is much deeper and darker than I was anticipating and I don't really feel like "spring" when I wear this.

So I went on the hunt for Waterlily.  And oh what a hunt it was.  This is THE shade for spring and is sold out almost everywhere.  I ended up finding it at a Lord and Taylor in another state.  I initially thought this was too similar to many of the other colors I had, but surprisingly it's not.  It pulls more green and I actually like it.  This color definitely has me looking forward to spring.

These are only the 3rd and 4th Dior nail polishes that I own.  I like the longevity of the formula.  However, the brush is unique and takes some getting used to.  I would say it actually makes the application much easier than OPI or Chanel brushes.  The only downside is you have to take care to apply thin layers.  The formula is quite thick and has the tendency to get goopy by the second coat.

Some other standouts I've seen are the Chanel June (gorgeous apricot color) and Laura Mercier's Cabana (a coral with a gel consistency that has stayed the longest time on my nails without chipping).  What nail polishes have been you been eying lately?