What Every Girl Should Have In Their Makeup Case

I know I mainly do fashion entries, but I actually really love cosmetics too. So I thought, why not share with you my my essential picks for what every girl should have in their makeup case.  However, I also got the help of my good friend Kana from Osaka, Japan to contribute to this entry.  Many people know and love American and French cosmetic brands like M.A.C. or Chanel, but what about brands from other countries?  Have you ever wondered if cosmetic brands from other countries were just as good, if not better, then what you get in your own country?  Are the brands we have as universal as we think? I've thought of that!  So I wanted to share.

Enjoy!
Natalie C

My Picks

 (From bottom left, going clockwise)

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - There are lip balms, and then there's this. This lip balm lasts for hours and it leaves my lips super soft, never shiny or glossy, making it perfect just before putting on lip stick or gloss.

Fresh Satin Luster Face Palette - If you’re feeling extremely lazy but you need something quick to look amazing, all you need is a good highlighter in the inner corners of the eyes, eyelids, and cheekbones and your done! This one is also great for on the go since it isn't loose powder and has a big mirror.

Benefit Smokin' Eyes Palette - I love smokey eyes, but one wrong eyeshadow can make you step into trampy, not classy. That's why I love this palette, because the colors are simple and build-able for more intensity.

Tokidoki Eyeshadow Brush Set, M.A.C. 208, Sonia Kashuk Smudge Brush- Aren't the Tokidoki brushes adorable?! lol. They also serve more of a purpose than just looking cute. They're super soft antibacterial synthetic bristles, and after more than a year, I still haven't experienced a single fall out. The M.A.C. is a natural bristle eyeliner brush which retains pigment very well.  Smudge brushes are one of those brushes I suggest not to invest in, that's why I like the Sonia Kashuk line from Target.

Urban Decay NAKED Palette - Look at it and it's array of colors! How can you go wrong with this palette?! It has something for everyone, for every occasion possible.

Smashbox O Gloss - I have fair skin, with pinkish/reddish undertones. With this gloss, I never have to worry because the color adjusts itself to make it the PERFECT shade of pink for my skin tone.

Rosebud Salve - I bring this along with me wherever I go, for my lips, cuts, cuticles, dry skin, etc. It's one of those "heal all, on-the-go" kind of product.

Nars Orgasm Blush - This stuff works on every skin tone to make dull skin look so alive and feminine. It's probably one of the only blushes I'll ever use. DO BELIEVE THE HYPE ON THIS ONE!

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot - Not sure if you're noticing a trend here, but I like good quality sets and palettes, and this one is no different. It has 2 great concealers for undereyes and blemishes, and sets it all with a fine loose powder.

Rescue Beauty Lounge and Chanel Nail Polishes - Each brand has unique colors, from sheer colors to hallographic colors that I don't think you can ever find in the popular brands like O.P.I. or Essie.

Chanel Inimitable Mascara - I have small, straight lashes, but with this stuff, it makes my eyes look feathery and long. I didn't understand at first what the Bloomingdales beauty rep meant by that, but when I put it on, I knew exactly what she was talking about! Now, I can't leave home without it.

Kana's Picks

(From top left to right)

Shiseido Integrate Eyebrow Powder - These eyebrow shadows stay on all day long and smudge well, leaving your brows with a natural finish.

Makeup Forever Foundation - This foundation goes on light, but covers flawlessly.

M.A.C. Summer Limited Edition Blush - This blush has a coral tint which I love, giving my cheeks a natural, summery look.

M.A.C. Prip+Prime - This primer keeps your face moisturized and smooth, ready for foundation after. It also keeps my foundation from budging all day long.

M.A.C. Gel Liner - I am just completely in love with this gel liner and I can't live without it. Definitely my go-to liner.

NARS Eyeshadow - These eyeshadows are very pigmented and they smudge and blend well.

M.A.C. Blush in Coppertone - This is a matte blush that gives a warm bronze color to cheeks.  Great for an everyday natural look.

M.A.C. Mineral Powder - You can use this as loose powder to finish and set your makeup or you can also use it as a powder foundation. The Applicator it comes with is very convenient for applying it on-the-go as well.

Visee Eyeshadow Quads from Kose (Japanese Brand) - One is a cream shadow and the rest are pressed powder shadows. These shadows are super pigmented and have heaps of shimmer. The sandy color in the palette is my favorite, and I use these shades for a daytime look.

Maybelline Volume Mascara - This mascara is perfect for making thick lashes.

Covergirl Mascara - This mascara separates lashes and makes them look extra long.

Sigma Brush - This brush works almost as well as a M.A.C. brush but just at a cheaper price tag.

M.A.C. Smudge Brush No.19 - Great brush for smudging all kinds of eyeliners on upper and lower eyes.

Urban Decay Primer Portion - This primer keeps your eyeshadow from smudging and creasing all day long. 

Thank you Kana for contributing! <3

Favorites from Fall 2011

I have been going through so many Fall 2011 runway photos and I finally picked out my favorites that I think are super wearable this coming season.  There's quite a few, but they're all so amazing!  Check out my picks for this season :-)

Enjoy!
Natalie C.

3.1 Phillip Lim - Cobalt Blue

Alice + Olivia - Preppy Chic

Alice + Olivia - Weekend Comfort

Bally - Black and Yellow

Band of Outsiders - Menswear Outdoors

Chloe - Sweater Dress with Collar

DKNY - Red and Camel

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2006 RTW - Jewel Tones and Velvet

Donna Karan - All Camel

Donna Karan - All Grey

Emilio Pucci - Bright Pants

Emilio Pucci - Red and Tweed

Gucci - Fierce Fall Colors

J.Crew - Weekend Comfort

Jason Wu - Moss and Lace

Nanette Lepore - Bright Lights in Fall

Preen - Cobalt

Rodarte - Knit Blue Tights and Camel

The Row - Menswear

Yves Saint Laurent - All White is All Right

All photos courtesy of Style.com

The Villager

This was actually from Friday, before everything was closed down for 2 days because of the hurricane.  But all is well in NYC now, bright sunny skies and thankfully not too much damage like hurricane Katrina did to the south.  

However, today I'm going to bake vanilla macarons.  I cannot wait!  I have been obsessed with those little cookies and I will learn to master those little suckers.  I'll post how it turned :-)

Enjoy!

Natalie C

Vest - Urban Outfitters

Blouse - BDG

Black Skinny Jeans - BDG

Book Bag - Roxy

Sandals - Pacsun

Denim on Denim

Ok, so I remember NYC in August being the hottest month for quite a few years.  However, this year, not the case.  July ended up becoming the hottest month of the year.  I notice it's getting cooler and cooler by a few degrees, and that's a few degrees too many, telling me that summer is almost over :-(  Oh yea, and supposedly this weekend hurricane Irene is touching the east coast.  I'm not sure if I believe it will be entirely massive with all this destruction in its path, simply because the weather here is so EXTREMELY innacurate.  We'll see!

Until then, ENJOY!
Natalie C.

Chambray Shirt - J.Crew

Skinny Jeans - Bullhead

Belt - American Apparel

Wedges - Jeffery Campbell

Menswear

Boy have I been a bit busy at work!  I guess that's a good thing, but I end up not having too much time for blogging :-/  Im not not gone, I'm just busy, so no worries here.  I did this outfit in a previous entry which was inspired by the Paul Smith Fall 2011 RTW show.  However, the pics I had before weren't nearly up to par.  These, much better!

Enjoy!

Natalie C.

Top - Aeropostale

Pants - Club Monaco

Socks - Target

Flats - Ruby Shoes

Sweater - Uniqlo

White Out

I was in Soho just before the weekend from hell started.  It gets hard when you're so used to sunshine and warm weather to suddenly go to dark, cold and rainy.  That's how this entire weekend has been, and actually, still is.  I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends wherever you may be!

Enjoy!

Natalie C

Silk Blouse - J.Crew

White Jeans - J.Crew

Belt - American Apparel

Gladiator Sandals - Ruby Shoes

Sunnies - Versace

Sea Of Green

I got the new Chanel Le Vernis Fall 2011 color in Peridot.  It's an amazing color!  At every angle and in different lighting, the nail color looks different.  It's supposed to resemble a Japanese iridescent beetle. It was just a normal Friday evening with beautiful weather and sunny skies.  Have a great day guys!

Enjoy :-)
Natalie C.

Top - Club Monaco

Maxi Skirt - American Apparel

Ring - Yves Saint Laurent

Nail Color - Chanel

Necklace - Urban Outfitters

Sandals - Rubi Shoes

Inspirations of the Day

Things are just so depressing and gloomy in the news lately and I can definitely vouch for all the hardships that are going on in this country of mine.  There's only a handful of things that really make me happy, and one of them is definitely fashion.  I'm sure MANY people feel the same as me.  So today I thought I'd bring you my top inspirations this week :-) 

Enjoy!
Natalie C.




The Golden Diamonds

When I saw this picture I completely forgot that my sleeveless trench is also great trench dress.  I'll be wearing that trench dress to work most likely Friday.





Late Afternoon

I absolutely love stripes, and better yet, colorful stripes in the summertime.  So when I saw this, I immidiately fell in love with the entire outfit.

Mellow Mayoness

I usually wear light, pastel colors, because of how whimsical and elegant it makes an outfit look.  Especially if it includes a chiffon dress.  I saw this, and it pretty much epidamised everything I love about whimsical outfits.

Chloe et sa boite a conserves

I found her blog not too long ago and I've been hooked on her blog ever since.  I literally haven't found a single outfit I DIDN'T like from her blog, so it was especially difficult to find my favorite for the week.  But this one trully stood out.  The scarf was the icing on the cake. 

The Style Voyager

This outfit really reminds me of my amazing Club Monaco silk chiffon pleated skirt.  I Love that skirt to death and I can never stop twirling it around and seeing the wind blow on it.  It's so much fun!  It looks like she likes to do that too :-)