Wishlist Wednesdays

Lately I noticed I've been posting a lot about beauty and product reviews. One of the reasons I started this blog was to share my love for baking. Although I've been baking here and there, it hasn't been anything too significant. I have a huge project coming up so I can't wait to share all the goodies with you soon! To make up for the lack of baking, I've dedicated my wish list to beautiful additions I would love to have in my kitchen...especially the reversible measuring cups. Brilliant!

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Life has gotten a little bit busier and I think I've signed up for too many projects for any sane person to handle. =) While I get adjusted to this new schedule of mine, you may not see daily posts. I hope to get back into the routine of things very quickly!

Mona

Weekend Recap

Coffee at Dollop in Streeterville. For all of you coffee drinkers, I highly recommend it. The coffee is strong but so delicious and here's the best part - they serve it in real teacups! The shop has an urban feel to it and you can find plenty of people studying or simply hanging out and grabbing a casual bite to eat. 

Tea at Zodiac in Neiman Marcus

Introduction to Tom Ford beauty.

Cake pops for a Ready to Pop baby shower!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Weekend Inspiration

I love the idea of sequins downplayed in the day. Hope you have a great weekend!

Makeup by Mehwish Khalid

I had the opportunity to take time out and ask my friend Mehwish Khalid, a successful makeup artist in Chicago, a few questions.We discussed how her career came about and some of her favorite products and upcoming trends. I always love hearing what people do for a living, especially something as fun as makeup!

What made you start doing makeup?
It has always been a passion of mine, but I didn't take it seriously until one day when I helped a friend out with her wedding events, and I had so many girls come up to me asking me to cover their events. That night I realized that I have all my life to study and work, but I will never have a chance to follow my passion and actually make money while doing it. So I pretty much put pharmacy on hold and went to makeup school instead...and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

Did you have any formal makeup training or is this something you just picked up?
Yes, I went to a makeup school and have a state certification, however, I feel that it is definitely an art that you learn on your own.

How do you stay up to date on makeup trends?
Watching runway shows, browsing through magazines, reading up on celebrity makeup artist's blogs.The best way is to see what the general public is wearing and leaning towards, as they are the ones that determine what trends will actually be hot.

What spring makeup trends are you anticipating?
Minimal face makeup - bold lip colors paired with subtle eye makeup, and I am also anticipating bold dramatic lashes to be a hot trend this spring.

If you were on a stranded island, what would be the one beauty product you would like to have with you?
Tinted moisturizer with SPF...oh and if I can take one more product, mascara!!

If you could do makeup on any celebrity, who would it be?
There are a few I would like to work on, but if I had to choose one it would have to be Mila Kunis.

If we took a peak in your makeup kit, which brand would we see the most of? 
Probably Mac

What would be your holy grail product for the following:

Foundation: Armani Luminous Silk
Powder: MAC Mineralized Skin Finish
Blush: NARS Orgasm
Mascara: Dior
Eyeliner: Maybelline gel eyeliner
Lipstick: MAC Pink Plaid for a softer tone and Rebel for a statement

Will you be following the bold lip trend?

Be sure to check out Mehwish's webpage or 

Facebook page to learn more about her and her work!

Review: Garnier Ultra-Lift Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream

I admit I didn't start using eye cream until the last few years. I always thought of eye creams as a remedy, not prevention, for dark circles, wrinkles, etc. Naturally, to prevent that, I had to switch up my current regimen of washing my face with a gentle cleanser and applying a water-based moisturizer to my entire face.

It wasn't until I started using an eye cream that I noticed the benefits of it. I first started out using Perricone MD High Potency Eye Treatment. When I recently ran out of this product and couldn't find a replacement in stores, I decided to give a drug store brand a try. After several walks through multiple aisles, and about 5 eye creams to choose from, I decided to narrow it down to Garnier's Ultra-Lift Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream.

Garnier Ultra-Lift Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream

One of the top reasons this product caught my eye (no pun intended!) was because of the packaging. This product is packaged in a glass pot instead of a tube. This is great in so many ways because you can get more out of your product. We've all dealt with cutting the tube packaging to get the last bit of the product...or maybe that's just me? A little definitely goes a long way with this product so you can always put back any excess cream taken out.

After washing my face and moisturizing, I apply a tiny dollop on my lid and under my eyes and dab it on. The key is to not rub in the product as it absorbs in your skin overnight. Not only does this eye cream contain SPF15, but it also does not leave a greasy residue like some other eye creams I've tried. This makes it perfect to use in the day before applying your makeup.

I've been using this product for about 5 weeks now and I have only good things to say about it. I can see definite improvement in hydration, texture, and brightness. What is your favorite eye cream? Have you tried this product? If so, I'd love to hear what you thought. Leave me comments below!

Wish List Wednesdays: Army Chic

Some things I'm loving right now: striped tees, army green, and a pop of color. This look reminded me of a trendy yet comfortable outfit for the airport. I'm in a vacation state-of-mind, it's been one long month. Hope you're surviving the week...Happy Wednesday!

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Bachelor Sean Finale

It was only fitting to write a post dedicated to the Bachelor since the finale is today. I started watching the Bachelor the first few years it premiered and then took about a 5 year break and started up again with Emily Maynard. Now that this season is coming to an end, I realized how much I enjoy watching the Bachelor/Bachelorette, mainly for the fashion. Most of the girls on the show are fashionistas, but can you blame them - they're on national tv.

These are some of my favorite looks from this season. Lesley M and Sarah were my favorites.

I'll admit, I already found out who was going to receive the final rose before the season even premiered...thanks Reality Steve! I knew I was still going to follow Sean's journey so it didn't make much of a difference to me, except I paid more attention to the 'winner' throughout the season. I think the finale dresses are more anticipated than the winner itself. This year, Catherine and Lindsay chose very similar metallic dresses except for the color. Both dresses look great and not too prom-ish.

Hope you're ready for the finale. I'll be blocking out 3 hours of my night to watch with my girl friends. On a side note, rumors say Desiree might be the next Bachelorette. Will you be tuning in?

Rachel Zoe Fall 2013

Last night was the premiere of The Rachel Zoe Project. I remember being obsessed with this show several years back when it first debuted. Last season wasn't as exciting as she was juggling pregnancy and dealing with Brad leaving Team RZ. This season, Rachel is back with a bang (and bangs, literally)! She's got a new collection out and besides just seeing her as a stylist, we can also see her as a designer. It's interesting to see both sides of the spectrum.

In the first episode of the season, Rachel shows off her SS2013 collection. While attending the Oscar de la Renta show, she mentioned as gorgeous as his collection was for occasions, it wasn't meant for everyday women. I couldn't agree more. Personally I would rather invest in pieces which I could make more use of rather than one piece I can only wear once, maybe twice. I thought her collection was chic and effortless. The details, especially her use of tassel accessories, made the collection that much better. If you know me well enough then you know I'm a big fan of bows and tassels - they can make even the most boring of outfits fun.

Clearly, Rachel Zoe has received positive feedback and accepted as a designer. She debuted her Fall 2013 collection several weeks ago. Her color palette consisted of tans, greys, whites, and navy. I loved how each piece could be worn in multiple ways. I also feel it's important that clothes can be worn for work, which in this case they can be, since most of us spend the majority of our day in the office. As ready as I am for spring...is it Fall yet? I can't wait to see these pieces in stores. What did you think of her SS13 and Fall 2013 collections?

xoxo
M

Recent Purchases: Ulta

These are some recent purchases I made at Ulta. I'll be doing reviews on them soon. I've been using the eye cream for a few days and I love it. This weekend was chaotic; productive, but chaotic, and the week seems to be looking the same way which may mean fewer posts.

On a separate note, who watched The Bachelor Women Tell All last night? What did you think? I was hoping Lesley would have a chance to talk to Sean, but I'm not sure he wanted to speak with anyone after Ashlee grilled him. Are you Team Catherine or Team Lindsay?

Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus // Garnier Ultra Lift eye cream //  

Maybelline Falsies mascara // Maybelline Mega Plush mascara

Catching up on Talk Shows

I'm a huge fan of talk shows - Oprah, Kelly Ripa, Jimmy Kimmel, the list can go on and on. I'm always intrigued to see how a celebrity presents themselves and how close to an average person they really are. I finally had the chance to catch up on some shows this week and could not help but blog about the two ladies from the voices of Escape from Planet Earth.

Sarah Jessica Parker was promoting the movie on Live with Michael and Kelly this week. She wore a gorgeous mid-length navy and white striped dress with a blazer and pumps. The blazer could have been tailored a bit, but she carried herself so well that it worked. Confidence is key!

The next star I couldn't get over was Jessica Alba on Jimmy Kimmel. It's no secret that she's beautiful and her style is worth envying, but I never knew what a great sense of humor she has! She's such a great storyteller as you'll see in the video clips below. She painted a clear picture of her hilarious situation. I think I love her 5x more now. *sigh* In case you missed her segment, I've added the clips below for your entertainment! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.