Friday Favorite

I LOVE wearing color on my lips.

I HATE when lipstick is constantly getting on my teeth, drinks, and who knows what else!!

I feel like I am always on the hunt for the best solution to my lipstick troubles.

Needless to say, I was excited when I saw a commercial for Cover Girls new Outlast Lipstain. I jumped at the chance to grab some the next time I was at my local grocery store.

It looks and feels like you are coloring your lips with a marker. The intensity varies depending on how many coats you layer. There are 10 different shades. I have tried two of them- Teasing Blush and Plum Pout. I really love both of them. It is long-lasting, easy to apply and only $8!!

My few cons are:

The color doesn't last ALL day, but it lasts for quite a while. It does fade faster when you are drinking or eating.

It is a very MATTE finish- which some people like. But I found it helpful to layer a light gloss over my lips, adding some moisture and shine.

Also, be careful when choosing your shade. I found that the actual shade of lipstain wasn't very true to the tube color. They can be a bit intense.

Overall Review- I am sure there are some better lipstains out there- but for being a drug store product that is only $8.00, I feel like it's worth the 8 Bucks. I love having color on my lips without having to worry about it getting on my teeth.

Has anyone else tried this or any other lipstains?

I would love your opinion...

New York Fashion

I recently returned home from a girls trip to "The Big City." It was my first time to New York, and I was so excited to see what the Fashion and Beauty world would be like there. I kept my eyes open for the biggest trends. Here are a couple trends I found...

BLUSH & GREY\SILVER & CREME

It seemed like every store we went in, there was at least one large section of clothing in this color scheme. I fell in love at first sight. H&M had a great selection. As well as FOREVER 21 J.Crew and Anthropologie. It seems like neutrals are huge this season. I love this look!

ANIMAL PRINTS - but let's be honest... when are animal prints NOT in style?

I really feel that EVERYONE can benefit from owning at least one animal print scarf or cardigan. When worn correctly, it can add such style to any outfit. While in New York, I was on the hunt for a great animal print scarf. I found one at H&M that did just the trick!! {See below}

I love this amazing bronze cardigan from J.Crew.

I love me some animal print!!

Stay tuned...

more N.Y. fashion trends coming next week!!

Dreamgirl.

Wow. Did you see Carrie Underwood hosting the CMA Awards Show tonight? First of all, she probably wore 7 different dresses all throughout the night- which were equally amazing. I swear she is only getting more beautiful the older she gets.

Both Casey and I agree that she is our dreamgirl.

I fully admit that she is drop dead gorge.

I will try finding pictures of the rest of her outfits.

You will die. I am sure of it.

Another wonderful thing that I love about Carrie Underwood is that she truly is a great role-model. She is beautiful inside, and out.

Not to mention her amazing voice.

Carrie Underwood. I. LOVE. YOU.

What's Cookin, Good Lookin?

Spending some quality time in the kitchen today....

For the last week we have been in search of

the perfect color of paint to paint our kitchen...

TWELVE samples later, we still haven't found the right one.

So today, I am giving up on paint for a while,

and making some home-made Pumpkin Bars.

(courtesy of Paula Deen)

I wish your computer was a scratch n' sniff,

so you could smell what I am smelling right now!

Hello Fall! We welcome you.

Ingredients

Bars:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Wanted.

I am dying over clogs right now! I love that they are back in style this fall. Have you worn a good clog before? They are SOOO comfy. I think they are so amazing. So, I am now on the hunt for the perfect clog!!

Above:

Diane von Furstenberg 'Falcon' Platform Clog $325.00

... if only, if only...

I am currently searching for a more affordable pair.

Ombre.

Everywhere you turn in the media, you can find celebrities with this hot new hair trend. Ombre is what we call it in the hair world. It is a look that is more "user-friendly" because you don't have to worry so much about re-growth. It's great for low-maintence people who don't want to visit the salon every 6 weeks.

I did this look on my client (and friend) on Monday afternoon. It turned out so gorgeous on her! It is such a fun way to add dimension and color without the traditional "weave."

Here are my girls, LC and Whitney, rocking this new trend, blonde style. They, of course, look amazing.

Or you could do it Lady Gaga Style...

or NOT!! ha ha....

I DIE. {In the words of R.Z.}

Okay, so I get Rachel Zoe's e-mails, "The Zoe Report." The latest one was about these UH-MAZING shoes by Calvin Klein. She talks about still wearing white after Labor Day... a do or a don't?? Well, obviously with these shoes it's a do.

But I wonder how many people would ACTUALLY wear shoes like this out on the town? How many of us are brave enough to try sky-high platforms??I would like to say I would wear these with the right outfit... but it's easier said then done. So my question for you is, would you dare??

p.s. sorry i've been missing for a while. do you ever feel like you are just barely surviving each week? holding on for dear life? that's how I have felt lately. so naturally, the blog gets a nice warm seat on the back burner. but I THINK I am coming back.

...slowly, but surely...