I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, and if you don't celebrate it, I hope you enjoyed your Thursday! I have something simple for you all today; a simple swatch of an old favorite.

I mentioned this color last week or so, and I realized that I never swatched it. So, here is is: the beautiful color that is Essie Cocktail Bling.

I love this muted purple shade. It goes with nearly everything, and is perfect for fall and winter. It wears beautifully, and only needs two coats to be fully opaque. Application is simple, though it's a bit thick (the bottle is nearly two years old now), but not as thick a I was expecting.

I love this color.

Holiday Gift Guide | The splurge items under $100

This one is a little last minute. It's about 10:30 AM as I start writing this, on Thanksgiving, and I decided to pop out another gift guide for you all =) This one is more expensive, so it'll be splurge gifts. Nothing too crazy, though. I kept everything under a $100. I realize that this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I figured why not? If anything it may give one of you an idea to find a cheaper alternative. I have a theory that goes with every item on this list: if it holds my essentials; money, car keys, phone, etc. it needs to be quality. By that I mean I don't want any accidents where things break, or rip, and I run the risk of losing something. Some items are too important to lose. No purses here, surprisingly, just small things =)

I did not include any phone cases. I do not own an iPhone, and therefor I cannot speak for any of the plethora of pretty cases that they have. There's a huge selection out there for you Apple phone users, so I doubt you need my opinion ;-) If I HAD to choose, I would go with either a Tory Burch or Kate Spade case.

Kate Spade Owl Coin Purse: $98 I think this thing is absolutely adorable, and I am loving that owls have gained popularity over the last few years.

Fossil Wallet: $40 My husband has one very similar to this one. He likes the magnetic clip to hold receipts, and random piece of papers. I wouldn't recommend keeping cash, or checks there though. True story: he lost one of my checks that way. Other than that, it's great. Fossil's leather is great quality, and ages really well. In my opinion it looks better the older it gets.

Tory Burch Robinson Slim Card Case: $85 I have been lusting after something like this for a while now. I really want something for those small bags that can't hold a full sized wallet. Something like this is great if you know someone who doesn't carry a large bag, or wants something small to hold all those store loyalty cards without stuffing their wallet full. So many possibilities! EDIT: They have one in the Kate Spade Outlets for $40. There is a sale going on, but I'm not sure how long it will last: 50% and then take 20% off the gifts table (where this card is located).

Kate Spade Leroy Street Stacy: $98 I have to say that Kate Spade is my go to for wallets. I've had mine for over a year, and it looks a good as it did when I bought it (the leather is more pliable, and softer, though). The only suggestion that I have is to check out an outlet. They're cheaper, and you can often catch them when it's half off. Mine was around $40, I believe, and worth every penny. The only difference from what I can tell is the cloth lining, and the name. But, that's typical for an outlet item *caugh caugh* Coach.

Vera Bradley Hard Sunglass Case: $22 Vera Bradley's quality if phenomenal, especially considering it's cloth. I have items that I had back in 2006 that look brand new. A hard case for those larger glasses is a must, especially if you're like me and cary a few heavy items in your purse. Don't want to squish them! The color pictured is Canterberry Magenta, which I am loving at the moment.

Vera Bradley Zip ID Case: $12 I have one of these in a much older print. Another great item for those small bags, but this one is more secure, and good for on the go as well. There's only a place for an ID, and everything else lays in another compartment. No slots, so everything just hangs out together like one big happy family.

That's it! I don't think I'll have anymore gift guides for you all this year, so I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving, and if you're going out tomorrow/tonight for Black Friday, be safe! 

Check out my other gift guides:

Target | $30 and under

Ulta | Under $40

Miscellaneous | $15 and under

Holiday Gift Guide | Misc. $15 and under

The final installment of this years gift guide. This time I gathered up a bunch of random gift ideas that I thought of. Hopefully they give you some ideas =)

Bath and Body Works Twisted Peppermint- $5 I've mentioned this before, but I love love love peppermint scented products. I was thinking about doing a Bath and Body Works gift guide, but then I realized that it would be completely biased towards all things Peppermint =)

Tervis Tumblr for him- $11-$15 You can never go wrong with a tumblr, and I know my husband would love this one. It says 'Life is Better at the Cabin' and it has a little log cabin patch. I think it's adorable, and a great gift.

Xhilaration Tech Gloves- $9 While it's nearly unnecessary to wear gloves in the winter where I live, I know that a lot of you do. I remember seeing tech gloves years ago, but they weren't as mass produced as they once were. I really like this set because it comes with three of them in three different colors; white, grey, and black.

Jasmine La Belle bath poof- $3 I had to include this. It was too cute to pass up!

Kong Holidy Felt Mice- $5 My cat loves anything with feathers, and mice. We have tons of mice scattered around the house. Can't go wrong when you mix the two, right? You'd probably get one very happy kitty, and let's face it; it's better to have them on our side.

Great Choice Bone Value Pack- $6 (on sale for $4.19) I love getting toys for my dog, but she tends to be a bit picky (ropes and tennis balls are always a safe bet with her, though). I think this pack has a great variety, and at a good price. 4 toys: a rope, ball, squeaky toy, and a soft one. Endless hours of fun!

Do you buy presents for your pets?

I actually used to have a dog that would tear the wrapping off the gifts. It was quite cute.

Check out my other gift guides:

Target | $30 and under

Ulta | Under $40

Splurge | Under $100

Holiday Gift Guide: Ulta | Under $40

I have not have the chance to browse Ulta yet, but from what I see online, they have a pretty nice selection. I love the gift sets that include "the best of" a certain brand. It really provides the opportunity to sample the brand.

I had a lot of fun with this one. I picked a few brands that I would love to try myself, as well as some picks from some of my personal favorites.

Butter London: $24 There are two of these Take 2 sets; Fire, and Ice. I prefer Fire over Ice. That red is just absolutely gorgeous. The colors in this particular set are: Rebel Fox and Brass Monkey Top Coat. In Ice you get: Bluecoat and Leccy Top Coat.

H20 Plus: $30 I'm surprised at what's included in this set. It's a very generous variety. I've only had the opportunity to try out a few of their products. Disney uses them as their shampoo set in their hotels. What's included: Eye Makeup Remover, Mud Mask, Exfoliating Cleanser, Hydrating Treatment, Sea Salt Body Wash, Body Scrub, and a Hand and Nail Cream. 7 products is a lot for $30. It's a fantastic gift. Sadly it's online only, but its hard to beat that price.

China Glaze: $20 Snow Buddy set. It isn't Christmas without a holiday set from China Glaze! I love these little things. Other than that adorable polar bear, the nail polishes included are; There's Snow One like You, Be Merry Be Bright, and Elfin' Around.

The Body Shop: $7 I know, another Body Shop product? This one is different, I promise you. Coconut Shower and moisture Gift Set. Shower Cream and Body Milk with a coconut scent. How much more pampering can you ask for?

Benefit: $36 This is one of those sets that I was talking about earlier. Show Me The Love set comes with They're Real mascara, Benetint, and the Porefessional Mini. Also, something that they don't mention, there's also a cute tin. Talk about the reusability options there.

What do you think of gift sets? Do you love them, or hate them?

Check out my other gift guides:

Target | $30 and under

Miscellaneous | $15 and under

Splurge | Under $100

Holiday Gift Guide: Target | $30 and under

I was browsing Target, and I started to take note of some of the gift sets that I saw. Some of these are actually gifts that I plan on picking up for my own family members.

EOS gift set- $5 Both a lip balm, and a lotion are included in this set. I saw this in the Christmas section and I was so excited. I plan on picking this up for a few family members, as well as possibly one for myself. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone.

Essie minis- $15 These are all from the 2013 Holiday set. Essie mini bottles are so adorable, and the colors are beautiful.

Real Techniques- $30 Sam's picks! It's all of her favorite brushes. This one, unfortunately, is only sold online, but I think Ulta may possible have it in stores.

Burt's Bees- $15 Burt's Bees has a ton of sets out this year. This one in particular comes with a hand cream, cuticle cream, my personal favorite lip balm, and a hand salve. Basically everything you will ever need in life.

The Body Shop- $15 I love their coconut scrub. I wish that they sold these inside the store. You can pick it up online. It's a great gift for that lady (or man) who likes to pamper themselves.

This is also only what I saw online. In the store there were also duos from Maybelline (I saw Baby Lips, and mascara), NYX sets, ELF has A LOT of sets in the store from eyeshade palettes to nail polish, Revlon, a few more from EOS, and probably some that I didn't even notice. Just because it's not online, doesn't mean they don't have it.

What gift sets should I be on the lookout for? Which ones do you plan on getting?

Check out my other gift guides:

Ulta | Under $40

Miscellaneous | $15 and under

Splurge | Under $100

Daily Eye Makeup

It looks like so many products! I just love how it all works together to create my favorite eye look at the moment.

I start with applying my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink all over the lid, blending it out when it dries a bit. Then I take the darkest brown shade (Beach Beauty) in my Avon Island Breeze Quad, and apply that to the outer lid. If I feel like it, I'll put the lighter brown shade (Latte) on top of it all, but I don't think it does much. If I want something super simple than I'll apply Latte on the lid, with Beach Beauty on the outer corner.

I switch up between using only the Avon Glimmersticks Diamonds in Brown Glow, and Manna Kadar Transfix (genius product, and a Wantable product which was sent for review)/Brown Glow combo. I like to use a dark brown with the Transfix, which lately it's been Beach Beauty form the pallet I mentioned above. It's not too dark, and it adds a subtle line to my upper lid. Then I apply Brown Glow to the lower lash line.

For lashes I use my favorite mascara; (PR Sample) Pixi Large Lash Mascara. This mascara made me understand the difference between plastic and natural bristles. I just don't like plastic bristles. They just don't add enough volume.

The only two brushes I use are both Real Techniques. One being the Domed Shadow Brush, and the Lash/Brow Groomer, but rarely since the Pixi mascara works beautifully.

Two items were review items:

Pixi Large Lash Mascara

Transfix, though it came in a Wantable Box.

The Wantable Box was the review item, not Transfix

All opinions are my own, as always =)

Daily Face- keep it simple

My daily face makeup has turned into something very simple. I try to keep it simple at the moment by only having my two concealers, and a powder foundation. There's just something about colder weather that makes me want to simplify everything. I don't know what it is, though. I haven't been buying a lot lately, so I've been rummaging through my stash, and pulling out some old favorites. I'm kind of glad I did. It allowed me to nix liquid foundation for now. It's also allowing my face to have a breather, which is nice. Less is more.

I use my Real Techniques Foundation brush to blend both concealers in. It makes it so much more simpler, and I'm much lighter with it. When I use my fingers I find that I tend to blend a bit too much, therefor spreading the concealer out, and sometimes out of the area I need to cover. I use my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, which I've had for ages, and L'Oreal Crayon Concealer. L'Oreal helps under my eyes, and the Fit Me one helps L'Oreal tone down the redness.

I pulled out my Boots No7 Mineral Perfect Foundation earlier this month, and I'm back to loving it. A light application is all that is necessary with this. This foundation tends to come out dark, I use New Ivory, and too much can cause my face to be way too dark. I like to apply it with my Guerlain Meteorites Brush, which is always a favorite (I mean really, who can resist pink bristles? Not me!). Also, I have had this brush for years, like 6+, and I have yet to notice it start shedding. I love this tiny thing.

I do apply eye makeup, I can never resist it, but that post is for tomorrow =)

How often do you reach through your stash rather than buying something new?

Sweater Weather Tag

Tags, it's been a while. It's been nice and cool lately, and this chilly weather makes me want to do fall related posts. I was carousing around, and found this lovely little tag. It looked like a lot of fun (and it was, believe it or not).

1. Favorite candle scent-

 I would love to say that there's this peppermint candle that I'm in love with, but I haven't found one yet. One day, my friends, one day. Aside from that I love apple scented candles. I'm not a fan of that Christmas scent (you all know which one I'm talking about), and I stay far away from it.

2.  Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

 Hot chocolate for sure. I've never been much of a tea drinker, and coffee isn't something I reach for. But hot chocolate, we're good friends.

Picture taken on the trip mentioned in #3

3. What's the best fall memory you have?

 Definitely when I saw the seasons change for the first time. It was maybe two years ago, and we were on our way to Indiana. Before that I had never seen trees other than green, and dead. Seeing the red, orange, and yellow trees was probably one of the prettiest things I'd seen.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?

 Well, I do neither, but if I had to choose one I would go with winged eyeliner. I'm too much of a wimp to sport dark lips. Plus I think I'm war too pale.

5. Best fragrance for fall?

 Peppermint! What, that's not a fragrance? It should be. Serious answer: I don't wear any fragrance. Sorry! I know, I'm so boring.

6.  Favorite Thanksgiving food?

Stuffing and pumpkin pie, and don't let anyone tell you any different.

7. What is fall weather like where you live?

Well, it's pretty cold, and right now (when I'm writing this) its 55F. It's abnormally chilly though, normally it's in the 70s-low 80s. It's Florida, can't expect it to be too cold, but you can expect us to act like its the ice age when 60 hits =)

8. Must worn sweater?

This one (also partially pictured)! It is not that dark in person, trust me. I wear it as often as the weather allows me to. So comfy =) Does it even could as a sweater?

9. Must have nail polish this fall?

 I did a post on something similar a little bit ago. If we're talking current collections, I'd have to lean towards anything in the new Essie Winter collection. Pick one, and you're golden. Out of my person collection, though, I would have to chose Butter London All Hail the Queen.

10. Football games of jumping into leaf piles?

 Well, I don't watch football (soccer or logically incorrect American one), so that's out. I also have never jumped into a pile of leaves. It seems like one of those ideas that's good, but in hindsight not so much. Leaves are not an issue where I live. We have a palm tree in our yard, that's it. It doesn't even shed.

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Leggings! I can actually wear them without freezing my bum off most days.

12. Combat boots or Uggs?

 Neither. I choose the lovely ones in the picture above (Target the same year I went to Indiana) or my riding boots (super comfy, and steel toe! Because I need the latter in every day life...).

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

 Yes. Why are we even questioning it? P.S. I'm talking about the spice in general. Not just in fancy drinks. Pumpkin pie. Yum.

14. Favorite fall TV show?

 I am loving Ravenswood! I wasn't too keen on it at first, but now I like it. I mean, I really really like it. Even though it ends next week...

15. What song gets you into the fall spirit?

 This is such a weird question to me, because when I think about songs I don't really think about the weather. A song, to me, doesn't belong to a specific season. I guess it makes sense though, I mean when is Kokomo more relevant than in the summer? Although it actually works for the winter...

So, I'm not going to tag anyone specific in this post (ok, maybe I want Betzy and Amber to do it), because I was totally not tagged for this. I just went ahead and did this, and that is what's so great about them! Thank you internet police, for not really existing.

If you do this tag, leave a link below =)

1. Favorite candle scent
2.  Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
3. What's the best fall memory you have?

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?

5. Best fragrance for fall?
6.  Favorite Thanksgiving food?
7. What is fall weather like where you live?
8. Must worn sweater?
9. Must have nail polish this fall?
10. Football games of jumping into leaf piles?
11. Skinny jeans or leggings?
12. Combat boots or Uggs?
13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?
14. Favorite fall TV show?
15. What song gets you into the fall spirit?

Fall Nail Polish Picks

I was rearranging my nail polish drawers the other day, clearing one out so I can store my hoard of lotions in one, when I started rediscovering some polishes. I wanted to put them all on. This is a little collection of the colors I'm going to leave out, and apply during this season.

When I think of nail colors for fall I think of muted colors. Not necessarily dark, but not bright either. Something that goes with every outfit, and just looks cozy. Yes, I want my nail polish to be cozy.

Two of my long time Essie faves: Cocktail Bling (makes mental note to swatch this color) and Angora Cardi (on my nails currently), including a new love: The Lace is On. 

Even though Butter London are my chippiest nail polishes, I love All Hail the Queen and The Black Knight, which is a long time favorite. I really recommend it. I'm about to switch out Angora Cardi for All Hail the Queen.

The two China Glaze colors that I have picked out are strictly for my toes. I did not wait to put Sex on the Beach on. It's on my toes currently. I think it's more of a summer color, but my toes are happy either way (because they totally have a choice). I put Avalanche on my list last year, but I don't recall if I ever wore it or not. I love the metallic purple color.

Lastly is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Shoot the Moon. Shoot the Moon was a PR sample, and I can't believe I didn't swatch it, or even mention it (it was a package to advertise CVS's new Nail HQ). It's beautiful, and I love the formula. Look out for that swatch.

Of course, we can't forget this combination: Zoya Mia and Zoya Jules.

What colors are you planning on wearing this fall? What colors do you normally gravitate towards during this chilly season?

A sister post to 'Fall Lips'.

Post contains only one PR sample: Sally Hansen Shoot the Moon

Weekend Reads №7

• Love At First Site Blog: I tried yet another bb cream and here are my thoughts! Christian Dior Hydra Life BB Crème (SPF 30 - PA +++) review.
• Mama Fashionista: Quinn invites you to "Fall Into Beauty" with L'Occitane's Lavender Bounty!
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: Winter Hair Blues? Fix them with Keratin Perfect Perfect Cleanse Shampoo and Perfect Silk Conditioner! Keratin Perfect=happy hair!
• Beautyfiends: Julia is having a Birthday Party and you're invited! Win 1 of 2 $25 Llawrowe gift cards!
• Adore A Polish: Kristina continues her hunt for the perfect quick dry with the review of Sally Hansen Dry Kwik.
• Makeup, Life and Love: Double ended lipstick, a rose gold highlighting dream and a neutral smokey eye- are just a few things being added to Jamie's November Beauty Bag.
• TheFabZilla: It's the Great Sephora VIB Sale! TheFabZilla shares her top recommendations and her own wish list!
• BellBelleBella: The Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes is a perfect gift for purple shadow lovers.
• Glamorable!: Glamorable is unboxing her November package of treats from Le Metier de Beaute. Click here for swatches, pictures and full review.
• My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura from My Newest Addiction shares the Laura Mercier Holiday 2013 mini liner set!
• Beauty by Miss L: Eye-catching half moon manicure that looks also great on short nails.
• ColorMeSoCrazy: A lovely mixture of textures just in time for Fall from OPI and Illamasqua!
• Daydreaming Beauty: Daydreaming Beauty reviews Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn nourishing daily facial cream!
• Carinae L'etoile's polish stash: A Gorgeous Purple From Cirque - Coronation.

It's been a while since I shared one of these! Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Stay well <3

Fall Bag Wishlist

Rebecca Minkoff MAC - Soft Grey

Fossil Sydney Satchel

Rebecca Minkoff Hudson Moto Mini

Kate Spade Cobble Hill Mini Minka - Empire Grey

All of these basically stem from the fact that I really love my RM Mini Macs, but I wand something a tad bigger (to fit my iPad Mini with its case on). Part of me thinks that the MAC is a bit too large for me, and the Moto Mini is too small. I also may hold off on the Moto until more colors become available, although I am in desperate need for a black bag. That's where the lovely Kate Spade bag comes in, and I want it. So bad. 

Something about the bucket style satchel cross bodies intrigues me, and I find myself wanting one. There are loads out there, but I am so picky when it comes to my bags, that I have trouble choosing the right one. I don't want it to be stiff, I want it to slouch over time, and that's something that I've noticed some Fossil bags to do. They age beautifully.

What bags are you currently using? Anything I should look at that I probably missed?

Sally Hansen Dry Kwik | Review

My quest for quick dries continues! I took a brief hiatus for a while, settling on my ever so faithful Revlon Liquid Quick Dry. It has since been all used up, and because Target refuses to stock them, and the other place that I know of that has them is like 20-30 minutes away, I went on the hunt to find another method of fast drying.

Sally Hansen Dry Kwik Nail Color Dryer is a simple quick dry that is used just like the Revlon Liquid Quick Dry. Just brush it on your nails, and it'll be dry to the tough in as little as 60 seconds. It does do this, and as expected it dries completely faster than not having anything on at all.

Comparing the two, there are a few things that I like about the Sally Hansen bottle than the Revlon. They're pretty close as far as quality, and both give very similar results. The Sally Hansen Dry Kwik isn't as greasy as the Revlon Quick Dry, although still pretty runny on its own. I also like the brush more on the Dry Kwik even though the two brushes separate when too much pressure is applied. Lightness is key. For comparisons sake the Revlon brush tends to get stuck together, but I have no idea why. All three of my bottles have done this.

Overall I really like the Sally Hansen Dry Kwik. It's effective, doesn't make too much of a mess, and easy to find in stores (major plus for me). Do I recommend it? Yes! More so than the Revlon Liquid Quick Dry, which I have sworn by for years. Ladies, and gents, I may have found my holy grail quick dry. The hunt is still on for the quick dry top coat though, unfortunately. It looks like Seche Vite may win out in the end despite that pesky warning label.

Fall Lips

Fall is one of those weird months where I see everyone else start to transition into the cold weather, the trees begin to change, and everyone starts to look so cozy. But, over in my neck of the woods things don't change much. I would like to think I'll be wearing my comfy jackets soon, but that's not going to happen.

Since it's not going to be as cold here in sunny tropical Florida, I decided to stick with some brighter shades for the season. I'm being a bit rebellious, and going off the path from what's on trend (let's face it, I'm no where near close). Here it's reaching mid-80s during the day. Instead of wearing deep colors, and warm tones, I decided to stick with some brighter shades for this season, and I figured I would share with you what I recently transitioned into my makeup bag.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey: I think this is one of those shades that is wearable all year round. It's a fantastic color that quite frankly looks fantastic on most people, in my opinion. It's easy to wear, and apply, and is actually quite moisturizing.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 12: 12 is a very summery shade. It's a nice reddish-orange, but I never found myself using it during the hotter months. I wanted to show it some love, so I pulled out and plan to use it frequently. It's not too overpowering on my light skin tone, and I'm not as intimidated by it as I used to be. I really see this season as a time to go bold, and I don't want to hold back.



Covergirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Ruby Twist: It's such a beautiful shade, and what I like about the lip crayons is that I can use the tiniest amount, and get a great color. Not too overpowering, but not so sheer that I might as well not be wearing anything. I'm loving reds for this season, can't you tell?

Covergirl Two-Sided Blast Flipstick in Glimmer: My husband picked this out for me, and I'm not going to lie, I wasn't to thrilled. One thing I've learned is to trust his instincts. To be honest, this isn't the first time he's picked out a lip color for me and I've loved it. Right now I'm a bit intimidated by the darker shade, but that lighter one is beautiful. I've been wearing it for the past few days, and that's what inspired me to make this post. The only bad thing is that it has lipstick taste, which is just horrible.

LtoR brands: Revlon, Rimmel, Cover Girl, Cover Girl (duel stick), 29

29 Reserves Moisturizing Lipstick in Expressive Rosé: Easily the brightest color of the bunch, and really out of all my lip products. It is super opaque, and glides on beautifully. Plus I love the packaging. I received it in my Wantable Box, and every time I use one of the products that came with it, it makes me want to get another one.

I know this isn't your typical fall makeup post. The colors are much brighter than what you would normally see. I like to so with what the season feels like, and right now it feels like hotness.