Thursday, September 20, 2012

50 Grades of Shea- Part 4



Slip into something Shea we say! Here's 10 more to make your day!


Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse
 Fun fact: 98.1% of this oil is natural.

Bliss Vanilla+Bergamot Body Buff





Renee Furterer Karite Conditioning Mask



Everyday Shea Vanilla Mint Shampoo






Badger Cuticle Care




Tarte Cosmetics Rest Assured




Clarins Eye Contour Balm



REN Grapeseed, Jojoba and Shea Body Cream 





















































Mama Mio boob tube bust & neck firmer

Mama Mio claims to increase the texture of your bust, chest and neck in one week.




Proasco Shave Foam



Thursday, September 13, 2012

Chanel FNO exclusive: La Provocante Rouge Allure Velvet Reviewed





Swatches from Left to Right: La Delicate, L'Infidele and La Provocante





Last week Chanel launched their Fashion's Night Out exclusive lip and nail twin-sets, fit for the annual shopping occasion, to excited fan fare. I got in on the action by going to the Chanel boutique and checking out the action, but first I went to Saks as Chanel was not ready to unveil their new collection. At Saks I found out that La Provocante was all sold out due to pre-sales ( they had 20) and they also informed me Chanel.com was out too! But as luck would have it , the Chanel on 57th st and Madison had them ( this information was as of last Friday).  I swatched all three lippies on my hand and determined that La Provocante was the color for me.

La Provocante is an autumn plum with cool blue tones, more so than red. I love the Rouge Allure Velvet texture on my lips, is the perfect amount of moisture without your lips feeling lacquered but not chalky matte either. My only problem was that I find this lippie really hard to photograph in the tube because of the tonality.

The other stand out from this collection ( on the lip side) was L'Infidele. Its a beautiful everyday rosey plum that I think would look great on everyone.  Unfortunately, I really wanted to like La Delicate but I just couldn't. The color on the website was so off, I had perma "huh?" face.
First off, La Delicate is described as beige but the color on the website is a pumpkin-esqe color. The pumpkin color made me want to try it. I LOVE me some orange! However, the beige in the tube, while looks ok as a swatch, casts a grey ashy cast IRL. Super unfortunate.

So here I am with the one that I love for my fall wine lips, La Provocante!

La Provocante Rouge Allure Velvet swatch

Chanel's FNO exclusive Provocation Nail Color and La Provocante Lipstick



Tuesday, September 11, 2012

MAC for Azealia Banks- Yung Rapunxel

Yung Rapunxel

Yung Rapunxel Swatch
 MAC Cosmetics introduced its latest  lipstick collaboration with rapper/singer Azealia Banks this past week.
Yung Rapunxel is described as " a deep, rich shade of plum with an Amplified finish". I've never experienced the MAC Amplified formula before and with this color, it reminds me of a sheer finish.
I used two applications when swatching and the coverage is nice. I didn't test how long the wear was but so far, I'm pleased.
I can see myself wearing Yung Rapunxel in my day-to-day, probably pairing it with an orange or apricot blush. The color reminds me of the 90's! The Missy Elliot, Total, SWV , Mary J. Blige 90's where the ladies wore the rich colored lipstick through Hype Williams' fisheye lens or through an epic music video. I'm ready to get nostalgic!



Monday, September 10, 2012

FNO 2012: From Soho to NYFW and back

MAC SOHO preparing for Azealia Banks!
Fashion's Night Out 2012 started with a quiet rumble and ended with a relaxing good time in downtown Manhattan. I totally looped it!.. you'll see.
I started my afternoon off at 2pm by going to the MAC Soho store to see if they had Yung Rapunxel on hand, and they did! So I picked up my deep sheer violet berry packed lippie ( despite it being Amplified) and made my way uptown to Lincoln Center because I had a ticket to the Supima Competition Runway Show!

Rachel Zoe and the President of Supima
Supima awarded one design student with $10,000 to start their own line. Pratt Institute graduate Kate Wilkoff impressed the judges with her deconstructed nature collection.

Kate Wilcoff's work




After the show I made my way to Dior, and was sadly disappointed then made my way to Saks for the FNO exclusives! They had sold out of La Provocante!! the most coveted plum lippie this fall but they had the rest of the collection, here is a shot of the nail colors.

Chanel's FNO Exclusive Nail colors!

I did manage to get the Provocation and La Provocante twin-set at the Chanel on 57th street, I'll post swatches soon. Next I was onto Bottega Venetta where I learned about their exclusive eco-friendly sustainable handbag that debuted for FNO.


Then onto Ted Baker for Fish and Chips and other English fancies!





Finally met up with the Ladies and we were off to Saks to check out the Suno Manicures and then Henri Bendels to chat and have cocktails, we ran into the ladies of Idiosyncratic Fashionistas and chatted them up about the Tavi and Ari Cohen event we attended last year.

Leizel and Tiel!
I ran into the wonderful ladies of Idiosyncratic Fashionistas!
Post Henri Bendels, we were hungray! so we headed to the Opening Ceremony/ Ace Hotel party celebrating South Korea. We watched some bad ass karaoke, stalked Grizzly Bear and stalked the people who had the trays of South Korean cuisine! Norebang!


By this time, its 11pm and everyone was out and about on the street as we got ready to leave the Ace Hotel. Our final stop of the night was the Soho Grand where we sang 90's jams and debriefed on FNO 2012.
Next year, if there is an FNO, I think I'm sticking to 2-3 spots. The lines are ridic! Celebrities don't draw people in, fun things do! Things that engage people. I was all over town for the first time since FNO 2010, it was fun, I'm glad I wore comfortable shoes.

How was your FNO experience?

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Fashion's Night Out 2012

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out in NYC! I'll be out and about but will share my experience with you this weekend. If you can't wait til then, you can catch me on Twitter or Instagram @Lavande_G!

50 Grades of Shea- part 3







Now on to part 3. We have treats from Greece, something for you and your pooch to share and some fun drugstore finds!



Korres Lip Butter
After researching this piece I revisited my Korres Lip Butter in Plum this week. Lip Butter is the perfect name for this lightly tinted piece because its smooth, the color lasts for 2-3 hours and its not sticky.





Kiehls Crème de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish

Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Shampoo and Conditioner





The Body Shop Jumbo Satsuma Body Butter







The Body Shop Jumbo Satsuma Body butter is made with Community Fair Trade Shea butter! Fair trade is great for all!
Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm





Ilia Multi-Stick in Cheek To Cheek



Caudalie Vinosource Intense Moisture Rescue Cream








Bliss Fabulips Foaming Cleanser



"Shea butter and rice bran extract gently cleanses lips, lifting away impurities like food residue and makeup. "
Sign me up!

Aveda green science firming face cream



Aveda's green science firming face cream has a blend of anti-oxidants, murumuru seed butter and organic shea butter to help revitalize skin.
Bungalow Woof Citrus Wipeout
Yes, for you and your pooch!


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Goodbye Summer!



My Summer intern style




This week I was featured on Refinery 29's Intern perfect outfits! I was super excited to show my quirky with my Ebay (Balenciaga shirt and Marc Jacobs skirt) and Loehmann's (Givenchy heels) finds.The clutch is from Forever 21 and the necklace is from H&M (I forgot to tell the editor :S).

Next week, I begin as a second year in my MBA program. I'm currently trying to hold on to the summer warmth but I can definitely start to feel the breeze. Gotta make the most of the Labor day weekend and catch up on Degrassi High ( yes, the oldschool one).

P.S, I'm wearing Chanel's Audace Rouge Allure, Its a nice red with a hint of orange.