Makeup Musts

I have what some people might call an excessive amount of makeup.  That being said, I like to keep my daily makeup routine simple by using the same, basic products each day.  I clearly have an obsession with Stila - it started when I bought the hot pink (self-adjusting!) blush pictured below, and I slowly added more and more of their products to my makeup bag.

 I begin with Stila's Perfect & Correct Foundation in Medium.  I like it because it covers more than a tinted moisturizer, yet is not as heavy as other liquid foundations (it's also great for oily skin!).  Then, I brush on just a bit of Stila's Shade 1 bronzer.  I have light skin, but this bronze is perfect for me all year round - whether I'm tan or not.  Something I love about all of Stila's products is that the color/shade/darkness of the product is dependent on how much you apply.  This is also true for their Custom Color Blush in Pink.  At first, the brightness of the pink looks intimidating, but this is the best blush I have ever used and it looks great on every skin-tone.

After applying my face makeup, I move onto eyes.  I don't always wear eyeshadow during the day, but if I do, I use either Stila's Kitten (pictured) or Oasis depending on what colors I am wearing.  Both are very sheer shimmer eyeshadows; Kitten is on the pearly side while Oasis is a nude-gold.  After shadow, I swipe on some of Stila's Stay All Day waterproof liquid eyeliner (in Intense Black).  A lot of products claim to be waterproof, but this eyeliner truly holds up to that claim.  It has the perfect tip for creating thin lines, thick lines, and cat eyes.  I am BIG on mascara and very picky about it.  I have experimented with almost every brand I could find - from Dior to CoverGirl - but I have found that Benefit's They're Real! is the best mascara on the market.  It creates thickness, length, and curl - a girl couldn't ask for more!

Finally, I gloss my lips with Stila's Lip Glaze in Grapefruit.  I like bold lip colors, but for daytime looks, I find that this is appropriate and goes fabulously with my skin-tone and natural lip color. 



What are some of your Makeup Musts?

Laid-back Lace

Polyvore is my latest love interest.  It is a tool for creating collages of clothing and accessories (outfits, really, or "sets" as the site calls these collages).  It's very user-friendly - you can look up clothing on the site by store, brand color, style, etc., and it suggests similar items (for example, if you click on a lace top, three other similar lace tops will be suggested below).  Links are provided so that you can buy the item(s) online (this is probably a very dangerous feature for shopaholics like myself).  Another feature I love is that you can pin your own ensembles to Pinterest and let me tell you, it is a real ego-booster when other people re-pin the look you've created (within 15 minutes, my outfit already had 7 likes and 18 re-pins!).  I always have outfit ideas in my head, and Polyvore is the perfect instrument for me to create a portfolio of looks without tearing apart my closet or spending hours browsing different clothing sites.

Below is the first set I've published since joining the Polyvore, called "Laid-back Lace."  The look was inspired by my search for the perfect pair of boyfriend jeans, a lace top that I recently purchased from Madewell, and my overwhelming desire to dress for spring.

Do any of you have Polyvore accounts? If you do, follow me: shannon-oneill! :)

Real Life is for March

Happy Leap Day to all!

I hope that Leap Day Williams trades your tears for candy! I also hope you're wearing your blue and yellow to show your holiday spirit (or I'll have to kick you in the knee, stomp you on the foot - Yankees suck, go Pats).  

 

Have fun, stay in the holiday spirit, celebrate your hardest tonight, and remember - you can  do anything you want today because 

what you do on Leap Day doesn't matter.

 

(Unfortunately, I am still going to my night class because I don't think my professor observes this special day.  Perhaps Leap Day Williams will provide a Leap Day miracle of a snow-related cancellation...but I doubt it).

Everyday Essentials

There are just some products that I cannot live without (well, I could, but I never want to know what that's like)!  I'm a firm believer that a bad hair day can put a damper on the best of days, but I have an arsenal of products to ensure that bad hair days are prevented.  Here are some of my everyday essentials:


1) Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Pure Abundance Conditioner

I don't have thin hair, but there are few things that I hate more than when my hair is flat.  I have gone to an Aveda salon (Tu Moda Spa) for many years now, and I've grown to love Aveda products.  The Rosemary Mint shampoo leaves my hair feeling clean (without feeling stripped) and removes whatever residue has built up, whether that be from heat-protection products or hairspray.

While I love the shampoo, it's the Pure Abundance Conditioner that works the real magic.  It is clay based an adds more volume to my hair than I ever thought a conditioner could.  Whether I am wearing my hair curly, straight, or leaving it natural, this conditioner gives my hair fabulous bounce and flounce.

2)  Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother and Light Elements Smoothing Fluid

 

Before I blow dry or style, in my palm I mix two pumps of the Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother with two pumps of the Light Elements Smoothing Fluid and run it through towel-dried hair.  I like these products because they protect my hair from the heat of the blow dryer and flattening (or curling) iron, but they don't weigh my hair down.  Also, I've found that some heat-protection products make my hair feel greasy at the roots by the end of the day, but that's not the case with these.  The Smooth Infusion is the primary heat-protecting product while the Light Elements mostly just adds shine.

3) ghd Classic 1" Styler

 

For years, I used a Chi 2" styling iron.  I had my first Chi for about 6 years and loved it, but it died in 2011 of old age so, naturally, I ordered the same one.  However, I found that the quality just wasn't the same and I went through three different (and rather expensive) Chis in less than a year.  Finally I learned my lesson, researched some reviews, and made an emergency trip to Sephora to buy the ghd Classic 1" Styler.  I was wary at first because I had always used a 2" iron, but after one use of this 1" ghd, I've sworn not to go back to anything else.

For straightening, I only have to pass this iron through each section of hair once which saves valuable time in the morning and is something that I could never say about my Chi.  What I love even more about this tool is that in the same amount of time it takes to straighten, I can have a whole head of natural-looking curls.  I often feel that curling irons make hair look phony and too "done-up," but the curls this iron creates are quick and natural - appropriate for both daytime and nighttime looks.

4) Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

When I was in high school, I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch (something I'm not proud of, but it happened).  We weren't allowed to wear makeup, but some of the girls I worked with suggested I use clear mascara so the managers wouldn't notice.  While I don't think it did anything for my eyelashes, I discovered that Great Lash Clear Mascara works like a charm on fly-aways.  Most days after I straighten (or curl) my hair, I comb this through on each side of my part to tame those pesky hairs that stick straight up.  Even if I'm just wearing my hair in a ballerina bun, I use it along my hairline to keep the look clean and sleek and in my bun if there is a stray hair sticking out.  Clear mascara works better than hairspray because you only use it on the few hairs that need it, not your whole head.  Even better? It stores perfectly in any size bag for touch-ups throughout the day.

What are some of your everyday essential hair products?

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

A while ago, I stumbled upon this recipe and thought it seemed like an interesting new pasta dish worthy of trying out.  While the recipe doesn't call for it, I added prosciutto (I stirred it in with the asparagus as it roasted)...and I'm glad I did because it added a little something extra to the meal.  The recipe makes a lot so next time, if it is just my boyfriend and me eating dinner, I would cut the recipe in half, but for now I'm glad I have some leftovers for the school week ahead of me!

While the recipe suggests pairing the dish with a Sauvignon Blanc, I opted for a Riesling.

S'more, Please!

Thanks to Pinterest, I am always finding new recipes (but I never have time to make them all!).  Before Valentine's Day, I found a recipe for s'mores bars but didn't get around making them until last night.  Besides the fact that the bars looked absolutely delicious, what attracted me to this recipe was that they were so quick and easy to make.  With just a few simple ingredients and about 20 minutes, you can have yourself a sticky, sugary treat! The recipe can be found here.

Ingredients

Finished Product!

Figs on February Fourteenth

While the semester is still young, it seems like I have been busier than ever!  I am not crazy about Valentine's Day, but I definitely do not hate it and still wanted to do something with my boyfriend, Nick, on Tuesday evening.  I had school and work, so we opted for a late, casual dinner at Todd English's Figs on Charles Street. 

We kept things informal, but I still wanted to dress for the holiday.  I decided a casual dress and some boots would be a good option.  Luckily, a couple weeks ago I bought a perfect dress for the occasion.

 

 Forever 21 dress, Steve Madden boots, Madewell thigh-high socks, 

Ralph Lauren gold necklace and gold studs, Madewell gold bangles

After school, work, and my late dinner date, I still had homework to do, but it was nice to take part of the evening to celebrate the fun of February 14th.

Double Stuf Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

For weeks, my boyfriend has been asking (begging) me to make cookies...chocolate chip cookies with an Oreo in the middle, to be exact.  Over the weekend, I gave into his request and we were both pleased with the results.

These are just as easy to make as any homemade chocolate chip cookies, but the final product is a subtle spin on an old classic.  I found the recipe here, though you can take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, put the dough around an Oreo, and end up with the same deliciousness.

With a glass of milk, these were the perfect snack for a Sunday evening!
 

*One piece of advice:  the recipe says to use a "scoop" of cookie dough on each side of the Oreo.  A picture shows an ice cream scoop being used on each side of the cookie, so I followed the picture.  I ended up with a batch of 8 cookies the size of a baby's head.  Next time, I would use enough cookie dough to just cover the Oreo, and I suggest you do the same! This will cut down on the baking time and give you more cookies.

Cords & Cortadas

This past Friday was gorgeous, and I wanted my outfit to reflect the sunny day.  While jeans are generally considered the go-to bottoms for casual-Friday ensembles, I opted for vibrant flame colored cords.  I paired them with a black boyfriend cardigan layered over a chambray shirt and for shoes, leopard print flats.  Because of the color of my pants and the print on my shoes, I decided to keep my jewelry and accessories to a minimal and wore just a simple pair of pearl studs.  On their own, each piece I wore can serve as a basic (in fact, all of these articles are some of my most frequently worn pieces), but they can also work together to create a casual, yet stylish, outfit.

Gap cardigan, J. Crew chambray, J. Crew cords, BP. flats

After Friday's classes, my boyfriend and I grabbed some coffee from Render Coffee and went for a stroll in the South End.  Render, on Columbus Ave., has been open for a few months now but Friday was my first visit.  My Cortada (below) was delicious, and the chai latte that my boyfriend ordered was undoubtedly the best I've ever had.  While Friday was our first visit, it will most certainly not be our last.  Luckily it is just steps from our apartment, and I am looking forward to becoming a regular.