February Beauty Favorites

It's already way into March but thanks to my internet service provider, I didn't have connection for a couple of weeks, hence the late post. But these products are so great, that it's better late to see them than never.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum...After a little breakout last month, I was left with some hyperpigmented spots. Using this product twice a day has been awesome at fading those marks, while brightening and evening out my skin tone overall. It also leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. Caudalie uses naturally anti-oxidant rich ingredients and this serum is oil-free, so it's not irritating. It's supposedly non-photosensitizing too, which means you could theoretically use it without SPF on top. Nevertheless, I always wear SPF any way and I recommend everyone else does too! At $79, it's definitely seems pricey, but lasts a long time as you only have to use it sparingly. Living Proof Full Thickening Cream...For me, this hair thickening cream is like a salon in a bottle! I simply work a nickel size amount in my palms and then apply to my hair, paying special attention to the areas by the roots. Then I use a wide-toothed comb to distribute the product evenly throughout. When I have some time to do a little something-something, I'll also blow dry my hair after spritzing on some heat protectant spray and it adds lots of bounce and shine to my otherwise limp locks. Almay One Coat Tripple Effect Mascara...I strayed away from this mascara for a while but this really is HG status! Besides lengthening, thickening and curling lashes all-in-one swipe, it conditions them with aloe vera and vitamin B5. My eyelashes should be thanking me now! I've noticed that in just a few weeks, my lashes look and feel healthier. I like to use the color Blackest Black for drama.
Urban Decay Naked Palette...This palette has hands-down saved me from laziness this past month. I just haven't had the interest in scavenging through my makeup kit. The Naked Palette has enough shades to mix it up every now and then but is still safe enough so that I don't have to think to much when I'm combining colors. Love, love, love the combo of Toasted, Hustle, Darkhorse and Sin for a plum-brown smokey eye.

Bio-Oil...After I somehow unknowingly scratched myself weeks ago, I was left with a 1.5" scar on my right hand. I thought it would go away on its own, but after a week, I realized it was probably here to stay. Applying bio-oil 2-3 times a day has dramatically reduced its appearance and I'm hoping it will go away within a couple of months with continued use. I haven't tried the oil on stretch marks or anything, but I suppose it'll have similar effects on other superficial scars and marks if you apply it religiously. Oh! And it smells SO GOOD. But that's just me.

C is for Cookie...cookie cookie cookie starts with C

Me Cookie Monster!

Today my sister and lil nephew came to New York all the way from Atlanta. I was so excited for their visit that I just had to bake some cookies. Who am I kidding? Just about any excuse to bake cookies is good enough for me! They turned out so well, they're even blog-worthy. Since I'm staying at my parents house for a few days, I tried to incorporate ingredients that they already had. I used dried cranberries and bittersweet chocolate in this oatmeal cookie recipe but if you prefer, you can substitute them for another type of dried fruit or chocolate. Dried cherries and white chocolate chips might be a nice combo as well. Actually, my daughter didn't seem to enthused with the bittersweet chocolate, so if you have little ones, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips are good too. Mmm-mm TOO YUMMY!

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 packets Quaker Instant Oatmeal (brown sugar & cinnamon)
2 packets Quaker Instant Oatmeal (original)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 4oz. bar bittersweet chocolate (cut in 1/4" chunks)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix togeether flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat in the egg and then add vanilla extract. Combine wet mixture to dry ingredients. Fold in oats, cranberries and chocolate. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Use an ice scream scoop to place 6 portions on each baking sheet. Make sure they are evenly spaced and have enough room as they will expand in the oven. Bake for about 12-13 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Pin-Up Inspired Shoot

Hello lovelies,

Back with another collabo with talented photographer Tamiz Rezvi. This shoot was a pin-up inspired shoot. I really wanted to do something fun with the makeup and the actresses we worked with definitely knew how to work their roles. Hope you guys like.

Face

Bobbi Brown Foundation

Bobbi Brown Color Corrector and Creamy Concealer

LORAC Soul Blush

Makeup Forever HD Powder

Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Brick

Eyes

MAC Cork Eyeshadow (eyebrows)

MAC Vanilla Pigment (lid)

MAC Texture (crease)

MAC Brule (highlight)

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (upper lashline)

MAC Zoom Lash

Ardell Wispies Lashes

Lips

Julie Hewitt Film Noir Lip Pencil

NARS Shanghai Express Lipstick

MAC Amorous Dazzleglass Creme

Face

Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation

Bobbi Brown Color Corrector and Creamy Concealer

Makeup Forever HD Powder

MAC Gingerly Blush

NARS Orgasm Multiple (highlight)

Eyes

MAC Embark Eyeshadow (eyebrows)

MAC Heritage Rouge Pigment (lid & lower lashline)

MAC Antiqued (crease)

MAC Brule (highlight)

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline (upperlashline)

MAC Zoom Lash

Lips

MAC Icescape Lipglass

Time for those New Years resolutions...

Hi lovelies,

2010 is out and 2011 is in. Time really does fly by. Nevertheless, I'm still excited for the New Year to come. I've never been one to make New Years resolutions, but I feel like as the older I get, I should have something to hold myself mentally accountable for the things I want to accomplish. So here's what I intend to do to improve my life in 2011...

1. Stop and smell the roses...In the everyday blitz of handling a home, work and family, sometimes you just don't take time to appreciate the little moments. I want to spend more precious time with my kids because before I realize it, they'll be all grown up. I don't want to complain about my husband always working and just enjoy the time that we have together...it's not quantity but quality!

2. Spend less and save money...I've stopped spending so much money on clothing but cosmetics is one area that I just can't help myself when it comes to shelling out money. I want to spend less on skincare and makeup products and try to make use of what I already have. There are a lot of BIG things I want to accomplish in the next few years and for that I need to keep track of every penny. Saving is a big resolution for 2011.

3. Eat healthy...I don't really eat junk food but that definitely doesn't mean I'm a healthy eater. I'm determined to eat more healthful, wholesome foods like vegetables and whole grains as well as drink lots more water.

4. Read and write more...reading and writing are things I love to do but haven't had time for in the past few years. I resolve to read a new book AT LEAST once a month and to take some time out each day to write even a few sentences.

5. Try new things...whether it be a yoga class, a different type of food or a change in hairstyle!

Kitchen Conundrum? Just Make It Work!

I'm sorry to say it but at our house...fruits just aren't a fave. My husband and daughter will eat bananas and grapes but that's just about as far as their experimentation with produce will go. Ironically, fruit baskets are probably one of the most popular gift around the holidays...after fruit cakes, of course. A few days ago we received a basket filled with yummy cookies, nuts, chocolate covered popcorn and PEARS. Instead of just letting these beautiful fruits go to waste, I decided turn them into something my family would readily dig into-a sweet, flaky, home-made PIE! The hardest part was the crustand even that wasn't so complicated...just a little tedious trying to keep all the ingredients cold (I'll explain why later).

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks COLD butter (cubed)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
6-8 tbsp. ice water
4 Forelle or Bartlett pears (peeled and sliced)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
1/2 lemon zested & juiced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit. Add salt and sugar to flour. Cut in cold cubed butter until the doug resembles a crumbly texture. Slowly add water until it forms a soft, maleable ball of dough and refridgerate it for 15 minutes. Roll out half of the dough and place in pie dish. Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges. For the filling, combine pear slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, lemon zest and juice. Pour onto pie crust. Flatten second half of dough and cut into strips. Create a lattice top by weaving the strips of dough. Pinch edges together with the bottom crust. Flute the edges with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Rockin' n' Rollin'

Hi lovelies,

I wanted to share some photos from a test shoot I did with photographer Tamiz Rezvi and model/actress Maria Papathanasiou. The look we were going for was grunge chic with a feminine twist, so I went with a smokey grey eye and defined, thick eyebrows along with sparkly pink lips to match the sparkly pink guitar! The rest was pretty simple, some light contouring and a flush of pink color on the apples of the cheeks. We shot in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. It was so cold but I think Maria rocked it and the pictures came out pretty good.

Long Time Coming...Thanksgiving Yummies

Hello lovelies...


I feel so bad for not posting in FOREVER. But let's just get right into it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I have a lot to be thankful for...most of all a wonderful family, along with a new addition who is getting bigger and more interesting every day. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Not only for the delicious feast but because I cherish gathering together with family and friends. There is something simultaneously comforting and energizing about the din of a home filled with loved ones.

This year, besides the usual pumpkin and apple pies, I wanted to do something special and a little exotic for desert. With a two year old and 4 month old kids, I'm always looking for dishes that look like they were a pain in the butt to make but really aren't at all. This Baklava recipe is a no brainer and people have told me its one of the best they've had, maybe because I use an assortment of nuts as apposed to the traditional pistachio or walnut variety. Hope you like it...

Ingredients
1 package Phyllo pastry sheets
2 cups crushed walnuts
2 cup crushed pistachios
1 cup crushed almonds
1 cup crushed pecans
2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. nutmeg
1 cup water
3/4 cup honey
juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
5-6 cloves
2 cups unsalted butter (melted)

Recipe
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Mix the crushed nuts with 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Start by buttering a 9x13in. baking pan. Lay down a sheet of Phyllo and brush it with butter. Continue layering 7 more sheets, buttering each one. Evenly sprinkle half the nut mixture on top. Continue with another 4 layers of buttered Phyllo pastry. Cover this with the remaining nuts. Finish off with another 8 layers of butter pastry sheets. Pour the remaining butter on top of everything. Bake for 1 hour or unitl pastry is golden brown. In the meantime, make syrup by bringing water, sugar and honey to a boil. Add cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon juice. Take off heat. When pastry is done baking, cut into squares or diamon shape. Pour syrup over top of pastry and let sit until time to serve while the pastry soaks up the syrup.

Enjoy!