5 Things

Well I survived the earthquake, my first one (and hopefully last). I was on the 1oth floor of my building (normally I am on 26 but lunch room is located on 10) and felt the weirdest shaking and rumbling. It sounded and felt like the subway you feel walking on the streets...It was scary, but not quite as frightening as #3 on my 5 things listed below:

1. Salma Hayek Nuance Hydating Rose Balm

Love this stuff. It is like a fancy aquafor with the faint smell of rose. I use it before I go to sleep on my lips (cant go to sleep without aquafor or this b/c if I do, I wake up with the most chapped lips EVER!)

2. Yogurt Pretzels

I am not a huge fan of yogurt, so they should probably call them frosting pretzels b/c that is what they taste like. I just had my first one last week and have been on a yogurt pretzel kick since then! I would love to make my own (with frosting of course...)

3. Ouch!

So I was shaving (standing up, apparently most people sit) and I guess I was shaving the top of my foot (I think???) and I lost balance. While I was making the shaving motion with the razor I caught the pad of my 3rd toe from the big toe on my right foot in the razor-and off it went. My apartment literally looked like a murder scene. Blood EVERYWHERE. Had to hobble out of the shower bleeding like roadkill (thank god I had just started and no shampoo or conditioner was in my hair) . And the worst part? I was all alone, had no first aid stuff, and my iphone was not working! It was traumatizing to say the least. I have been hobbling all day long and am dreading how painful tonight's shower may be.

4. Mary Janes

Not that I will be getting much wear out of any heels anytime soon due to #4, but I fell in love with these shoes from a catalog that got sent to the previous tenant me. They remind me of Prada. The Nordstrom's photo is not as cute as the way they look on the model...I need them for fall!

5. Nails, Nails, Nails!

In my last post I talked about how wonderful pink gel topcoat is from Sephora. And above is my nails after using it consistently for 1 week. My nails before were little stubs. Like guy nails. Awful, I know! Soon they will be in tip top shape so I can start sporting some Chanel Peridot or OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark (you all know I love and am ready for fall!)

Skincare Woes and Loves

In this little post here I blogged about Shasta Anne's awesome skincare giveaway...and I WON!Thank you SO much Shasta!!!!!!!! I am so excited! Not only because I won, but because the skincare products she was giving away were geared towards people with discoloration issues (aka malasma, my nemesis). I touched briefly on my struggle with melasma due to birth control and my irish skin. After my beach trip with Muffin a few weeks ago my face literally looked stained. The spots that I had been lightening gradually came back full force. In this post I am going to talk about some of the skincare products I do love, and have continued to purchase because they actually work.

For zits (luckily, I deal with these only around that time of the month)

• Clean and Clear Persa Gel (has 10% benzoyl peroxide, put it on over night and your zit will most likely be gone the next morning, minus a little mark).
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For makeup removal (HEAVY makeup removal mind you...)

• Burt's Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser-you know those fancy facial oils from Shu Uemera and Laura Mercier that came out a while ago and were so popular? This is the same thing, just in gel form. I use it on my DRY face and the gel melts into an oil that takes off pretty much EVERYTHING...plus it smells fantastic and is not harsh at all.
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• Neautrogena Deep Clean Oil Free Makeup remover wipes-I use this before washing my face when I have lots of makeup on... Cleanser alone won't cut it for me.
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• Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover- This I use only on my eyes b/c it is super oily...it is amazing and is the ONLY thing to get rid of my beloved Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner.

Regular Wash and Moisturizing

• Aveeno Skin Brightening Scrub-love it, takes off any flakies (ew.. I know..I know..) without making my skin look like I just washed it with a brillow pad.
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• CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion-my absolute favorite can't live without skincare product. I have been using this for YEARS. It is an amazing moisturizer with no fluff, just does what it says without any awful side effects like breakouts or reactions.. TRY IT you will be HOOKED!
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• Retinoid- I use a generic prescribed one from my dermatologist. I have been on Retin A, Tazorac, TriLuma (for the spots), and the generic one is doing its job. I stay on the retinoid b/c it keeps me clear and is the ONLY proven wrinkle fighter.

I am obsessed with skincare, and am always trying to find a regimen that works and that I can stick to. The above products are the ones that I keep buying over and over again. Now, because I am a makeup/sephora junkie I also tend to try new stuff. Currently, I am trying out the following:

• First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads-I have only been using this for over a week, and haven't really seen any results besides my face feels really clean---ps I also use this on my arms and chest...just because.
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• Clarisonic Mia-I have had this for over a year...I used it when I first bought it and really did not like it which was sad, because it gets such good reviews. I felt it irritated my skin and caused breakouts. Now I started at it again because I am praying it does for me what it does for other people. This time I am trying the "sensitive" brush head. If it doesn't work on me this time, I will use it to clean Muffin's shower.
• 

So, if the products I won work as well for me as the did for lovely Shasta and the other bajillion people raving about it, then I will be the happiest girl on the planet. I promise to keep regular updates on how it is working for me.

PS: Remember how I was saying my nails are pathetically weak? Well I have found the MOST amazing thing to keep them strong and pretty. It adds the most gorgeous pink to your nails and uses something else to cancel out ANY yellowing. LOVE LOVE LOVE (minus the price tag)

It's called Pink Gel Topcoat. You can find it in the aisles near the checkout counter in Sephora, or buy it online here.

Weekend Makeup Haul

This weekend I bought lots of new makeup that I am really excited about. For starters, I have become obsessed with glitter nail polish. Not nail polish with sparse glitter (like the ones that came out when we were in elementary school), I am talking about heavy glitters that barely have any background color, just pure glitter to cover your nail. I saw Whitney in my new favorite trashy show, Big Rich Texas wearing a really thick pink glitter on her toes and I think that is what started this obsession. Then I saw a cute girl in the elevator in my apartment building with a thick silvery black glitter on her toe nails which I also loved. Unfortunately I missed the boat with the OPI/Katy Perry nail polishes and was a little late to the game, so I only found the blue one below, called Last Friday Night. I have a bajillion layers of it on my toe nails so I have super cute glittery blue nails and I am loving it! I have to keep the glitters on my toes b/c they are not office friendly :( boooooo.

Here is my glitter nail polish haul, from l-r: Last Friday Night, I Lily Love You, and And This Little Piggy (I only bought that one to use as a sparkly base for I Lily Love You).

So next... I was off to Sephora to browse around. While I was looking at the Stila counter and deciding on a lip gloss, this gorgeous makeup artist man caught my attention. I asked him his opinion and quickly learned that he was an artist executive for the line who was there for a special event (he is even on Stila's blog here, read about him!) He said "Let's play!" and did my makeup and he was FANTASTIC. I even asked for his card b/c he said he would travel to do makeup for weddings (not that I am getting married anytime soon, but still good to know!). He was so sweet and patient and answered all of my questions.....he really got me loving the line and these are the products I left with.

Baked eyeshadow in Bronze Glow...I only wear brownish colored eyeshadows and have a million different versions of them.

Illuminating pressed powder, b/c it made my after gym skin look fantastic.

Forever Yourl Curl Mascara-literally knocked me off of the chair. The mascara curls your lashes by itself!!! Plus I needed a new mascara so it was convenient.

And here is the makeup artist, David Birdwell. Isn't he so cute? Anyways, he has done makeup for tons of celebrities and models at fashion shows, I enjoyed talking to him so much!

Here is the finished result:

Please ignore the messy hair... I had just come from the gym. The look was really natural and flawlessly applied. Exactly how I (usually) like my makeup.

And here is my haul. Of course, he used a few other products on me...but you know how Sephora is...buy more than 3 things and your total could be $200.00. The sad thing is that I loved the look (and the brushes!) so much that I will probably buy the rest of it this week and share the other products with you all.

So what do you think? Are you all suckers for makeup and Sephora? Have you ever tried those Stila products, or any other Stila product that you love? Do you know of an heavy glitter nail polishes I should try?

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend :)

20 Questions with Ashley

As promised, here are Ashley's answers from Places to Go Things to Buy for the 20 Questions-Tag You're It game I created for us bloggers. I loved reading her answers and I am sure you will as well. On a funny side note, I have seen Ashley's pet peeve in person during many of our shopping trips :)

1. Favorite Color: Pink!

2. Favorite food that you make: I love to make tostones which are Cuban fried plantain bananas. My hubby requests them all the time! I also really like my mom's tuna noodle casserole, and then I also love to bake banana bread!

3. Favorite Food Network Chef: Giada De Laurentiis...love her food!

4.. What is the last beauty product you bought, and are you liking it?: I just bought a new bottle of Protect & Perfect Intense Serum by Boots (discussed previously here) and I'm loving it!

5. What are your top 3 beauty products: My 3 favorite beauty products are Protect & Perfect Serum by Boots, Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub by St. Ives, and Chanel Intimitable mascara.

6. When you were younger what trend did you take part of that you enjoyed the most: Oh boy...I took part in every trend when I was young! I loved guitar string bracelets, jelly heels, glitter all over my face, knee high socks (blame that on Clueless!), glitter nail polish, etc.

7. Essie or OPI? Essie only because I own more Essie nail polishes than OPI.

8. How often do you workout? Oh, I try to work out 3 times a week BUT that doesn't seem to always happen. Most of the time its twice a week and sometimes its 0.... My motivation varies. LOL But all together, I don't work out nearly as much as I should. I guess the 16 years of doing ballet has left me a little rebellious!

9. Iced or hot coffee? Hot coffee most always, except for when its really hot out and then I crave it iced. I also mostly want iced when I want coffee in the afternoons, but mornings I always want hot.

10. favorite celebrity couple: Ok, I got 2: Prince William & Kate! They're celebrities right? And then Giuliana & Bill..love them!

11. favorite reality tv show: Oh godsh, how do I choose!? I'm gonna have to name atleast 2 here again......Project Runway & Jerseylicious.

12. Place you have never been but would like to go: Fiji!

13. what gift did you get from your wedding registry that you get the most use out of?: I use so many of them but if I had to name one it would be my bath towels! I use those all the time and they're sooo soft and comfy!

14. Biggest pet peeve? Ugh....annoying sales people (aka Victoria's Secret). I admit, I have a problem...I need to be nicer to sales people but they soooo piss me off!

15. Best guilty pleasure: Trashy tv shows for sure! I can't get enough!

16. Favorite book: The Something Borrowed series. Love them!

17. Do you subscribe to any magazines?: Yup! I get InStyle, Vogue, People StyleWatch, and Food & Wine magazine.

18. Favorite Halloween costume?: Hmm, Megan & I were Cher and Dionne from Clueless in 4th grade!

19. Drink of choice?: Champagne

20. What advice would you give your 17 year old self? I would say, Ashley don't be boy crazy! You'll find your hubby soon enough so just take a chill pill! The other stuff I would tell myself I probably shouldn't publish on this blog! Lol

Pasta Salad

There are lots of things I am loving about living alone, and at the top of my list is exploring cooking and baking. I have made lots of yummy things but this pasta salad recipe by far has been the best and the EASIEST thing I have made thus far. Now this certainly is not for those that are on a diet. The only changes I would suggest in making this if you are on a diet is using whole wheat pasta...otherwise, just make it, I promise you will love it.

First off, the main ingredient is..............................MAYO. Up until I was about 18 years old I HATED mayo. I thought it was so nasty and so unnecessary (for example in sandwiches, for moisture I would always use a vinegarette). Anyhoo, I started liking mayonnaise gradually and now I like it. But I have a rule...it cannot be clumpy. On sandwiches it has to be spread perfectly, the thought of a large chunk of mayo in my mouth makes me want to vom vom.

So on to the pasta salad. I have always loved pasta salads that were vinegar based, but recently I tried one with mayo. I tried to recreate it yesterday and I blew myself away. I promise it is absolutely delicious and it is eaten cold, so just make it, stick it in the fridge, and eat when you want.

Here it is: (PS I am obvi no chef, so work with me)

Ingredients:

1 Box of the colorful fusili pasta (I use this one b/c its the traditional pasta in deli pasta salads)

1 cup of Mayo

a few gollups of red wine vinegar (I know...I know... we don't want the sauce soupy, so use your head when adding)

1/2 a white onion, chopped (you can use a red onion if you want)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

lots of salt and pepper!!!!!!!

Cook pasta al dente. Make sure to add salt and olive oil to pasta water before boiling). While pasta is boiling, chop the red pepper and the onion, set aside. In the same (now empty) pot you used to boil the pasta, add the drained pasta plus rest of the ingredients. Add more vinegar if you like that taste (I personally love it). You can eat it right away (it is hard to resist). Put the rest in the fridge and eat straight out of it.

***Here is a trick, if you have Italian Dressing in your fridge (from Wishbone or w/e) you can use that instead of the red wine vinegar. The added bonus is the rest of the seasoning in it***

Other things you can add include feta cheese, celery, sun dried tomatoes, etc. Let me know if you try it!

Tag You're It!-20 Questions

I decided to ask my dear friend Ashley at Places to Go Things to Buy 20 fun questions. Please feel free to take the questions and send it to one of your favorite bloggers, I would love to get a Tag game going! I can't wait to see her answers, stay tuned :)

New Movies

I love watching movies, unfortunately, Philly has (from what I have seen) really crappy movie theaters. The only one within walking distance looks really run down. Whatever, I will see this movie no matter what. It's called "One Day" and I am sure you all have seen the trailer for it. The first time I saw the trailer was while I was waiting to see Something Borrowed (def will be purchasing that one). I love Anne Hathaway and it seems like such a great story, also it def helps to be using that One Republic song in the preview :) Now I just need to make a girl friend up here so that Muffin doesn't have a heart attack while watching (probably not any explosions in this movie and way too much mushiness)...

Online Shopping Pet Peeve

I love shopping online. Places like zappos.com make it a pleasure with their customer service and fast shipping, but I have an online shopping pet peeve that I just have to get off my chest. I feel bad for picking on theoutnet.com (net-a-porter's outlet website, has some great deals) but it just so happens that I was reminded of this pet peeve when I was on the website this morning...and here it goes.

WHY DO WEBSITES POST SOLD OUT ITEMS? I happen to be scrolling along, come across a beautiful dress, and there it is in big bold ugly letters "SOLD OUT". Why do they even bother posting it? Is it to throw in your face that it is too late and that you were too slow? Someone else is enjoying an item that I would love love to make mine? Well to me, that is just nastiness. If I was in charge of an online retailer I would make sure that any sold out items are immediately pulled from the website instead of adding that horrific sold out sign.

Am I the only one that finds this extremely annoying? Anyhoo, on a side note, isn't that Zac Posen dress beautiful? Agree? Well, don't get your hopes up, after all, it is SOLD OUT.

I want.

I came across these 2 bracelets by Beach Bunny Swimwear this morning and decided I need one of them. I usually wear a few bracelets that I like to mix and match and decided one of these would look great with it...but I need your fashion advice, which one do you like best? I am leaning towards the 2nd one... Let me know. Oh yea, you can find them both here

Shasta Anne Pretty Skin Giveaway

The lovely Shasta Anne is sponsoring a fantastic skincare giveaway. For those of you that have trouble with spots, melasma, hyperpigmentation, whatever you want to call it (I like to call it the mask of awfulness), you may be interested. I have been using tri-luma and a generic form of a retinoid with hydroquinone in it to lighten dark spots for several years. M dark spots are caused by birth control, genetics, sun, etc...and triluma hasn't worked the way I wish it would. I dream of having skin as clear and even toned as a babies but always felt it was impossible...However her experience with the product has me thinking there could be light at the end of the tunnel...And Shasta certainly knows her stuff about skincare. Head on over to her blog to find out more, you could be the lucky winner (or me of course...).

Is there a product you have used that has lightened stubborn spots? If so, sharing is caring!

<3, Megan

Fall Wishlist Part Uno

Since I have fall on my mind, I thought I'd let you in on a few items that just scream fall to me. I would love to be wearing each one of these items and will hopefully make at least 1 a reality for me in the near future.

I already have black booties, so this fall I am looking for beige or even better, leopard. The leopard can jazz up any outfit, especially all the black I usually wear in the fall. If I had to only choose 1 thing from this wishlist it would probably be these babies.
I have been lusting over a good camel colored coat for sometime now, but the camel color is usually not perfect, but this coat from Vince is. I did not want a trench style, but a one with a lot of drape and a hood, just like this one. Also, it's made of wool and cashmere so it will keep me warm (better keep me warm because it is $$$). I just love love love it and hopefully can make it mine soon.

Chanel Peridot Nail Laquer (image courtesy of Temptalia, best beauty blog out there). Need this now. Some people may hate it, and it is def not office friendly. Go to google images and search"chanel peridot" and you will see how it looks on nails, to me, very pretty and edgy. I love.

I

I know I was just talking about ombre hair, but when I saw these photos of Katie Holmes on justjared I was smitten with her brown hair color. It looks so healthy and shiny. I think it's nice to go dark in the fall/winter so I will probably take the plunge.

5 Things

I like when bloggers have "5 Things" posts, where they list random thoughts/rants/raves, so I decided to start doing it as well. Here we go......

1. Big Rich Texas

I LOVE trashy TV, and the Style Network seems to have an endless supply (seriously between Jerseylicious and Big Rich Texas I may end up wearing spandex leapard, neon glitter nails, dye my hair blonde, and start tanning...jk...sort of). This new show is centers around several Texas ladies and their daughters. They all belong to a country club and fight with each other at least 3 times an episode. Bonnie and Whitney crack me up, can't wait to see them continue to fight with Pam.

google images

2. LuLulemon

I just started working out. I tend to workout heavily for a few weeks then give it up all together, however, lululemon is def helping me break that habit. When workout clothes are just as cute if not more cute than regular clothes, it gives me an extra reason to hit the gym.

zimbio images

3. http://heidiklum.aol.com/

This is Heidi Klum's blog about fitness, fashion, life, and other stuff. She has some great tips for running as well as her 'favorite things' which I love. Very entertaining. Check it out!

4. Fall

This heat wave has me wishing for all things fall. Chunky sweaters, boots, leggings, scarves, pumpkin everything. Currently, I have Bath and Bodyworks Creamy Pumpkin candle burning. It smells amazing and makes me believe that its not 1238910823 degrees outside.

5. Giuiliana Rancic Hair

I will ALWAYS love the ombre hair trend. Children always have the best hair because it is naturally lightened by the sun, and the lightness is usually concentrated on the ends...it just looks so natural and pretty. IMO Giuiliana got the ombre done perfectly. I bet she has lots of extensions which helps tremendously, but man does she have awesome hair. I watch her on her show that comes on between all my trashy style network tv :)

What are some things you are loving right now? Anybody else watch these shows? Looking forward to Fall?

More bikinis!

Since I decided I needed a whole summer's worth of bikinis I have ordered another j. crew underwire french top in island aqua and the madras bikini in the bottle blue color. I am obsessing over the madras print but I ordered the top in xxs which is a little bit tiny, and the bottom in xs which is kind diaperish. The fabric is not traditional bikini fabric so any extra room in the caboose gets this diaper effect. Problem is, no xxs bottoms are available!

I discussed my love of this underwire top here. It is so flattering! And the island aqua color is to die for :) happy swimwear shopping!

Mistakes?

Pardonez moi for the lack of posts of late. Meg's Big Move has had a LOT to think about lately about the whole 'move' thing. Big girl decisions are not easy, but I believe trusting your gut is the most important thing in the world.

When the going gets tough there is nothing better than your girlfriends. The past 2 days have been a whirlwind for me and I would not have been able to make it through it without my family and my girlfriends (and Robert even though he is too far away). A few years back I was in Texas due to a medical issue and my cousin's gorgeous wife gave me a little gift to make me feel better. She called it a "happy". As trivial as shoes and clothes may be to some people, sometimes they just make you happy, and sometimes thats just what you need. Here are a few "happys" that would be nice now.

And on a simpler happy note, here is a quote from sex and the city that is making today and yesterday a little bit more bearable:

“Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away”

Thoughts on Fitness and Bikinis

I am usually the girl that can think of a bajillion and one better things to do than work out. Sometimes, however, I get myself in these little spurts where I am all about working out and being healthy. Last time I did this, I became a member at a super posh gym (located in a mall---major damage to my finances) and was taking Dolphin cheerleader workouts at 9:oo am on Saturday mornings. This last time was a longgggggggggggg time ago. Now I am back on track and am loving this app called "Couch to 5k". It is supposed to get someone like me (extremely out of shape but lucky to have a fast metabolism) in shape gradually. I highly recommend it because it literally tells you what to do. A woman gets on and screams "RUN NOW" or "WALK NOW" and I happily oblige as I listen to Katy Perry and watch reruns of Real Housewives. It consists of 3 cardio workouts a week that get harder each time until it has you running a full 5k. I have been cheating a little and not been taking the suggested recovery breaks in an effort to get my body in shape quicker. Overall, I love how I feel after I work out and I am hoping to make this a part of my lifestyle instead of just a little 'spurt' :)

Now on to bikinis...

Soon Muffin and I are going on a little beach vacay which means it's time for Megan to get some new bikinis. I was on the hunt for a bikini that would make me feel 100% comfortable on the beach so that I did not feel the need to cover myself up half the time, and the answer of my prayers is the J.Crew bikini you see above. I am in LOVE. This past weekend, I went to a local boutique and tried on the most gorgeous bikini but it was $200.00, which is nonsense for me right now b/c of the big move.

Has anyone bought a bikini they love recently?