My T H E O R Y is...

That you should go to the Theory sample sale! For a limited time only Theory is having a sample sale in NYC.

261 W 36th Street (between 7th & 8th Ave), 2nd floor
Wednesday November 30th – Friday December 2nd, 10:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday December 3rd & Sunday December 4th, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Check out the satin top that I got! Originally for $245, I purchased it for $82. This blouse is perfect under a blazer at the office or paired with skinny jeans for a night out!

Alyssa

Winter Glow

Ask me what I did this summer, and I couldn’t tell you. However, I must have been having fun, because I was too busy to take any pictures or go to the beach! When the summer so hastily left, it took my ever so slight tan with it.

I’m not a fan of tanning booths, however I do turn to a few products to give me a little glow during the long dark winter months. Pictured above:

1. Model Co, Tan Airbrush in a can – this product is suitable for your face and body. Personally, I only use it for my face, as I find it difficult to apply to my body without creating uneven patches (there is a brush available to assist with this, however I do not own it). I love this product, because you can layer it. I can do one quick spray over my face, neck and chest before I apply my makeup to give me a little extra tan. Or, I can apply multiple coats for a deep dark bronze.

2. Bare Escentauls, Faux Tan – Similar to Model Co, this product can be used for your face and body. Not only does this product work wonders, but it also smells like sugar cookies!

3. Per-fekt, golden color: This gel like substance not only gives your face and body instant color, but it also smoothes out imperfections. The specific bottle pictured above is made for your body, while a separate product is for your face, however I use this one for both face and body.

4. Nars, Laguna bronzer – There really are no words to explain how amazing this bronzer is. It is the winner of multiple beauty awards and my personal favorite. Apply evenly to your face, neck & chest and watch the transformation to place!

Alyssa

When Pigs Fly

Life can be so complicated - yet sometimes all it takes is a four dollar stocking stuffer to bring you back down to earth. After a tiresome day of shopping I stumbled upon J Crew’s newest gift section which encompasses notebooks, post it notes, nail polish, perfume and bracelets. I finally settled on a pack of post it notes that read, “When Pigs Fly.” I’m still contemplating the notebook which reads “Treasures I Found and Liked,” but I guess I’ll just have to write it on my new post it notes for now. Happy note taking!

Alexa

H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g

We truly have so much to be thankful for and we are happy and blessed that we were able to spend the day together, and with some of our family.  We hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving as well!

Alyssa & Alexa

Fall Treat - Raspberry Chocolate Pudding "Cake"

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I decided to try baking a sweet alternative to pumpkin pie. I followed the recipe below to produce a delectable combination of chocolate and raspberries.

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 oz package of frozen re raspberries
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of softened butter
• 1 and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup milk

Directions:
1. Thaw raspberries and preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl, combine flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and baking powder. Then, set aside (1st picture above).
3. In a separate bowl, combine butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined (2nd picture above).
4. Combine bowls and add milk. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
5. Spread batter in a greased 2 quart square baking dish. Spoon raspberries along with raspberry syrup that has accumulated on the bottom of the bag on top.
6. Combine remaining brown sugar (1/2 cup) and cocoa powder (2 tablespoons), then sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter (3rd picture above).
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean (4th picture above).

In my opinion, this recipe is suitable for 3 servings, not 6, as the serving size above says. I would suggest doubling the cake ingredients (everything but the amount of frozen raspberries). Or, doubling the amount or raspberries to create more of a liquidy treat and then spoon it over an angle food cake. Of course, serving with ice cream or whipped cream will only enhance it!

Alyssa

Life Post Twilight

With the premiere of the first part of the final Twilight movie behind us, I thought it time to find a new hopelessly romantic love story. With the help of my friend Andrew I was led to the book series The Hunger Games. With the least romantic title that I have ever heard, I resisted the urge to read the books until I was completely and utterly bored. In a surprising turn of events, I finished the entire series in two weeks. The books are so fantastic because they narrate an unusual romance in the midst of an action filled, constantly moving plot. If this girly girl can fall in love with a book called The Hunger Games, so can you. Happy reading! (P.s. the movie comes out in March, check out the eye candy!)

Alexa

All that Glitters

After a trip to the podiatrist last week, I learned all about just how dirty nail salons can be. It scared me enough to take a little hiatus from my monthly manicure and pedicure routine. I decided this would be a good opportunity to experiment with some holiday looks on my own.

Some of the fall/winter 2011 popular colors include deep greens, deep blues and taupe. Standard winter favorites include deep purples and reds as well as bright reds. Some of my new personal favorites are:

OPI: Uh-oh Roll Down the Window
Essie: School of Hard Rocks
            Bobbing for Baubles

To create the flashy look above, I applied two coats of Essie’s Velvet Voyage to every nail. After waiting until my ringer finger nails were semi dry, I applied Art Club’s Silver Glitter. This polish has a thin brush and is intended to be used to create a French manicure line. However, after several coats and a little bit of patience, I was able to cover my two ring finger nails with sparkles. Thus, creating a jazzy look without the nail salon germs!

In other nail news, OPI will be launching a Nicki Minaj inspired collection in January 2012. Stay tuned!

Alyssa

Thursday on Top

My best friend Andrew supplies me with the latest and greatest songs. Today he shares the wealth with all of you.

Alexa

So here is a quick 5 songs I am absolutely obsessed with at the moment. Enjoy your weekends, play it at parties and leave some comments if you have any suggestions!

Pitbull feat. Chris Brown- “International Love”
Now I know we all hate Chris Brown, but this song is so undeniably catchy you’ll want to travel all around the world with Mr. 305 himself!

Rihanna- “You Da One”
I will review “Talk That Talk” Rihanna’s latest album next time, but in the mean time her new song is that perfect winter song with a pre-K hook that definitely makes this one a must- have for any party!

Pixie Lott- “All About Tonight”
One of my favorite songs this year. Pixie Lott is a fantastic British artist and her new CD “Young, Foolish, Happy” is perfect for all you anglophiles out there!

Drake feat. Nicki Minaj- “Make Me Proud”
Drake’s new album is perfection. Go download it now. One of the standout tracks is this one featuring Nicki Minaj.

Lady GaGa- “Marry the Night”
GaGa’s latest. Definitely bound to be a big hit once the video is released.

Andrew

Like Crazy

After a day-time wedding this Saturday, my boyfriend and I were left wondering how we should spend the evening. We opted to see the new movie and nominee in the 2011 London, Sundance and Toronto International Film Festivals - Like Crazy.

When the credits suddenly appeared at the end of the flick, the theater shouted in unison ‘That’s it?’ While it seemed like my fellow movie goers were a bit disappointed by the lack of resolution, I on the other hand enjoyed it. The movie was not an open and closed story, rather it was a montage of various scenes that depicted a moment in time. The time frame consisted of several months in a young relationship. The combination of the music selection, warm lightening and almost erratic camera angles made the film feel real and not forced. While the passionate glances and chemistry between the two young stars made me feel injected with emotion.

Alyssa

Experimental Beauty

Sometimes nothing beats getting your makeup done by a professional. Over the weekend I indulged in an eye shadow lesson to brush up on my skills (no punn intended!). I loved the finished look but I was scared to ask what products were used for fear of the sometimes painful price of beauty. The all over lid color was MAC’s new Glitter & Ice mineralize shadow. The crease color was also by MAC and was a shade that can only be described as a midnight sparkle (black with red glitter accents). My favorite part of the look however was the liquid felt tip eyeliner by Loreal. So what’s a gal to do to recreate the look? Well after a few tries I was able to re-do the look with the Too Faced Romantic eye pallate that I already own. I used Soulmates as the all over lid color, and I Do as the crease color. Finally I topped it off with the Loreal felt tip eyeliner that I gave in and bought. The moral of the story? Don’t be so quick to spend the big bucks every time you get a makeover, sometimes a little experimenting with what you have can give you a brand new look! Happy trials!

Alexa

Dry Shampoo

After endless summer barbecues and bottomless pitchers of sangria, I opted to adopt a serious work out regimen at the end of the summer.  While the treadmill has been great for my body, it hasn’t treated my hair well.  Working out means sweating, sweating means showering, and showering means washing my hair.  My hair is thick and it is very time consuming to blow dry and style it.  Not to mention, constant washing and treatments is damaging for my locks.  Therefore, it was imperative that I came up with an alternative to washing my hair on a daily basis.  The solution – dry shampoo.  Not just any dry shampoo, but Keratin Complex volumizing dry shampoo.  The compact tool comes with a brush that is screwed on top of a container that houses the powdery dry shampoo.  A few swipes around the areas that frame the face and you are good to go.  Remember to work the shampoo into your scalp with the brush and your hands until all the white powder blends in.  Not only will your hair look clean, but it will also smell freshly washed.  In fact, the Keratin Complex dry shampoo has an aroma resembling fresh grapefruits.

Alyssa

Keep calm and take a note...

As a chronic user of oversized bags, I sometimes find myself equipped with the most unnecessary of items. There is duo set of items however, that I will never deem useless - my cupcake notebook and lipstick pen. I carry these items with me because I tend to find things throughout the day that I want to remember for later research. My research spans from the description of a Revlon lipstick, to a quick drawing of the sequined flats I spotted on the subway. No matter what catches my eye, I always have my trusty notebook and pen on hand so that I never let one moment of inspiration pass me by.

The fact that my notebook and pen are really cute is an added plus!

Alexa

MAC Eyeliner Review

Eyeliner is a crucial part of my daily make-up routine. The eyeliner that I select each morning/night is dependent upon my mood, outfit and event. While I have an eclectic assortment of makeup products and brands, I am partial to MAC eye products. Three all time favorites are pictured above:

1. Mac Carbon matte eye shadow (ok so it’s actually an eye shadow, but bare with me here)
2. Rapid black Penultimate eye liner
3. Blitz & Glitz fluid liner

Each eyeliner has a special spot in my heart. As you can see from the samples above each one has a distinct look.

1. I use Sephora’s angled liner #15 brush to apply Mac Carbon matte eye shadow. This one is the most time consuming to apply, is it does not go on with one swift motion. This look requires a steady hand and a little patience. However, I think it is well worth it. With the carbon matte liner you can control how light or dark as well as thick or thin you want the line to be. The powdery substance keeps the look soft. The only drawback is that the powder leads to fall out. I recommend have a makeup remover handy so that you can wipe up the loose particles that fall on your cheeks.

2. The Rapid Black Penultimate liner is my daily go-to. As you can see, it is the thinnest of all three liners and creates a clean straight line. As the name suggests, this liner really is shaped like a pen, which makes it super easy to apply.

3. Finally, the Blitz & Glitz fluid liner is the thickest and darkest of the three. I prefer to use this liner for special occasions and nights out. It is perfect when creating the cat eye or a mod look. Typically, when creating a thick fluid line, I will forgo the shadow and keep my lids bare. In order to apply this one, I prefer using Bobbi Brown’s ultra fine eye liner brush.

Happy eye lining!

Alyssa

Natural Look

One of my favorite beauty trends is the natural look. The concept of natural beauty is not just for the summer seasons, it can be an all year look. To make the natural look work for winter follow these simple steps:

1) Use a powder base. Bare Escentuals loose powder works great - be sure to play around with colors to find a good match.

2) A dusting of bronzer will instantly warm you up. There is a huge difference between a “dusting,” and “getting locked in a tanning bed.” Bare Escentuals warmth is a great choice.

3) BLUSH, BLUSH, BLUSH. Who cares what kind, just use it!

4) A facial highlighter is one of the best kept secrets in the industry! Try High Beam by Benefit. Don’t be fooled by the bottle, this is not a nail polish! By applying the highlighter on the nose and around the eyes you will have a great dewy look.

5) Chap stick anyone? The light glow from chap stick is a great color and it will keep your lips smooth.

6) Mascara time! I recommend a brown/black color, as opposed to a harsh very black hue.

7) Bold nails. Polished nails mean a polished person. If you can’t afford a fresh manicure every week, invest in a bottle of nail polish. One bottle can last you an entire season and the color can even become your signature look. My suggestion is “Caught with my Khakis Down,” by OPI for SEPHORA.

Alexa

Fall Reading List

When J.D. Salinger passed away in early 2010, it dawned on me that I never actually read the Catcher in the Rye. In fact, over the years I never actually read most of the classics. While I consider myself an avid reader, I am ashamed to admit that throughout most of middle school and high school I skimmed through the assigned reading novels – learning just enough to pass the quizzes but not actually appreciating the literature. Thus, shortly after this revelation I purchased the Catcher in the Rye and Animal Farm (by George Orwell). Within a few days I had finished the Catcher in the Rye. I enjoyed the book and was happy that I decided to read it. However, my eager book worm spirit quickly faded. I became distracted with other activities and never ended up reading Animal Farm.


However, faced with another weekend of football at my boyfriend’s house ahead of me, I’ve decided to bring along a book this time. I’m looking forward to two nice long days on the couch so that I can finally read Animal Farm which is long overdue!
Pending the success of this weekend’s book, I am hoping to make Saturdays and Sundays during football season my reading days. First up on my reading list are a few of the ones I didn’t give my full attention to the first time around:


On the Road - Jack Kerouac
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Remarque
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
1984 - George Orwell
Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
The Portrait of a Lady - Henry James
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
The Giver – Lois Lowry
Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
Beowulf – Keven Crossley-Holdand & Charles Keeping

Alyssa

Rosy Cheeks

‘Tis the season! The beginning of winter is the perfect time to incorporate blush into your makeup routine. Blush can do wonders for your face and there are so many different shades to choose from! When picking the perfect blush the question is, to drugstore, or not to drugstore?

My drugstore pick is Loreal One Sweep.  The sculpting side is a bonus that highlights your cheek bones.

On the other hand, my department store pick is Sugarbomb by Benefit.  By mixing four different shades you can find the perfect combination for your skin. If one color works better, use the others for eye shadow!

Alexa