Tuesday Loves

Hello world! I think its time that I introduce you to some of my new obsessions (well for this week anyway!). I recently purchased a pair of earrings from nordstrom that are pure wait for it, wait for it...suede fringe! I fell in love with these slices of heaven, but it was one of those moments where I wondered if the love would last, or if in ten minutes I would be embarrassed that I once thought I needed them. Well, four days later I can safely say that I DO love them! I have been wearing them every day, with every different type of outfit. Please enjoy the picture below, but please, do me a favor and give them a chance?

My second obsession this week is actually an old favorite, a pair of Lucky Brand wedges from two years ago. I know its not wedge season yet, but with spring collections premiering everywhere, I can’t help but daydream about a pedicure and these strappy young ‘gents.

Lastly, I just have to share my newest eye shadow crush: Sin by Urban Decay. I haven’t worn eyeshadow on a daily basis since I was in eighth grade, I used to match my shadows to my outfits. I decided to make an exception when I found this bad boy, its the perfect shade of nude/beige/glitter, just try it? you’ll understand my fascination once you do!

Alexa

Cheetaha-mazing!

One of the things that Sugar Eyeliner loves is anything to do with nail polish. In the past we’ve shared different colors that have made us squeal with excitement and find new reasons to shake hands with strangers. But today, prepare to be blown away because I have discovered a ridiculous way to have an outrageous nail look at home. Are you ready? Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips. Stop, I can hear you laughing through the screen. But lets be fair here, I have looked at this product every time I’ve gone to the food store for over a year now and each time I have resisted the urge to have butterflies, plaid and even snowflakes nail. Last Sunday, I just couldn’t resist any longer, I purchased the cheetah print design. I can’t stop staring at my nails the design is blowing my mind people. My only complaint was that the design started to peel towards the end of the nail. I was so upset that I called the company and they sent me a new pack, blaming the flaw on an old package being sold to me. Now I can indulge in the fashion magic that can only occur from animal prints being painted on your nails…rawrr!!

Alexa

Hearts Day

My apartment is so tiny that any more than a few holiday decorations makes it look even more cramped and crowded than it already is.  Therefore I opted for only a few Valentine’s Day touches this year.

Alyssa

What are you pINTERESTED in?

I signed up for Pinterest so long ago and have completely forgotten all about it.  That is, up until a few days ago when I started receiving so many e-mails stating that friends are now following me.  I figured it was time to start adding new pins!  Pinterest is an online pinboard and tons of fun.  Today I added a pin of this Mr. Moustache ring!

Alyssa

The Last 48 [in pictures]

 Sunset over the Hudson River [view from my desk]

 Surprise flower delivery at work!

 Celebrating my roommate's birthday [nothing like some funfetti cake before you head out for the night]!

 Me and roommate all dolled up at Brass Monkey

Waiting patiently for the Giants game

Alyssa

The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo Review

Like most people, after watching a movie that was based off a book, I come to the conclusion that the book was better. I’m not sure if this has something to do with the amount of time I have put into a book, or perhaps the fact that I paint such a vivid picture of each character and scene in my mind. The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo is no exception; I enjoyed the book more than the movie, but only slightly.

I received the book as a present a little over a year ago, and I didn’t seriously commit to reading it until late summer/early fall 2011. At first, I was a little bored by the story and confused by all the Swedish characters. But after 100 or so pages, I was hooked. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to picture all of the characters and the foreign lands the author described. I was surprised and satisfied once the mystery was solved, but was confused as to why the book continued so much longer after that point. I did not like how it took so long to tie the loose ends together at the end of the book.

The movie was great in that respect, because it seriously condensed both the slow beginning and drawn out conclusion of the book. However, my one main criticism of the movie is that it ends differently than the book. After coming to grips with the fact that the movie was already 3 hours long, and if they stuck true to the ending of the book, it would have been much longer, I realized that it was a great movie.

I highly recommend both the book and the movie, and I look forward to the second book in this trilogy – The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Alyssa

Microdermabrasian Alternative

While most of my peers were moving past their acne phase during the college years, I on the other hand was just beginning. I like to blame it on the harsh dorm water and excessive exercising during my first year of college, but I really can’t be sure what brought it on.

Luckily, a few months back it miraculously cleared up. However, I was left with a few unsightly acne scars. My dermatologist suggested microdermabrasian. In an effort to pinch pennies and be creative, I took to the internet to see if there were at-home solutions. I came across Philosophy’s Microdelivery Peel, which received rave reviews online.

The process could not have been simpler. Step 1 consisted of applying vitamin c crystals to my face and massaging them in for 60 seconds. Next, I placed a generous amount of the activator on top of the crystals. The activator instantly warmed up and turned white. After letting the substance sit for 2-3 minutes, I was ready to wash it off. Afterwards, I went to bed and when I woke, I was shocked to notice results. For the next few weeks I had what I called ‘Microderm Mondays’, in which I performed my new ritual prior to bed. Within about 6 weeks my scars were almost completely gone. I now use the product occasionally after a breakout, but for the most part it really did the trick!

Alyssa

Bracelets x7

My adoration with fashion is based upon obsession. Periodically I find items to obsess over for a fair amount of time. My recent obsession is with an insane (and practical) bracelet set from Shopbop. Basically this elastic beading of heaven (no pun intended) consists of seven bracelets, three have silver box beads, three have black circle beads with one silver bead accent, and one has black beads with a gold cross. Besides the fact that these bracelets are beautiful and stylish, I believe that they have a great deal of practicality. Hear me out fashoinistas, this set includes both silver and gold accents, do you know what that means? You can wear them with either silver or gold jewelry!! Now I know this isn’t revolutionary since most people would either wear all of the silver bracelets at once, and just the gold bracelet by itself, but I feel like its important to justify my purchase by noting that it provides two looks for the price of one (actually the price could have paid for seven individual bracelet sets, but thats the price you pay for style!). Like I’ve said before, happy accessorizing!

Alexa

An Old Favorite

While most 18 year olds were hoping for a car or new TV for their birthday, I was begging my mom for these pants. Yes, I have had the pants pictured above since high school. They are one of my favorite items in my closet. I like them so much that sometimes I am afraid to wear them as I worry they might lose their magic. I can honestly say that while I’ve had these for years, I’ve probably only worn them at most twice a year. Today happened to be one of those days. Sick of the work appropriate outfit rut – black dress pants, black pumps and a silk blouse or sweater, I mixed it up with a brown ensemble.

• Top – Juicy Couture brown cotton long sleeved tee
• Bottom – Juicy Couture brown and beige tweed pants with pink lining and heart pattern sown on to the rear
• Main accessories – Hermes chocolate brown belt with gold buckle and canary yellow diamond heart necklace
• Shoes (not pictured) – Steve Madden brown pumps

Alyssa

An illuminating idea...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of the best kept secrets in makeup is the illuminator. My first introduction to this liquid magic was with Benefit’s High Beams. The illuminator came in a nail polish looking concoction and was simply swiped under the eyes, over the nose, above the eyebrows and on the chin. In an effort to try new things, I decided to try the illuminator by NARS. Now be warned, if you are a lover of High Beams, this product is much different! The NARS product comes in a squeeze tube allowing you to either use your finger or a makeup sponge for application. (I personally think it’s easier to use your finger so you can rub in the right amount, whereas the applicator can get messy!). Anywho, the color is a bit more organey-sparkle-natural looking than High Beams, but it still gives an interesting look. Happy illuminating!

Alexa

The Last 24 [in pictures]

After finishing up Animal Farm early in the football season, I moved on to The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo (review to follow soon).  Before moving on to the next book in the trilogy, I decided to read a book introduced this past summer – The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.  While I am enjoying reading the book on Saturdays and Sundays, I decided to take a hiatus this weekend to support Mike’s favorite (and now my favorite by default) team, the Giants.  Go G-men!

Alyssa

Day Dreaming...

Helloooo out there. As it is the beginning of January and I am on winter break from school, I find myself drained of inspiration. I’ve decided that since I can’t think of anything specific to share, I’ll share the few things that have been running through my brain lately.

1. Book Club: I recently joined a book club and our latest read was Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. I can’t get this book out of my head! It was so sad yet it made me want to hop onto my computer and research the events detailed in the story. I recommend this book, its a moderate length but its quite hard to put the story down so you can finish it in no time.

2. The NOOK: A little over one year ago I purchased the NOOK as an impulse buy. One week later the NOOK color was released (biggest regret of my life thus far). I can handle being a laggard when it comes to technology, but finally I decided to download my textbooks on my NOOK, the best part about this scenario? The original NOOK can not handle the downloading of textbooks. Hence the new dilemma is to buy a new NOOK or to keep the old one and use regular textbooks (the social horror!), ultimately, to NOOK or not to NOOK?

anddd finally...

3. Fashion: I managed to score a ridiculously amazing tribal skirt at Forever21 and it’s literally the best purchase of 2012 (I bought it in December but whose keeping track?). Now normally I don’t purchase skirts in the winter, I feel like they sometimes look forced when paired with dark tights and a heavy sweater. I obviously decided to make an exception and furthermore try and instill myself with patience and wait to wear this white skirt in the summer. This last comment won’t happen, I have no patience, but anywho enjoy the picture and lemme know what you all think!

Alexa

Juice Cleanse

After several weeks of Christmas parties, corporate happy hours, cookie exchanges and champagne toasts, it’s time to return to normal eating patterns. I’m a firm believer in the school of thought that eating the right foods and exercising trumps fad diets. Before I launch into a full blown exercise routine, I’ve decided to rid my body of toxins. To do so, I will be going on a 3 day juice cleanse. The one I have selected to use is offered by Elixir Juice bar. Each day I will consume only liquids in the form of 6 specialty juices:

8am: All Greens - apple, celery, cucumber, kale, spinach
10am: Mood Mender - orange, grapefruit, ginseng, vitamin c
12pm: Skin Tonic - apple, celery, spinach, kale, aloe vera
3pm: Quick Quencher - watermelon, lemon, pineapple, aloe vera
6pm: Fatigue Fighter - apple, carrot, beet, ginger, ginseng
8pm: Almond Smoothie - almond butter, cinnamon, coconut water, rice milk (I have omitted the bananas)

To learn more click here

I’m anxious to get started but nervous because I normally don’t enjoy juices, shakes or smoothies. This should be interesting!

Alyssa

Feather Fun

Ever since the summer, one of the biggest trends has been feathers. I have to admit that I did give into this trend and I had two feather hair extensions. After the abrupt ending to the feather craze, I found myself contemplating if feathers really are a good investment or if they are fun accessories for children. My verdict is that they are fashionable, it just depends on how they are worn. I believe that a good pair of feather earrings can be timeless. The hard part is weeding out the “cheap,” or “gaudy,” pairs. In my quest for the perfect pair, I stumbled upon a set that was a bit unique; one earring is a stud and the other one consists of three feathers. I love this pair because I like the fact the one earring is a post while the other dangles. I have worn them with my hair down, and with my hair in a pony tail and both ways they look great. (It was a little hard to get a close enough picture of the stud; its a silver circle with a black stone in the center, keep in mind this stud can be interchanged with any stud to match an outfit).

Alexa

Welcome 2012!

2011 was a great year for us, as S u g a r E y e l i n e r was born.  As always, we are looking forward to seeing what this new year has in store for us.  Happy New year everyone!

Alyssa and Alexa