Blue

Dress: Forever 21, Shoes: Vince Camuto

Spring has arrived, and I finally had the opportunity to wear my Vince Camuto platforms. I decided to pair them with this simple, blue dress. I love the tropical color. It's the perfect shade of blue.

I picked up this necklace in Vegas a couple of years ago, and I hardly ever wear it. When I pulled this dress out of my closet the other day, I remembered that the necklace had a touch of blue that matched the dress perfectly. I think it adds a nice, casual touch to the outfit :)

~Shandrese

My eye shadow tutorial

Every now and then people will ask for a lesson in makeup, so here is my eye shadow tutorial :) I'm not a professional, but hopefully this tutorial will inspire you to experiment with makeup at home. 

I want to give a special thank you to my friend, Rere for posing in these photos. ;)

~Natalia

Final look

Head piece designed by me and made by my cousin :)

What you will need:

(click on this photo to enlarge)

1. eye shadow base or concealer 2. gel eyeliner 3. lash curler (optional) 4. Q-tips/makeup remover/makeup remover wipes/brush cleaning spray 5. eye shadows (from light to dark) (MAC and Tarte) 6. eye shadow brushes (application/blending/angle/etc.) 7. mascara

(click on this photo to enlarge)

Start by washing, toning and moisturizing your face.

1. & 2. Apply an eye shadow base or concealer on your eyelid.

3. Use an eye shadow brush to apply the first color of eye shadow on your inner lid (closest to your nose to the middle of your eye).

4. Use a different eye shadow brush to apply the second color of eye shadow on the middle and outer edge of your lid (use smooth strokes in the natural shape and crease of your lid).

5. Use the blending brush to blend the first two colors.

6. Use a contoured eye shadow brush to apply the darkest eye shadow color to the outer edge of your lid (pack on the color and let it go past your lash line at an angle).

7. Use the blending brush to blend all three colors.

8. & 9. Wrap a makeup remover wipe around your index finger and use it to wipe away the extra eye shadow at a clean angle (a Q-tip dipped in makeup remover can do the same trick).

10. Use another eye shadow brush to apply the lightest color of eye shadow to your brow bone as a highlight.

11. Use an angled brush and gel eyeliner to line your eye (it helps to hold the outer corner of your eyelid tight with your opposite hand to form a neat line).

12. Apply mascara to your lashes (using a lash curler is optional).

13.  Your final look! :)

Please follow us on Twitter and share your eye shadow photos with us! ;)

Neutral

Dress: H&M, Shoes: Topshop, Bracelet: Forever 21

Shirt dresses were never my favorite because they are so short, but I fell in love with this dress anyway. It's simple, sheer and loose fitting...all qualities that I love...so I overlooked the length issue and purchased it last spring. I also love that the fabric looks like it's covered in gigantic leaf imprints. It's a tiny detail, but it really makes a difference :)

~Shandrese

Shooting the breeze

Dress: Jason Wu for Target, Shoes: Tory Burch , Bracelets/Ring: Banana Republic, Watch :Michael Kors

I always get excited when designers partner with stores like Target and H&M to create a chic, affordable line of clothing.  When Jason Wu released his line at Target, I thought I would run into the store, grab what I wanted and head home without a problem. Instead, I walked into the store and discovered that all of the dresses were practically gone! There were no items in my size at all! I searched the racks in vain and, just as I was about to leave the store in defeat, I headed to the fitting room. I saw one dress in my size on the rack behind the counter. Thankfully, someone had tried it on and decided against it. It happened to be one of the dresses that I wanted to purchase, so I happily took the dress off the rack and declared the trip a success. 

Marni released a line at H&M last week, and I didn't even bother to head to the mall (eventhough I really wanted this). Maybe I should have woken up early, waited in line and crossed my fingers that I would find the dress in my size...but I didn't. I figured I wouldn't be so lucky this time...

~Shandrese

3 Color Makeup Challenge

A makeup guru friend of mine decided to come up with a makeup challenge for us to do for fun. The challenge was to use three colors, and we could use those colors on our eyes, cheeks, lips or foundation. The colors she chose for me were purple, green and brown; so I decided to use them on my eyes and lips :)

~Natalia

Finished look under natural light.

Who would have known that painters tape can be used on nails to form a nail tip.

Sally Hansen/MAC nail polishes, BH Cosmetics/Hard Candy/MAC eye shadows, Covergirl/MAC  lips, Maybelline/Urban decay eye liners or mascara, Too Faced/Rimmel concealer or primers for eyeshadow base, Black Radiance blush.

Nook Nails

This past weekend I purchased a nail polish by Hard Candy that will make any polish have a matte finish. Originally I wanted to do a black, matte nail with a thin, silver tip but unfortunately I'm not ambidextrous. I had a hard time free handing a thin line on my right hand, so I decided to paint a chunky tip instead :S. Luckily this look didn't turn out too bad ;)

~Natalia

To get this look:

• start by polishing your nails with a clear, base coat.
• apply any black nail polish and let your nails dry completely.
• paint a colored tip on each nail and let them dry completely.
• paint your nails with the matte top coat and there's your look :)

(these photos were taken on my cell)

"Black Out" polish by Sally Hansen. "Mattely in Love" polish by Hard Candy (from Walmart). "Queen of Everything" polish by Sephora by O.P.I.

The little things...

Top/Shoes: Zara, Skirt: BCBGeneration, Earrings: Tiffany & Co. (see them here),
Ring: Banana Republic, Watch: Bulova, Bracelet: Asos (Natalia has the same one)

Spring is rapidly approaching! Yay! I can't wait to wear sundresses and spend my weekends lazily swinging in a hammock by the ocean...there's really no place I'd rather be...

While taking these photos, I discovered that this skirt has pockets! Yes! Score!!! It's the little things that make all the difference :)

~Shandrese

Starry Night

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh is one of my favorite paintings. Seeing that I'm a creature of the night, that only makes sense :P I achieved this "starry" nail look by applying a navy polish as the base coat and glitter blue polish as the top coat. What do you think? 

~Natalia

Starry Night by Van Gogh

Necklace and ring from Forever 21.

Star friendship bracelet from ASOS.

"Nail Junkie" and "Skin Tight Denim Creme."

Doe-eyed Girl

 

This is one of my favorite cocktail dresses. I purchased this dress a few years ago, and I refuse to part with it. It's simple and elegant, which is perfect for any occasion that requires "dressing up". The black/white combo is always a winner in my book.

~Shandrese

Dress: BCBGMAXAZRIA (old)