Launching Manicure Monday!!

Featured Polishes:

Sephora by O.P.I

Keep Me On My Mistletoe's

& Don't be Eggnog-ious

I have been cheating on my blog with someone called college. I have been so busy, but I am very excited to be starting Manicure Monday's on my blog! My friend, Breeanna, gave me the idea a couple of days ago and I loved it! Check out her Tumblr!

So last night I went to Sephora to hunt down Don't Be Eggnog-ious. The Sephora in my hometown sold out of it which only made me want it more. So I bought it along with Keep Me On My Mistletoe's just because they were made to be together.

My inspiration came from Sephora's ad. I loved how the nails looked as if they were "dipped" in the glitter. It keeps it easy to do while still looking really cute! And I loveee the names of these holiday collection polishes! Two weeks ago, I bought Chestnuts About You!

Caught Red-Handed!

Lately, I have been all about BOLD lips!!! I started with loving orangey coral lips in the summer. Then after my chalazion eye surgery, I began to experiment with hot pink and deep red. I figured since I couldn't wear eye makeup, I would play up the lips. People here in Florida haven't really jumped on the bandwagon with bold lips, but I absolutely love it. My guess is that it's a little TOO bold for some, but I like to wear these lipsticks on occassion. I don't go walking about with orange lips and a violet v-neck - let's keep the class people. I usually wear white, black or any nuetral color when I wear these lipsticks.

Once I am able to wear makeup (which is approximately one week and two days from now) I'll just rock the winged liner with bold lips and call it a day :)

At Target trying to find the right red shade. Literally, red-handed. (Special appearance by Tiff in the background lol)

I ended up choosing Maybelline Red Revival. I paired it with Loreal's Infallible lip gloss (No. 315). This gloss reminds me of Sangria for some reason (can you tell I'm missing Spain!). NOTE: When it comes to reds if you have a warm undertone, chose deeper reds. If you have a cool undertone, chose brighter, cherry reds.

This is Siren from Revlon. My sister and I actually traded coral lipsticks. This deeper, bolder color looked better on my darker skintone. While my softer coral was shown off better in her lighter skintone. I pair Revlon's Coral Reff lip gloss with it.

This is Fifth Ave. Fuschia from Maybelline. Love the name and LOVE the consistency of these lipsticks. They aren't too drying or too creamy. I'm not a fan of creamy lipsticks because I often feel like it will rub onto my teeth.

Sephora's Fashion's Night Out!

On Thursday, the International Plaza was having a Fashion's Night Out in concordance with Fashion Week. Although this wasn't filled with high-fashion shows, celebrities and mass media, I think the event was a success. Eighty-eight stores participated. Some had sales, complimentary demonstrations, fashion shows, free gifts and live music.

As soon as I saw Sephora on the list, the promise that I made my mom went out the window - I went in. I can't describe the high that I get when I go into Sephora. I get excited when I go into drugstores or even MAC, but it not the same feeling I have when I am in Sephora. The variety, the simplicity of their black and white logo, the customer service, the perfect placement of makeup remover stations, the testers and displays. I could go on forever.

So my plan (well, my promise to my mom) was that I was not going to buy anything. However, when Kristine checked out she received a free gift and this is what I saw:

FYI: First, this is not a free gift, these are free gifts. That's plural. Second, these are not gifts, they are little pieces of heaven. So as soon as the cashier told me there wasn't a minimum that needed to be spent to have the gift, I zoomed and got an urban decay primer. "I needed it anyway" - that was my logic.

All the samples (from left to right): Phytolisse Anti-Frizz Serum; Bare Essentials Buxom Lash; NARS Pro-Prime Pore Refining Primer; Philosophy Miracle Worker; Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer; Toki Doki Siberia Fragrance; Brazilian Anti-Aging Peel.

The actual purchase: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

This is an anti-aging moisturizer. I have been using Philosophy's Purity Cleanser and I love it so I am excited to try this out :)

I was most excited about this sample because this is the mascara I normally use. And since I'm all out, getting this was perfect.

I tried this last night and so far I really like it. My foundation still looked great after working and being at the football game for 7 hours.

NOTE: I forgot to add a picture of Stila's tinted moisturizer - should be interesting to see if the color medium matches me... I doubt.

All moved in.

I am sitting in my dorm room right now, listening to Demi Lovato's Skyscraper and simply thinking. I am thinking about how the roller coaster that I call my junior year will start tomorrow. I am thinking about how good my Japanese Cherry Blossom candle smells and how it perfectly consumes my newly decorated dorm room. And I am also thinking about the Florida Move Over Law.

Let's address the big elephant in the room. Yes, I am ashamed of myself. But I blog about my life experiences and getting my first ticket is definitely a life experience (one that I don't care to publish or remember - but hey, I think people should know about this law).

So last night as I approached a policeman ticketing a driver, I failed to move over to the left lane and reduce to 25 mph to avoid hitting him. I was unaware of this law and many of my friends weren't aware either. So remember to move over to the left lane and reduce to 20 mph below the speed limit. I really wouldn't like to see another person be fined $153 and get three points on their license.

Before the ticket, I actually had an amazing and productive day. My parents helped me move into my newer, bigger dorm room. It is very cozy and I forget that I live in a dorm (such an ugly word). I love living on campus. I just can't get over the convenience. I love walking to class, walking to work, walking to our amazing, rebuilt gym (which I haven't seen yet!). You just can't beat it. Although I want to move off campus next year to get the experience of it, I am already finding it hard to leave. We shall see :)

Oh hello Pittsburgh, nice to see you again!

Here I am pouring out yet another late blog as if I never promised I would write more. Whatever. Quality over quality was always one of my favorite mottos ever since I started using word count for college papers and appreciating Nine West over Payless. And here I am again - putting that motto to good use once more.

I'd like to inform you all that I am back in the States. I've been back for about three weeks now. It's been a hot and busy summer. This post will highlight just one of the things that I had been working towards since I got home - the National Student Recruitment Conference at the University of Pittsburgh.

I had the pleasure of going last year and was grateful to get the opportunity again this year. This year was so different! Me and my fellow executive board leaders of the Green and Gold Guides (tour guide organization at USF) were able to present to different colleges throughout the east coast. The presentation went great and I think as an e-board we work beautifully together. I feel like I can trust each one of these members with my life. It feels good to have such a strong team and it feels even better to have the same passion and love for our organization.

This year we also visited West Virginia University. We wanted to check out their tour and see how it differed from ours. My two favorite things about it - the fact that it was a bus tour & the free cookie we got (even though it tasted like cardboard, I thought it was a cute idea)!!!

After WVU, we went back to Pittsburgh and went to the Pirates game with the conference. Look at the view of the skyline! Beautiful!

The new Batman movie was being filmed in Pitt while we were there. On the way to the airport we passed by the crew filming a scene and we FREAKED OUT. This is my only proof. It was snowing in the scene. I saw the fake snow. And I am convinced there is a funeral. Too many black jackets. Can't wait to see the scene in theaters!!!!

Spanish Cosmetics Haul.

I have been dying to purchase Spanish cosmetics since I booked the flight back in March. Well today, I finally got the opportunity to get some products that I know I wont be able to find in the U.S.

I was invited to go shopping with Kristine and her co-workers, Pau and Maria. They are so sweet and in their twenties. They know all the great shopping places. Maria is a model and used her connections to get us 10 percent off at this hidden treasure called Gotic Productes de Maquillatge. This is where a lot of her makeup artists purchase their makeup. It was like a warehouse for cosmetics! I. WAS. IN. HEAVEN.

At first, I was a little intimidated because there was just so many things to look at. I ended up buying an under eye correcter that Pau recommended, a mascara that leaves my lashes long, voluminous AND soft, a stippling brush and a coral lipstick. (Prices shown are after the discount Maria scored for us).

This trip only solidified my dream of doing public relations in the beauty industry. :)

Usually, I am drawn to concealers and not correctors because they just come in one color - a salmon color. But, this does wonders for all skintones. A little of this goes such a long way. I will think of Pau, and how she raved about it, every time I put it on. (€ 8.59)

This mascara (€ 7.15) is waterproof and a dry formula. Two characteristics that, again, I'm not usually drawn to. But I tried this at the store and it made my lashes full and soft. After I tried it, the rest of the girls joined the bandwagon and purchased it too!!

This stippling brush (€ 9.05) will be perfect for my foundation!! It is so incredibly soft.

Coral lipstick (€ 8.19) - So smooth and looks like I am wearing a lip gloss on top. I think a coral lip is perfect for the summer. Just remember to keep the eye makeup light and let the lips be the star of the show :)

Los Campeones!! Touring the Barca Stadium.

I'm a fan. That's it. I don't think America has anything that is equivalent to futbol here in Spain. Sure, there is American football. Sure, there is the SuperBowl, high school pep rallies and college tailgates. But still, Barcelona has this passion for futbol that is indescribable. They look and treat players as if they were gods. An inspiration. A hope that pushes through the worries of a poor economy, racial differences and the basic hardships of life.

I am so happy I had the opportunity to tour this stadium. It is sooooo incredibly beautiful. Unlike traditional stadiums that simply have locker rooms, offices and concessions, this stadium has a museum dedicated to the players. It holds trophies, photos and memorable playbacks. The tour also included a visit of the presidential suite, the tunnel where the players run out of, and of course a chance to see the field up close.

This reminded me so much of football season back at USF and how much I MISS it. It's a whole different culture in the fall and it brings a sort of unity that, like Barcelona, pushes through the worries of a poor economy, racial differences and the basic hardships of life. I cannot wait until I get back to school, start working with my G3's at home games, and getting to know our prospective football players!

Now I just need to find a Barca Jersey ;)

Campeones 2011!!!!!!

Dios mio Pique, te amo. ;)

Tarragona, Casa Batllo and my amazing burger.

I had a really packed three-day weekend. All of Barcelona celebrated Sant Joan – a midsummer solstice celebration which marks the first day of summer. Besides New Years Eve, this is the biggest party of the year. People huddle around bonfires, spend time with family, party on the beach and go to night clubs. On Thursday, I went with a group of interns to a club called Opium and later to the beach. There were lots of fireworks and there are even some going on today – and its Monday!

On Friday, I visited Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi’s houses. There isn’t one straight line in this house. Ballasters are carved to perfectly fit hands, chimneys are covered in mosaic tile and stained glass windows surround the house to allow natural light to creep in. The house was spectacular and photos didn’t do it any justice.

On Saturday I visited Tarragona. This is the southernmost city in all of Catalonia. It is filled with ruins, medieval neighborhoods and beaches that remind me of Florida. I never realized how lucky I am to be a Floridian and live so close to beautiful beaches. Here is a picture at one of the ruins. This particular site was once a circus.

On Sunday, there was a lot of getting lost and visiting a boring museum. But all that really mattered was this delicious burger!!! My lord was it goooood!!!

Peace and Closure.

This weekend I re-visited Montserrat and finally got to go inside the infamous monastery that we missed the first time around. It was part of the weekend excursion to Costa Brava, Spain. I will be blogging about the entire weekend tomorrow, but tonight a much-needed part of the trip will be highlighted.

Outside of this sacred monastery, I lit two candles in memory of two very important people who have impacted my life. It was the most emotional part of my trip, but it ended it with a sense of peace and closure - much needed closure.

Costa Brava.

On April 18th, two months ago, the Stephanie and Kristine Spain Luncheon was initiated to help raise money for an additional excursion to Costa Brava Spain. We were able to raise $600, and that covered the excursion perfectly.

That excursion was this past weekend and it was absolutely amazing (I have to start using another word besides amazing - like, phenomenal? idk.) This trip was well worth the additional $300.

We also went to the Dali Museum. It was really... cool. That is the only thing I can say about it. It was a cool museum that always kept you interested. It wasn't the typical art gallery. The museum itself was his art. After the museum we headed Besalu - a very cute medieval looking town. We shopped a little then went to the hotel.

The hotel was beautiful and I was shocked to hear that the company I intern for represents it!!!! It had great beds, air conditioner, DELICIOUS breakfast and dinner and decor that was jaw-dropping. It was right on the beach and located in Palamos - a province of Costa Brava. The town was so relaxing and beautiful.

On Saturday, we went to Museo del Pescau (Fish Museum), attended a cooking demonstration and went on a guided tour of Palamos with a very animated "Mountain Man" named Jordy. On Sunday, Father's Day, we went to Girona and Monteserrat (again).

At Girona, we had some WONDERFUL lunch and again, did some shopping. I bought Turron - best described as a spanish nougat typically made with honey, sugar, egg whites and some type of nut. My mom loves it and I bought her two kinds. I tried some at the store and it was delicious.

My trip here just keeps getting better and better. I have made such good friends and have seen such beautiful places. I really don't want to leave. I have four weeks left and I will be taking advantage of every minute I have left here in Barca. ;) Enjoy some of my favorite pics from this weekend. There will be more on my facebook by tomorrow :)