Month: January 2013

Already Famous by Sephora by O.P.I

Already Famous – Sephora by O.P.I.

When its cold and dreary outside, I could definitely use some fun colors on my nails to brighten up my day a bit. Currently, the above Sephora by O.P.I polish is doing the trick. With champagne and silver microglitter, Already Famous is a perfect metallic gold that pairs well with any occasion.

What I like even more about it? It’s not a chunky, super glittery polish that I wore when I was 16 (embarrassing). It’s a sophisticated gold and I’m obsessed with it.

Plus, Sephora by O.P.I polishes dry quickly and always last for a few weeks on your nails, even without a top coat.

Update: Jan 4 2022 – Unfortunately, Sephora no longer carries Sephora by O.P.I polishes but here’s a gorgeous gold glitter nail polish by Sephora and another one from Zoya (one of my favorite non-toxic nail polish brands!

Are you loving a certain polish right now? Share with me in the comments!

Leila2022-01-06T20:32:32-08:00January 29th, 2013|Categories: Fashion|Tags: Already famous, nail polish, o.p.i, sephora|Comments Off

Get the Look: Jennifer Lawrence

The rapidly rising actress shined in a gorgeous black gown at the Critic’s Choice Awards earlier this month. Jennifer Lawrence chose a Prabal Gurung gown from his pre-fall 2013 collection, featuring perfectly placed cutouts and an accent of leather.

The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook star (both movies for which she won best actress in their respective categories at the Critic’s Choice) knows how to take fashion risks and looks great in them.

Take some style advice from this beautiful star and embrace cutouts on your dresses and tops! With the right cutouts and mesh insets, you can show off your skin and look sexy, not trashy.

A black cutout dress – like the Mesh Inset Cutout Dress from Charlotte Russe, above – is perfect for any occasion and gives you endless possibilities for accessories and shoes. Try the Chinese Laundry heels, above. I fell in love with them when I first saw them online. Plus, they’re part of Kristin Cavallari’s (you know, the girl we all loved to hate on Laguna Beach and The Hills) collection for Chinese Laundry.

For a more sophisticated look, mix gold and silver accessories with the black dress. Above, the Snowflake Drops are great earrings for a special night. Add some arm candy with this Leather Wrap Bracelet that adds some edge to your look with gold studs, but also some femininity with silver jewels. Finally, store everything you need for a night out with a simple Box Clutch.

For a night out with friends, add a pop of color with colorful heels and big jeweled accessories in your favorite color.

Want more cutout dresses? Here are my favorite finds:

Note: The first three dresses are from NastyGal because the dresses from the online retailer are so great; I want them all. I thought I’d share their best cutout dresses with you all.

Have another stylish celeb in mind? Share with me in the comments and they could be featured in a Get the Look: post!

Leila2017-04-17T15:28:19-07:00January 23rd, 2013|Categories: Fashion|Tags: get the look, Jennifer Lawrence, style|Comments Off

4 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

In the cold winter, nothing is quite as satisfying as a cup of hot coffee. Especially when you’re like me and you’re already tired of the 30 degree mornings and can’t wait for spring – or better yet – summer.

So to get you through the final stretch of winter, here are 4 ways to beat the winter blues:

Work on a Do-it-Yourself project with friends! Make a dry-erase calendar from paint samples, revamp your old bulletin board, or spend some time on Pinterest for more ideas.
Enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea paired with a good read. Whether it’s a magazine or a new book, there’s nothing more relaxing than sipping on a warm drink while falling into the pages of a book. Check Amazon for some great reads at a great price.
Bake your heart out. What’s more fun than baking and then getting to enjoy the delicious result of your baking skills after? Need some ideas? My personal favorites are crepes filled with nutella and fruit, dark chocolate brownies topped with ice cream, and these blackberry pie bars.
Be bright. Just because it’s cold and dreary outside doesn’t mean you have to dress like it is! Wearing bright colors will instantly brighten you up in the winter and make you feel a little bit happier. Try bright-colored nail polish, a pop of color in your shoes, or a fun top.

All the above will surely make your winter go by a little bit quicker.

Have some more tips? Leave them in the comments below!

Leila2018-02-16T20:32:18-08:00January 18th, 2013|Categories: Lifestyle|Tags: season, winter|Comments Off

Beauty Review: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

For beautiful, chapped-free lips, lip balm (and a lip scrub) is a necessity. But with countless lip balm brands out there, from Chapstick to Nivea to Burt’s Bees, it can be difficult to find a lip balm that’s great for you. Luckily, I’ve found a lip balm that I’ve fallen in love with, and I know you will too!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is the perfect lip balm.

I received this as a birthday gift from Sephora (if you don’t know about the birthday gift and love Sephora, sign up to be a Beauty Insider — it’s free and once you accumulate points, you can begin receiving Beauty Insider gifts and a special gift on your birthday!) a few months ago. In the package were two mini Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments: the original – Sugar, and another in Rosé.

Sugar is a clear, not tinted, lip balm while Rosé is tinted a beautiful strawberry red. It has SPF 15 and is made of real ingredients: sugar (prevents moisture loss); a blend of moisturizing oils: meadowfoam seed, black currant, seed avocado, and jojoba; grapeseed polyphenols (protect, smooth, soften); and Avobenzene and Octinoxate (SPF UVA/UVB sun protection).

The lip balms have an extremely light scent citrusy scent and glide on super smoothly. Rosé adds beautiful, light color to your lips. However, the color doesn’t last very long and is extremely sheer so if you’re looking for a hint of color on your lips, this is perfect. If not, it’s better to wear the fresh Sugar lip treatment (pictured on the left – clear in brown case) and use your favorite lipstick over.

I love, love, love this product and definitely suggest you try it.

You can find the full-size of this product at Sephora for $22.

Leila2019-01-10T09:12:08-08:00January 9th, 2013|Categories: Lifestyle|Tags: beauty review, fresh sugar lip treatment, lip balm|Comments Off

4 Winter Skin Saving Tips

With the crisp cool air outside and the heat blasting inside, skin gets tight and dry – meaning it’s calling for some TLC, more than it needs in the warmer months. To keep your skin looking radiant this winter, follow these four simple tips:

1. Stay Away From Hot Water. Though you may want to turn up the heat in your shower and bask in the warmth after a long day, try not to. Hot water dehydrates the skin so it’s best to stick with warm water when taking a shower, bath, or when washing your face and hands. However, if you really can’t leave your hot showers, try to limit the time spent in the shower.

2. It’s Still Sunny in the Winter. It may seem like a summer-only product, but sunscreen of at least SPF 30 is important year round.

Apply it every day to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh rays. Try Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock (This is my absolute favorite sunscreen. It’s not oily, doesn’t make your skin break out and has UVA/UVB protection).

3. Exfoliate. Use a light exfoliator twice or three times a week in the winter to slough off dead, dry skin.

Exfoliating helps moisturizer do its job well. For a budget-friendly exfoliator that does its job, try St. Ive’s Fresh Apricot Scrub.

To exfoliate your lips without spending money on a lip scrub, you can simply brush your toothbrush softly over your lips, as if you were brushing your teeth. Do this once a week and your lips will be super smooth!

4. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize! According to KeSARI Beauty Creative Director Richa Purohit, you should look for “oil-based moisturizers with vitamins C and E.” These types of moisturizers will lock in moisture better than water-based moisturizers.

If you have problem skin and are worried about oil-based moisturizers clogging your pores, opt for a lighter lotion. Make sure to moisturize right as you get out of the shower so that you lock in moisture.

Don’t forget to moisturize your lips with a great lip balm! Try Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 or Bliss Triple Oxygen +C Energizing Cream. As for a lip balm, I’m currently loving Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm because it’s all natural, has vitamin E and peppermint, and is really soothing my lips.

Have a wonderful winter!
xo, Leila

Leila2018-02-16T20:32:34-08:00January 8th, 2013|Categories: Lifestyle|Tags: skin saving tips, skincare, winter skin|Comments Off