drugstore dupes

so one of my absolute favorite things about cosmetic companies is their affinity for creating amazing products that their customers fall in love with, but discontinuing them or having limited edition collections. MAC is famous for their limited edition collections, and there was a time when it was necessary to know every new product that they would unveil. but when collections start coming out every week- it got to be too much to keep up with. one of my all time favorite eyeshadows, just so happens to be a member of one of these limited edition collections and I made it a personal mission to find a dupe before I used up the last of the product.


The original on the left (MAC "Glamour Check!" from the Starflash Collection) and the drugstore dupe (Revlon Satin "Shimmering Sienna") look different in the packaging, but when swatched both are a silky bronze amber shadow with fine shimmer.


it's basically impossible to tell the different between the two (Revlon & MAC)

this color will be gorgeous for warm smokey looks during the fall and winter. with a nice bright highlight on the inner corner and a matte deeper chocolate brown on the crease and outer corner, this shimmery shade all over the lid would really pop. run a bit of the lid color along the lower lash line and you have a smokey look that can look day or night. the bright amber will make blue and green eyes stand out, and make darker eyes glow. gorgeous!

xx,
Marissa

cotton candy nails

finding new and unique nail designs is probably one of my favorite ways to spend my time. I have so many polishes that I honestly get bored just painting them all them all the same color. That's why little switch ups, like my favorite glitter or accent nail, are ways to keep my nails fun. But, I recently came across a technique that allowed me to use a bunch of pretty colors together in a SUPER simple day that gave my nails the look of a gorgeous cotton candy sky or a Claude Monet painting- which just so happen to be two of my favorite things. Win, win!



how pretty are these?! Getting this look was easy-peasy! First paint you nails with a flat opaque white- I used OPI "Alpine Snow". Then choose 3 or 4 colors that will work well together. I went with a pastel look and chose a light/medium blue (Orly "Snowcone"), a pale mint green (China Glaze "Refresh-Mint") a light lavender (Essie "Lilacism") and a pale pink (OPI "Mod about you"). Using a variety of the colors, make blobs of nail polish on your nails, layering the different colors over each other. Then, while the polish is still wet take a plastic bag or plastic wrap and press down on the blobs, smearing the polish together. Then remove the plastic and allow the polish to dry. Once it's had a chance to dry a bit, apply your top coat. I've always found the best top coat to be Seche Vite- it's thicker than most and allows the polishes to blend together even better.

now this manicure is definitely messier than most, but if you tape off around your nails using normal Scotch tape, you just remove the tape once they're dry and you have clean edges. Use one longer piece to go along one side of your nail, around the top of your nail and back down the other side, and then another smaller piece to cover the base of your nail (as close to the cuticle as you can get). Then just take a q-tip soaked in nail polish remover to clean up any rogue polish.

super simple! And oh so pretty :)
xx,
Marissa

tiny bubbles

the Internet has been FLOODED with pictures, outfits and posts dedicated solely to this little cutie from J.Crew. while I love the looks that different bloggers and fashionistas have been able to put together with this piece, the $150 price tag was just a bit too steep for me!


what's a girl who loves all things pretty and preppy, but can't rationalize dropping that much dough to do?! eBay of course! I was able to find an exact dupe for the beloved J.Crew "Bubble Necklace" for less than the sales tax on the original, with shipping included!


I've gotten oh so many compliments on this piece whenever I wear it, and it serves as the perfect pop of color for so many different outfits. With my hot pink dress from H&M, its a perfectly preppy combination of brights. but I can totally see it paired with a simple crew neck t and jeans as the weather starts to get cooler. get yours here!
xx,
Marissa