I thought I'd finally try something new, and this something came at the right price. After stumbling into my local Five Below looking for inexpensive apartment decor, there were baskets of Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips on sale for $3!

Nail strips, with their supposed ease of use and intricate designs, were always something I wanted to try. But at about $10 a pack, I never brought myself to buying them, and now I couldn't refuse!

These little pink polka dots were screaming my name!

Here's what's inside:

And my end result of using it as an accent nail:

Although it may seem daunting to use at first, I found this product to be amazing. It definitely takes a steady hand, but I was so happy with how easy the strips were to apply and how beautifully smooth it all came out. I see how someone can mess it up with an unruly air bubble, but make sure you follow the directions step by step. Hold the nail from the center and smoothing things out as you go along.

I'm absolutely obsessed with how perfect my nail looks. Why didn't anyone come up with this sooner? I plan on revisiting my Five Below and picking up all the neat patterns and colors on sale. Perhaps I'll  even splurge every now and then for these beauties!

DIY Denim Shorts

[H&M Blouse, DIY High Waisted Shorts, Jeffery Campbell Litas]

People often say that within a few years, fashion comes full circle, and while we like to think we’re always moving forward, with the latest trends of platform shoes, leggings, bright neons, and flared trousers, I’d have to agree that the past has greatly influenced today’s style.

This summer, I’ve been obsessed with the 80’s inspired high-waisted denim shorts trend! Paired with a cute cropped top, a colorful tank, or a flowy chiffon shirt, these shorts just look so chic.

Finding the right pair that was reasonably affordable wasn’t easy (for me at least)! So I took to my local thrift store and found a pair of classic fit denim pants to create some DIY high-waisted shorts! There are plenty vintage pants to choose from and the prices go as low as $8.00 to $1.00! (I got my pair for $6.)

To assure your shorts will be high at the waist, you can identify it by the long zipper. I suggest trying them on at the store too. Some classic fit pants tend to be baggy at the sides and are not too flattering.

Once you have your perfect pair of “mom jeans,” it’s time to cut them up into cute shorts! There are plenty of helpful DIY sites and videos such as this one:

(You can also try asking your mom, your aunt, or other relatives if they still have these vintage shorts!)

Good Clean Fun!

Last night was Rent the Runway's Launch party hosted by Tide-to-Go! It was absolutely amazing and so much fun! It was held at Pranna on Madison Ave., NYC and there was an open bar, DJ, and delicious sweets!

Naturally, the theme was white since Tide likes to keep things fresh and clean! The dress I wore was by Badgley Mischka, and I am so in love with it, I don't want to give it back!

[Sparkle in the Sky Dress by Badgley Mischka, nude heels by Bandolino]

[Pandora charm bracelet]

Okay, so my dress wasn't exactly white--it's nude, but I think I still looked fab! :)

w/ Elizabeth and new friend Felicity!

Fellow Fordham Runway Rep Megan and Me

Fashion Show!

:)

Yummy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

P.F. Changs has delicious food, but I have only gone there for a few special occasions while visiting my dear boyfriend in Boston. On my first trip, my boyfriend's roommates swore by the lettuce chicken wraps, the restaurant's apparent claim to fame. Naturally, I had to try them. The wraps were absolutely delicious! The savory and crunchy combination had me smitten and quite disappointed when we finished our order. Luckily, while for searching for delicious recipes to try out for my family, I StumbleUponed the famous wrap recipe here.

The preparation is moderately difficult as there is a lot of steps, but they aren't to difficult to recreate. It is certainly worth it too! I couldn't eat just one (or two)! I truly recommend this recipe for parties or a special dinner, especially when P.F. Changs is too far out of reach!

5 Things

Expressive Puppy Eyes

DELICIOUS Cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes
(on Newbury Street, Boston, MA)

Rich, BBQ Sauce Doused Burgers (from Boston Burger Company)

Seeing this guy, of course!

And the whip cream from a Caramel Frapp... so good!

I tried something new the other day! It's called Birchbox.com. I came across this site via Gilt.com, another fantastic website I use to find great deals on designer items and adventures for discounted prices. Gilt featured Birchbox, a fun new company that takes beauty products seriously.

The neat thing about Birchbox is that you can sign up for a subscription and receive handpicked samples of different beauty products.

All the products are tested and approved by the experts behind the business, and they also sell the original size (non samples) at their online store!

I love the idea of it, as it allows women to discover great new products!

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to try their samples service, but Gilt.com did give me a great deal at their store, $25 for $50 worth of products. There I discovered Blinc Liquid Eyeliner and Anastasia Brow Duality Highlighter!

My order shipped very quickly, even at standard shipping! I ordered it Thursday and received my box on Saturday!

I got this in Shell & Lace! The brow highlighter is amazing. It comes with both a matte point and shimmery point. It truly accentuates the brow bone. 

I really like Blinc eyeliner as well. It goes on smoothly and the brush is very fine application is easy. It's also cleverly placed off center, so the brush won't hit your lashes. What's also great about this product is the fact that it doesn't smudge. Instead, it will slide off clean with warm water and pressure. It's long lasting, but easy to remove.

Thanks to Birchbox, I've found two great new products!

:)

Seaside Birdies

This past weekend, my cousin's baby had a Christening and I rented this fabulous Lilly Pulitzer dress from Rent the Runway!

[Lilly Pulitzer Dress, black quilted purse, Bamboo wedges]

I absolutely loved this dress. I wore it to family party and to a friend's pre-prom party for photos! I received so many compliments on it. The print and the details on this dress are gorgeous! Note that the dress runs a little large. There were wasn't a 0 available for me so I wore a 2. Since I have a very petite frame I did have to pin the bottom of the dress. Other than that, I didn't want to take it off all weekend!

Argan Oil

Having fresh skin has always been something I have struggled attain, so I have to admit I am a little bit of a geek when it comes to skincare. I try to educate myself on the best, Allure Top Rated products and WHY they're good for you. 

I'm allergic to a multitude of foods and products so it has always been difficult for me to keep perfect skin and suppress breakouts and dry patches.

I have very sensitive/combination type skin, which means it gets extremely irritated for no reason and is both oily and dry in places. I've also been so lucky to have battled the war with acne since I was teenager. I've used many types of washes/toners/moisturizers so achieve calm skin and I'd like to share one of the best products I've come across:

Argan Oil by Jose Maran

I swear by this stuff. It's absolutely fantastic. It's made of 100% pure Moroccan argan oil and is packed with Vitamin E to help moisturize and heal just about anything on your body---face, hair, elbows, and cuticles (seriously!). It goes on really light, absorbs really quickly, and doesn't stay greasy at all. I have seen such an improvement in my dry/oily skin from using this. Other products that I used were too watery and I could still feel my skin getting rough and dry and my T-zone getting oily, trying to make up for the lack of moisture.

I have both the daily moisturizer and the simple argan oil (3 bottles of the oil, actually--1 0.5 fl. oz bottle & 2 itty bitty travel bottles). The daily moisturizer has SPF 40+ which is essential to make sure you're safe from harmful UV rays.

All in all, I have never used a moisturizer that truly does its job like this brand. It's also vegan, paraban free, toxin free, all natural, cruelty free, and the bottles are totally recyclable!

Try it, if you haven't! You can purchase it at Sephora!

Now, I hope you all find something to do on this rainy day...

City Styling

I have gotten such a positive response on my Mother's Day dinner outfit, I decided to make a post. I do love that dress. I found it in Marshall's for only $15.99! It is a one sleeve dress; the other sleeve is completely chiffon and bells out quite beautifully. I am also wearing amazing multi-metal leaf earrings that I purchased at Buffalo Exchange for $2! And of course, I am sporting my fabulous Jeffery Campbell Litas with lace socks.

[Cynthia Rowley sunglasses]

[Crimson and Clover Dress, Vintage Belt]

[(not show) Etienne Aigner cross body bag]

[Vintage lace socks, Jeffery Campbell Litas]

Happy Mother's Day!

...to all you hardworking, hot mama's out there...

especially to my own!

My mom is such a pajama lover so my brother and I got her a pair of Cynthia Rowley PJs and $25 Gift Card to Sephora. I'm so happy she loved both!

Alfajores

This weekend has been pretty all over the place. I've been studying for finals (which begin this Tuesday--eek!), my boyfriend is back in town, and I've been pretty much unpacking all of my stuff to settle back in at home. To deal with the stresses of managing my time (because obviously all I want to do is hang around Mat like a puppy) I have been cooking.

Yesterday I made alfajores, a cookie originating from Latin America. My childhood friend's mother used to bake these for special occasions, and when I first tasted this buttery cookie, I was in love. Inside holds delicious dulce de leche, and dried coconut can also be added to give it some yummy flair.

To be honest though, I was out of materials to make my own dulce de leche, so I spread apricot preserves inside. They were still delicious.

Here is the recipe

Shiny New Phone

Exciting news! I renewed my AT&T plan and got an iPhone 4! I had the 3GS and gave that one to my mother. She seems to be enjoying it. The white looks so clean and sleek! I couldn't help but take pictures of it.

Expectation v. Reality

Bad news. The Lilly Pulitzer dress I rented for the weekend didn't fit me quite like I imagined it would so I didn't get to wear it to the Under the Tent dance. My entire Spring Weekend was one big wardrobe crises that got me thinking about updating my closet.

Anyway, I think I should have gotten a size 0, instead of a 2. I have such a petite frame and the dress was certainly made for someone with an hourglass figure, not a petite, inverted triangle body type like mine.

It just didn't look like a fun evening gown for the dance. But to not waste my rental, I used it as a day dress today to stroll around and shop. I do love it! It's so beautiful, but is definitely a daytime look.

{Dress by Lilly Pulitzer, Gold belt, Bandolino nude heels}

Let's Sail Away

Check out this amazingly neat little cruise ship clutch by Kate Spade! I just had to share it with someone. Made of navy patent leather and golden hardware, I imagine this to be such an adorable accessory to a red or navy evening outfit! I love the nautical trend (that has long survived for a few seasons) but of most of the navy-inspired pieces that I've come across, this one takes the cake.

Embellished with a gold anchor, this whimsical clutch will sail your lip gloss and phone in style. Neiman Marcus sells this beaut' for $358.00, which is definitely to steep for my budget, but I will admire it nonetheless.

In Love With Lilly

Since March, I have had the great opportunity to work with Rent the Runway, a retail site that allows women to rent designer dresses and accessories for 90% off the retail price for important events or just because! I work as a Campus Marketing Representative, spreading the word of RTR throughout my school!

For months, I have been planning to rent this dress for Fordham's annual Under the Tent dance this coming Saturday! It is by Lilly Pulitzer, a designer I love for her fun and preppy prints and classic and feminine silhouettes. I fell in love with this embroidered blossom dress at first sight with its subtle gold stripe pattern and intricate and sparkly embroidered design.

I loved it so much that I immediately hit the rent button on the site...for the WRONG date. That's right, I rented the dress for this past weekend (4/20-4/23) and NOT our Spring Weekend. Well, it arrived last Friday and I didn't even get to pick it up until 2 hours before it was due at the post office for return. Luckily, I realized this Sunday morning and gave the stylists an urgent ring about my dilemma. Although the office was closed on Sunday, I was able to get a hold of someone at 9 AM Monday morning. Unfortunately, since someone was expecting to wear this beautiful dress this weekend, I couldn't extend my rental and had to part with my pretty, unworn Lilly Pulitzer dress...

I received a merchandise credit for my rental so that I may actually get to wear a dress for this weekend. (Thanks RTR!) Since I'm so in love with the loveliness of Lilly Pulitzer, I am planning to snag this dress for the dance:

...the Ivory Adriana Dress. It's still very spring with its ivory color and metallic threading. The subtle striped pattern is still there so that makes me very happy. It looks like a very flattering shape, and I am very excited to wear it! Hopefully everything will work out!

I will update on my experience with wearing the dress ASAP! I already told my friends a photo shoot will take place that Saturday afternoon prior to the dance.

Be sure to check out Rent the Runway and shop! I have placed a link on my right side navigation that takes you to the Fordham site! If you rent through there, it would help my fellow campus rep and me out a lot!

I also have special Promo codes that take $15, $20, and even $50 off your rental of $50 of more. If you're interested and know me personally, let me know!

A Fashion Show

Yesterday, Fordham University's Fashion for Philanthropy held its annual fashion show to benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation. It is an event that our club works tirelessly for throughout both Fall and Spring Semester. It was a huge success and I could not be more proud of the work we put into this show. 

Models & our some of our e-board saying Thanks! at the end.
(I'm wearing the blue pants!)

Our VIP gift bags this year were phenomenal, featuring Bioré, Freeman Beauty, Garnier Fructis, Curél, Shower to Shower, Izze Soda, Sarah McNamara Skin Transformer, Nestle, popchips, & Stash Tea.

I'm excited to try the Sarah McNamara Skin Transformer. I love skin care products!

High-Low Season

[Forever 21 tank, vintage belt, Forever 21 skirt]

[vintage sandals]

My friend Karen Hill and I could not help but have a little photo shoot on our campus during the B-E-A-utiful weather! It was 90 degrees in New York in April! Perfect weather to dance around in a pretty polka dotted skirt. (At least I thought so!) I'm look forward to the warm weather and being out of school!

I love the look of high low skirts. They are incredibly feminine and do such a good job showing off a little leg. The tail, as it floats in the wind, is such an attention grabber!

WANTED: Black Romper

Does anyone know where I can purchase a romper like this for a reasonable price? I absolutely love this piece from NastyGal. I find it to incredibly classy and sexy--perfect for going out on a Saturday night into the city for dinner and drinks. The long necklace here gives this chic outfit some character, but I would love this black romper with a thick metallic belt. I am absolutely dying for something like this, but I have only been able to find ones $80.00 and above.

This one for Urban Outfitters caught my eye:

...with the metallic belt and all. But alas, it is $90.00. Too much for this unemployed college girl. Let me know if Forever 21 gets to producing these sexy little suits!

Five Things Friday

1. Pensive Puppies

2. Bright Nails for spring - Essie: Cute as a Button

3. Many Mangos

4. Cute boys! (My boyfriend, Mat)

5. Healthy Brown Rice Sushi in eco-friendly containers!