Radiant Review: Maybelline Great Lash in Pop of Purple

Hey Beauties! Today I have a fun review for you guys about the new purple mascara from Maybelline! The other day at Target, I was walking by the makeup section, when BAM, out of nowhere, I saw a display of absolutely gorgeous jewel-toned cosmetics from Maybelline. They recently came out with new colors for the Color Tattoo Eyeshadows ( see my original blog post on them here. ) and I was super excited to see that they had matching mascara! Today I'll be reviewing the mascara for you, so stay tuned!

What It Is: Mascara. Of the purple variety. :)

What It Does: Makes your eyelashes purple.

What I think: WELL, where to begin? Okay, first off, packaging. This mascara is the baby of Great lash, so of course it has the classic pink and green tube (that's sort of a given). The wand is the standard Great Lash wand, which is fine, but is the most standard wand I've EVER used.

Of course, I HAD to try out the product!

 

While I do like the concept of purple mascara, this product just didn't do it for me! It was pretty thin and watery, and the puple went on way too light to see anything. It didn't clump, which is good, but overall I don't love it.

This product is nice, but it's just not for me. I prefer straight up black mascara. :)

 

All pictures are mine. :)

Radiant Review: Rimmel Londom Blush in Pink Sorbet

Hey Beauties! Recently I've rediscovered one of my blushes that I've had for a little while. It's by Rimmel London, and it's in the shade Pink Sorbet. It's easily become my absolute favorite blush, and I'll probably be wearing it year-round now :)



 

 

          As you can see, I've already hit pan on this blush (that's how much I love it!!!!!!)

It has a silky-soft consistency, and blends out easily! 

 

Lasting Finish 018 Pink Sorbet Blendable Powder Blush

0.15 oz/4.5 g

 It's claims to be smudge resistant and long lasting.

 

 

A swatch on my very pale wrist :) I've found that this color works very well with pale skin to tan skin. It's a pale pink with SUPER sublte shimmer that is buildable so it works with really any skin tone!

 

 



 On a scale from one to ten, I'd probably give this blush a 7.5. It really stays on like it says it will. I wore this to an amusement park the other day, and it lasted through EVERY roller coaster. :) You can also use it not only on its own, but also to set cream or liquid blushes! I highly reccomend this blush!

 

 

 

All pictures are mine :)



One Year Already?!?!?!

Hey Beauties! WOW, I can't believe that it's already been over a year since I first posted on this blog! Isn't that crazy?!?! A YEAR. Haha, well, I'm super happy :) This is also my 40th post :) YAY! LOL. I've posted on everything from D.I.Y Cream Eyeshadow to yummy ice cream.  and I'm not done yet! Be sure to be on the lookout for posts on fall fashion, makeup tips, and more D.I.Y's!!! Get ready for another year!

                          I love you<3, Giada





Picture is from here.

Try It On: Fall's Hottest Color

Hey Beauties! Today I have a Try It On post for you, all on the color oxblood! It's a HUGE color for fall, basically the new mustard! It's in every single store, and there are countless ways to rock it! So I'll be showing you three ways to wear one of the biggest trends this fall!

                                      Chic

Forever 21 shirt: 6.80
Forever 21 vest: 24.80
J. Crew pants: 49.50
Brandy Melville necklace: 6.00
Dulce Candy XO bracelet: 14.00
Just Fab boots 39.95

One way I would rock an oxblood top is with a bleached denim vest  and biker boots. Here I'm going for a tougher, rocker look, so I added a pair of leggings with cool zipper pockets. I added a spike bracelet to give some glam and topped everything off with an upside down triangle neclace, with is super cool.

                                       Casual

H&M pants: 12.95
Target boots: 69.95
H&M blazer: 49.95
Modcloth scarf: 24.99
Forever 21 bag: 34.80

Another way I would wear oxblood is paired with either a fun or structured blazer. Here I went with a fun blazer, to keep it casual. Underneath, you can wear a gray or white tank, to keep it simple. I added a studded brown bag and a lepoard print infinity scarf to keep with the neutral. And for shoes I chose a pair of cowboy boots that are perfect for fall and winter.

                                       Comfy

Brandy Melville skirt: 28.00
Forever 21 shirt: 13.80
H&M collar necklace 12.95
Toms shoes 43.95
Target bracelets 9.99

For this last look I went with something a little bit more unexpected... an oxblood maxi skirt! It's the focal point of this outfit, so I kept the top neutral with this shirt that says Perfectly Imperfect. I think that it's such a great message to spread, and I actually own that top! I added a pair of blue flats to keep it casual and added a collar necklace to give it some glam. I also added some zig-zag bracelets for some arm candy, and that's it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I loved writing it! Sorry it's been so long! If you recreate on of these looks be sure to tweet me a pic at @plaidrose01 on twitter or at @plaidrose01 on Instagram! Love you! Stay beautiful!

Oxblood Heart balloon image is from here. :)

Style. Wear. Love.: Flags & Fringe

Happy 4th of July Beauties! Today's Style. Wear. Love is a look perfect for parades, barbecues, and fireworks! I wandered around the internet and found a ton of super cute items for you! Hope you enjoy!

 So I started out with a fringed flag t-shirt from Forever 21. What other day of the year is better to wear a flag than on the 4th of July? I paired that with a really cool pair of acid-wash shorts from Urban Outfitters. To keep up with the simplicity of the look I chose this striped bag from  Forever 21. Then I added this bold ring that is supposed to be a ring of moutaintops but that I think looks like a bunch of cool studs! It's from  Modcloth. I also added this gold feather necklace from H & M. And last but not least, The casual and super comfy mocasins are from Minnetonka.

I hope you liked this Style. Wear. Love. look and try it out for yourself! Oh, and don't forget...

Picture is from here!

Nail Of The Day & My New Favorite Nail Polish

Hey Beauties! Recently, one of my favorite youtubers fleurdeforce put up a new video on how she does her french manicures using a product from Rimmel London. It's the Rimmel London French White Tip Pro. I thought it was cool, and decided to purchase it so that I could try it out myself! I went to Ulta literally the next day and snatched it up :) i actaully really liked it because it's more of a striper because the brush is so thin. I paired it with Essie's Ballet Slipper ( but Essie has litterally a million light pinks ), and used my OPI topcoat over everything :) I really liked how it turned out!

Above is a picture of the Rimmel Londom French White Tip Pro's brsuh alongside of Essie's Ballet Slipper to show you how slim and slender the Rimmel brush is compared to Essie's ( which are pretty thin brushes to begin with).

                Essie Ballet Slipper, OPI Top Coat, Rimmel London French White Tip Pro

Here's the video!

If you like these products, you can buy the Rimmel one here,  the Essie one here, and the OPI topcoat here.

This manicure literally took me less than 10 minutes to do and was super easy! I totally recommend these nail polsihes (especially the Rimmel one ). I hope you enjoyed this blogpost and tell me if you want to see more NOTD ( Nails Of The Day) :)

xoxo, Giada<3



D.I.Y: Cream Eyeshadow

What You Need:

Any eyeshadow/palette that you don't mind if it gets wet ( the quality doesn't have to be like M.A.C, it just has to have a good pigmentation to it ( I used one from Claire's that cost around $12 ), a small plastic container ( I just used the lid of my bobby pin box ), a small eyeshadow applicator ( you can use an eyeshadow brush, but since it's like a paint, it's just easier to throw it out once you're done ), and water ( distilled or not ).

 

What To Do:

Fill up the plastic container with a little bit of water and press the applicator into the water.

When it's soaked, press it onto the eyeshadow you want to use. Rub it around a little bit until you have a good amount on the brush, swipe it onto your eyelids like you would with a regular cream shadow! The pigmentation i ended up with was good, but you do have to be careful. if you add too much water, the cosistency will become too watery, and won't work as well. You want to have a consistency almost like a slightly watery concealer or foundation.

Be sure you don't do this with the same eyeshadows too often, or they can crack and/or dry out!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and definetely try this look out for yourself!



GOOD LUCK<3



Radical Review: NYX HD Photogenic Concealer

Hey beauties! Today i thought I'd do a Radical Review about my NYX HD Photogenic Concealer.
About a month and a half ago, Ulta had a 40% off sale for a few different drugstore brands, including NYX. I  had recently run out of my Maybelline Instant Age- Rewind concealer and wanted to try out a new one. I ended up choosing the NYX concealer in the shade CW03 Light.

A couple things that I do like about this concealer are that it comes in multiple varieties. I comes in 8 skin-compatible shades and also comes in green, lavender, and yellow. I think I might actually try one of these out, because it's a really fantastic idea. You can use the lavender shade on any yellow under eye circles. The yellow can be used for really dark under-eye circles, or darker patches of skin. The green can be used on red spots or active acne. I also like the formula. It's very creamy and blendable, and dries with a dewy finish. It tends to slide through-out the day, but defenitely lasts 6-8 hours.

There are a couple of things I don't like about this concealer. When I close it, it squirts out extra product which gets really messy and is kinda annoying. Also, just a couple of weeks after I bought it, it broke. That really annoyed me, even though I didn't pay that much for it. The lid cracked in multiple places, and the other day when i opened it, the applicator came out of the lid. So now I can't even use it anymore!

Overall, I did like this product even thought it broke, and I'd recommend it if you need a low-cost concealer. It regularly costs around $5-6 and you can get it whenever NYX is sold. :)


You can purchase the concealer here.  It's acutally on a BOGO sale right now!



Picture is from here.

Style. Wear. Love.: Boho Chic

Hey beauties! For today's post I created an outfit using indie-inspired pieces that are both fun and functional for summer! Hope you love this look and try it out!

For this look I started with these super-cool fringed booties from Jeffrey Campbell which are a total steal for only $99 at the moment! I paired those with a maxi dress from Forever21. If it gets cooler at night you can throw on this denim jacket also from Forever21. For a fun pop of color, I added this red crossbody bag from Target.  I also added this super cute ring from Etsy. To compliment the red I added a turquoise wraparound bracelet from Modcloth.

This look would be perfect for a chill day or a strut throught the city. I absolutely love all the pieces and think they all work wonderfully together. The denim jacket is kind of a surprise because on the back of it is this unique headdress design! Awesome, right? Have fun with this look and remember, true style is yours.

xoxo, Giada

Try it On: Blue Lips

Where'd you get those blue lips?

Hey beauties! Long time no post! Lately I've been seeing a lot of people with crazy-colored lips (Ke$ha being one of them!). So, of course, I totally wanted to try it out! So here is how I accomplished crazy-colored lips!

Step 1: Moisturize your lips. This is important, because this look can easily dry out your lips if you're not careful. I used Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness.

Step 2: Line your lips with the color you'll be using. This is necessary to ensure the color is bold and to make sure it doesn't spread everywhere! Eyeliner is good for this step if you can't find blue lip liner. LOL! I used my Prestige Soft Khol Eyeliner in the shade Lagoon.

Step 3: Add color! This is the fun part! Fill in your lips with the color you want. Make sure you fill in your entire lip area so it doesn't look patchy. I used my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Clash. It's a shimmery blue.

Step 4(optional): Pat shimmery pigment over your lips for a bolder look. I used a white glitter I've had forever.

Step 5: Moisturize (yes, again). Like I said before, using eyeliner is not the best for your lips. It's fine, but it can dry them out. Cover your lips with a clear gloss to add shine. I used the My Favorite Lip Balm from C.O. Bigelow that I got at Bath and Body Works.

*NOTICE*
This look isn't very school or work appropriate, it's more just for fun of a costume or something.

Hope you have TONS of fun recreating this look and wow everyone with your crazy lips!



Ke$ha blue lips picture is from here.



Radiant Review: Freeman Mint & Lemon Clay Mask

Hey beauties! Recently I've been using ( and loving ) my new Freeman Facial Clay Mask in Mint & Lemon. So, I decided to review it for you!

What it is:
A clay mask that claims to be made with natural, botanical ingredients to help your skin look and feel better.

What it does:
This detoxifying clay mask should help soothe and calm problematic skin. Its a deep pore cleanser that should help control oil production and reduce the appearance of pores.

What I think: When I first used this mask, many different thoughts went through my head. At first, I loved the scent and the look. It's a minty green with a scent that's mostly lemon but also minty. It has a thick, creamy consistency, and dries in about 5-10 min. I normally put it on 10-20 min before I take a shower, because it rinses off with water. I'll push my hair back into a bun and pull on a headband so none gets in my hair. Then I slather it on, leaving circles around my eyes and putting it right up to my hair line. When you take it off, your pores look waaaaaaayyy smaller, so it most definetely works. It also helps clear up my breakouts too. It comes in a squeezay tube, perfect for getting the right amount. And another plus??? IT COSTS $3.99. I saw it at Ulta one day and was like "hmmmm... I'll try it once" And then I got hooked on using this stuff! It's totally cool, and I really recommend buying it. You can totally check out more about this and look at other products here.

I hope this post was helpful to you and informative. Be sure to check back soon, because I'll be doing a ton more of reviews soon!

P.S. I just bought the clay mask in Chocolate and Strawberry. Let me know if you want me to review it!

*Disclaimer*
I am in no way affiliated with Freeman Skincare, I just wanted to blog about it!

Picture is from here.

Fab Fashion: What I Wore for Easter

Hey beauties! Happy Easter! Today I decided to blog about the outfit I wore today. It's so sunny and bright today, with a super light breeze. I almost wore a floral print dress from Old Navy that I picked up a little while ago, but I feel like florals for spring are so outdated.

So yesterday, when I was at the mall, I stopped by Forever21 and found this dress that was perfect. I actually couldn't find the EXACT dress I wore, but this was the closet one, and from the same line. The tag says it's a tomato color, but it's like a super red-orange. It has super flutterly butterfly sleeves that make me feel like I could just float away on the breeze. LOL!  I tried to belt it with a glittery gold belt, but it was wayyyy too short then. It came to my mid-thigh normally, so there was no way I could wear that to church. The dress was super inexpensive, I got it for $17.80 ( score! ), but the quality is amazing. Overall, I'm super happy with this dress, and will get a lot of use out of it this season.

As for accesories, I went with this super cute ring I found at a thrift store for only $4. It's a bright coral flower on a gold band, so it matched the dress almost perfectly. I also wore this sweet ankle braclet form Lia Sophia that I got years ago and rediscovered recently. It's a chain with little hearts on it and a small heart charm at the end. I wore it on my left ankle. As for shoes, I couldn't really wear heels with this dress, because it's so short, so I wore these navy RocketDog flats I got from DSW a few weeks ago. It has pleats on the top that form a little bow, and a really cute flower print on the insole. but I would REALLY recommend breaking them in first, beacuse I got killer blisters on my toes. I actually did wear a necklace and bracelet too. The necklace is sterling silver and has 14 strands that make it super sparkly. I also wore a sterling silver chain-link bracelet n my right hand, which is really jingly. But I don't know where I got them, so I couldn't find a pic. It wasn't that cold, so I didn't wear a cardigan or jacket.

Links to stuff I wore:

Forever 21 dress

Rocket Dog Flats

Lia Sophia Ankle Bracelet

Coral Rose Ring

And if you indeed do ( wow I sounded so british right there ) celebrate Easter I want to share this pic I found while browsing google:

Haha. I feel like this basically sums up the Easter holiday for me.

And if you don't celebrate Easter, take a peek at this one:

I absolutely just love little bunny rabbits :)

So tell me, what did you wear this lovely Easter Day?

The pictures are from here and  here.

On Trend: Colored Leather

Hey beauties! Lately I've been seeing lots of leather in stores... colored leather that is! Leather is classic and timeless, so why not spruce it up with some color? It's way better than standard old black or brown. The brighter the better!

You can pair bright leather with almost every single outfit! I normally only wear faux leather because I love animals. I'd pair a bright jacket with an equally bright tank underneath and some basic pants or shorts. You can pair a bright skirt or shorts with a nuetral top, and bright or basic shoes. I like making my stand out leather pieces the focal point of my outfit!

Here are some great colored leather pieces I've found:

The awesome jacket pictured above that I recently bought and have been obsessed with from Forever 21

Colorblock your leather in these uber cute heels from Charlotte Russe

Add a dash of color with this fun wallet/clutch from Old Navy

Good Luck!

Tell me, will you be trying on this trend?

Radiant Reviews: Simple Skincare

What it is:
Simple, a line of skincare products from the U.K., has come to America. I first spotted them at Target, but I'm pretty sure you can get them at CVS or Walgreens too.

What it does:
Their products are supposedly all natural and contain no soaps, perfumes, or dyes of any kind. It's targeted for people with sensitive skin. It's supposed to make you skin appear "naturally healthy"

What I think:
I picked up a few travel-size items to try out for myself. Here's what I think of each one:

               
 Refreshing face wash gel- very cleansing, sort of like a clarifying shampoo, only for your face. It hasd no scent, but I found that you can't just rinse it off your face, I used a damp washcloth to wipe it off. Still, I liked this product and will be purchasing a larger size.

            
 Liquid eye makeup remover- This, like the face wash, has no scent. It has a thin consistency, and is one solid solution, unlike some makeup removers where you have to shake the two liquids together in order for it to work. It did remove some of my makeup, but not all of it. I think because it lacks some of the oils found in other products similar to it, it's harder for it to break down heavier makeup products like water-proof mascara. This wasn't a very nice product for me, and I will not be repurchasing this item.

Cleansing facial wipes-This is a pack of face wipes, similar in style to the Almay ones, but far different in quality.  These felt very harsh and rough on my skin, even though they're the gentle ones, not the exfoliating ones. It has no scent. They didn't have that much product on each one, even when I stored them upside down. They also had the same effect as the makeup remover. It takes off some makeup, but not all of it. I defenitely will not be repurchasing these products.

I hope this post was helpful and informative for you. I am in no way affilated with Simple Skincare, I just wanted to see if these new products lived up to all the hype about them!

Check out more about this line of products here.

Pictures are from here

On Trend: Colorblocking

Hey beauties! One of the hottest trends this season, aside from bright colors, is colorblocking! It was around last summer, but now it's back and it's amazing! I've put some pieces in a collage above to give you some inspriartion on what to wear for this season!

Colorblocking might seem like a crazy trend, hard to work with and impossible to pull off, but it's simple. Really. Take a simple outfit. Black pants, nude heel, plain jewelry. Add a colorblocked t-shirt, and BAM!!!!! Instant supercute outfit. By using simple pieces and adding bold details, you can easily become a trendsetter at your school or workplace.  If you don't want to splurge on just this one trend, you can also pair two or three bold colors together, as long as they contrast, not clash. Look at the color wheel, and pick a color. Let's use purple as an example. Look what color lies directly across form it on the color wheel. It's yellow. So pair yellow and purple together. If you want a third color, pick a shade that compliments both yellow and purple. So now you can effortessly pair a purple skirt over a yellow tank with a royal blue clutch.

I really hope this post helps you become more suited to the colorblocking trend. You probably own a colorblocked piece already. Stripes, whether wide or slim, can totally be considered colorblocking! Have fun exploring this trend, and be sure to follow for more fashion forward posts!

So, will you be trying out this trend ?

On Trend: Spring 2012's Hottest Colors

Hey beauties! This season is packed full of super bright colors. From shoes to nails to eyes, everything seems to be getting a colorful makeover! It's very connected with the colorblocking trend, which I'll be doing a separate post on later!

This season is full of bright corals, hot pinks, pure emeralds, hot yellows, deep blues, and rich purples. It's crazy, yet wearable. Try paring one or two contrasting bright pieces with a basic, neutral outfit.

These shorts are from forever21. I'd pair these with a simple white tank, tucked in, and maybe a bright statement necklace or bold shoes.

These forever21  shoes are your pop of color for any basic outfit. Wear them with a little black dress, or even a cheetah print one, if you're that daring.

This gorgeous dress is from H&M. The extreme color should be the main point of your outfit, so try pairing it with nude heels, and maybe a sun hat or light cardigan, depending on the weather.

These awesome jeans from forever21 totally caught my eye, so I had to include them. I mean, who doesn't want purple pants? You can pair this with a graphic tee, or even a plain tank.

This fun forever21 blazer is not necessary, but then again it is! The color is so cheerful, that you can hardly frown while wearing it! Pair it with just about anything, and rock the world!

So there you have it! This season's biggest colors are super bright, so grab your shades and and strut your stuff... okay, so that was a bit cheesey. Who cares? I'm just pumped to wear this huge trend, everywhere! Have fun with brights and be sure to look out for a post on colorblocking SUPER soon!