SLT Approved Valentine Gifts At Prices You'll Love

1.Gilligan & O'Malley Knit Pajama Set- I love these super soft pjs and lounge in them constantly. I had been looking for a similar pair and found that these were by far the best price.
2.Voluspa Baltic Amber Candle- My friend Hallie gave me this candle for my birthday and I keep it burning in my living room. The scent is soft, but definitely lingers, and the glass holder is so pretty. I am going to use the holder for little flower arrangement when it burns down.
3.Korres Lemon Basil Body Butter- Another great gift from my sister-in-law Christy. It's natural and has a gender neutral scent, so me and husband both use it. I also like to us a little on my dog (hey, it's natural).
4.eos Lip Balm-My favorite lip balm ever and the great packaging goes far with me. It's a wonderful little gift to make a friend's day.
5.Marc Jacobs Rat Key Chain- I bought several of these for myself and a few friends years ago and I love having them on spare keys hanging around the house. Great designer gift for $4!
6.Marie Belle Hot Chocolate-I had the best hot chocolate of my life at Marie Belles in NYC. You can indulge in the creamy decadence at home by ordering from their online store. Once again use the charming tin for an adorable flower arrangement.

Now go out and spoil your lover with one of these sweet treats! If you want to really show your love, throw in an old fashioned homemade Valentine and you'll really have them swooning!

Lashes and Nails

Does anyone else have this problem?  It's midday and I look in the mirror to see what looks like a drug addict or someone in desperate need of sleep starring back at me. It is not a junkie or an insomniac in the reflection, it is just me. I can understand my mascara running after a hard night of partying, but why is it that I am left with raccoon eyes after only three hours of applying my eye make-up? Because of this problem, along with itsy eyelashes, I am constantly looking for that miracle mascara. I have tried everything from Chanel to Cover Girl and I have liked the results of some, but I can't say that I have a mascara that I love. Sad, isn't it?
 When my sister-in-law Christy was in town, I was venting to her about my under eye debris and a month later darling Christy sent me Sephora's Lash Stash including eleven different brands of mascara, eyelash primer, and a pair of false lashes! I am still finishing the tube of mascara I had when I received my b-day package, but I can't wait to put each of these mascaras to the test. I also plan on creating graphs and charts on the performance of each mascara, because collecting data is fun way to incorporate education in my beauty routine. I'll let you know the results when I'm done, but that may be a while because I keep mascara forever ( I know that's bad) and I have eleven to go thru.

As far as my nails go, I decided to get the Sensationail starter kit because I love manicures, but hate paying $50.00 for gel manicures. I have used it once and I am pretty pleased with the results. My manicure lasted a solid week which is good for me, because once I get the slightest chip, I will go crazy and peel the rest of the polish off. Next time, I will add another coat of color and they should survive longer. Hooray for new nail technology! 

Rainbow Bright

harpersbazaar.com

Last weekend I caught up on a pile of unread magazines and came across this Terry Richardson spread in Harper's Bazaar. I don't think I would ever rainbow bright my hair, but I do admire anyone who would!

Shopping The Big D. And I Do Mean Dallas!

Last weekend my husband, a couple of our friends, and I took a trip to Dallas to take advantage of some of the amazing sales going on. Here's a look at the goodies I picked up! 

Top Left Clockwise : Peplum top from Zara, Rachel Roy safety pin earrings, Alexander Wang sandals,  Vince leather shorts, Rayban sunglasses that were actually my husbands purchase, but I'm sure he will let me borrow them,  H&M white dress, modeled by the blogger Cindiddy, but I sure do wish it was me with that Celine bag, Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in Riveria, Helmut Lang jeans, YSL Radiant Touch highlighter, Jil Sander paisley tee

For DD: Light or Dark Brows With Lara And Cara

T magazine

 Vogue UK

Chanel Cruise 2013

photographed by Nick Knight

Brows, Brows, Brows!!! For me, when it comes to my favorite form of facial hair I believe that either bold or faint make the biggest impact. For example, take the featured models Lara Stone (who photographs very lovely with something in her mouth) and Cara Delevingne. Their brow looks are night and day, but both looks are equally interesting and extremly beautiful. 

After gathering the pics for this post I decided to try Cara's look for myself. I have red hair so my stylist Hallie, at Chemistry Hair Salon,was a bit skeptical of the darker brow. I thought if blondes could do it, why couldn't I, and went for it. We went a few shades darker and I absolutely love it. I had light brown brows already, so the dye job wasn't too noticeable, but I felt like it was a nice enhancement and it made my brows look thicker.  I totally recommend it to anyone wanting a little change, and next time I plan to go even darker. Something I DO NOT recommend is tinting your lashes. I was on an eye kick, so I thought why not darken my lashes to match my brows. My stylist does not do eyelash tinting, so I booked an appointment at another spa. I read that dying my lashes would make them appear fuller and longer, so I was all for it. Big mistake. I basically paid $30.00 to have my eyes burn and my eyelashes do not look any different at all! Through trial and error I now know, brow tinting is a big yes and eyelash tinting is trash.

Think Pink

pics from songofstyle

sunglasses-Illesteva Leonards

Rainbow hued hair has been quite a hit over the past year, gracing the heads of everyone from punk princesses to Valentino ad models.  While colorful hair is fun and playful, not everyone wants cotton candy tresses 24/7.  So what's a girl to do when she wants pink hair for a night out, but needs to go back to basic for work the next day? Kevin Murphy 's color bug to the rescue! The "color bug" is a small container of pressed power that comes in purple, hot pink, and bright coral. It kind of works like  eyeshadow, hair shadow if you will. Apply it, if necessary re-apply it, and when your done, wash it out. If you live near me in the Shreveport area and want the color bug please go visit my friends at Chemistry Hair Salon, and while your there get a cut from one of their lovely stylists!

3 Exciting Things

1.Style.com, the go to website for all things fashion, released the first edition of their new print magazine in late 2011. While all other fashion mags are just now covering Spring 12', Style was on top of things  releasing their Spring 12' coverage promptly after the last cat-walk was strutted. I read through the entire magazine on a stop to B&N last winter and for some crazy reason I did not buy my own copy.  Weeks later I was feeling pangs of regret for not snatching the issue up and when I returned to finally claim one they were sadly sold out.  Luckily for this girl, the issue was re-released this Spring! Now, I am looking forward for the Fall 12' issue which should be out very soon.

*Update- The Fall 12' issue is out now. Go get it!

2. My friend Deanna, a Dior make-up fiend, turned me on to this new Dior Addict Extreme lipstick in Black Tie. I had to get some of my own and it is my new go-to lipstick. It goes on smoothly and creates a deep wine hue and later fades into a pretty berry stain. I love how long it lasts and the versatility of the color.

3. Stella McCartney makes the most beautiful pair of pointy toe, patent sling backs, which I have pictured bottom right.  Gorgeous yes, but way out of my price range.  Fashion luck again was on my side when I was causually browsing DSW with a friend and spied a pair of heels in practically the exact same style. They are pretty much dead-on and for $35.00, I am happily squeezing my toes in the last pair available, size  5 1/2!  Maybe one day I can afford a pair of Stella's on my own, but until then, these will do.