Lord And Taylor Closing At Water Tower Place

Okay, I'm totally embarassed to admit that I, a downtown Chicago shop-a-holic, didn't know until today that the Lord and Taylor in Water Tower Place is closing! In all honesty, I never really shopped at Lord and Taylor because they were way too pricey for my budget, but I would peek my head in their every now and then and could usually find a great bargain in their clearance racks. Rumor has it that they are closing their doors for good at the end of March. I have not been to Lord and Taylor anytime recently so I can't tell you how much they have left or what the discounts are. I've heard that most stuff is 50% off and they still have quite a bit. It seems they are following the same layout Carson's did and just throwing everything that they have in stock out for the public to fight over. Lots or bargain basement like racks packed to the brim. If anyone has been on Michigan Avenue and has any insight feel free to comment and let us all know.

Save 15% Off Sephora At HSN

Last week, HSN had another Sephora day. Thankfully, this day was a lot better than there first one where they sold out of most the products in the first airing. Due to my horrible schedule, I didn't have time to post about it when it was on, but no worries...Most of the products are still available on HSN.com and there's even more products than last time. Products from Dior, Urban Decay, Cargo, Korres, Juice Beauty, Murad, Lip Fusion, and many more are available and what's even better is that most products have FREE SHIPPING!!! How great is that??? I also came across a great coupon code for first time customers to HSN (which unfortunately leaves me out). New customers to HSN can save 15% with coupon / promo code C56574. That coupon is good until March 31. Happy Shopping!!!

Dior 1-Couleur Powder Mono Eyeshadow

According to the media, metallics are all the rage right now. They're popping up everywhere; on celebrities, on the runways, on cover models, and so on. Good thing for me that I have always loved metallics. In fact, one of my first posts was on the foiling shades of Bare Escentuals. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw the new Dior 1-Couleur Powder Mono Eyeshadow at Sephora last week. Every shade is packed full of rich pigment and metallic shimmer. I selected Icy White (a shimmering white) and Silver Dust (a shimmering gun metal grey). Absolutely stunning. The smokey eyes I create with these eyeshadows are the best I have every seen. The shadows go on so smoothly that it feels, and looks, like I am applying a cream shadow. The color and intensity last all day. It offers the perfect amount of shimmer without looking like you spilled a container of glitter on yourself. And the range of colors that Dior offers in this line. The full spectrum of the rainbow is represented. This is definately a must have product for your Spring make-up bag.

Sephora Coupon Codes

Just wanted to share the latest Sephora.com coupon / promo code I received. Enter "FUTURE28" upon check-out and receive the free deluxe sample of your choice. Choose from Care by Stella McCartney 5 Benefits Moisturising Cream, Dior J'Adore, Lorac Mocktail in Lava Flow, or Cosmedicine Medi-Morphosis Self-Adjusting Exfoliator. Great choices, but I think everyone knows that I'm going with the Lorac Mocktail. Happy Shopping!

Perfumes

Lately it seems that everyone and their mother and their father is creating their own fragrance line. No longer are fragrance lines reserved for cosmetic industry tycoons; Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Hillary Duff, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and tons of other celebrities have launched lines. There are now literally millions of perfumes, colognes, and fragrances to choose from. I've also notice lately that perfumes are often the topic of many conversations online. Bloggers discuss the latest fragrance trends. News sites discuss the economic status of fragrance companies. Gossip sites discuss the latest celebrity to jump into the frangrance pool. And of course everyone has their own opinion as to which perfumes are the best. All of this "perfume pressure" forced me out on a quest to find a new fragrance.

I first became truly intrigued with a perfume when I was in 8th grade. Back in 1993, my 8th grade teacher wore Beautiful by Estee Lauder everyday. She made the classroom smell sooooo good. I remember going to the mall with my best friend that weekend and bringing $30 that I had saved up for quite some time to purchase my very own bottle of Beautiful. I was so excited. I still wear Beautiful to this day. I can remember being 16 and in line at Best Buy when an older guy asked me "what are you wearing? It smells wonderful!" It wasn't until I was 20 that I even thought about wearing another fragrance. That was the result of a chance "smelling" of Ralph Lauren Polo Sport. Nothing too fancy...it was a fragrance I saved for more laid back events. When I was 21, my sweetie gave me a bottle of Victoria's Secret Heavenly fragrance. At first, I laughed. I always thought of Victoria's Secret perfume to be along the same line as Avon fragrances (read made for old ladies!). Imagine my suprise when I fell in love with the scent. Then, at the age of 23 (or maybe 24), while thumbing through a new issue of Cosmo, I was engulfed by the scent of Clinique Happy Heart. It quickly took over the top spot in my fragrance cabinet. 99% of the time I am wearing Happy Heart (I still do wear Beautiful, Polo Sport, and Heavenly), and almost everyday I receive a compliment. I have literally had women walk by me, stop, and come back to ask what I am wearing. Men are equally intrigued.

So, back to my quest, as I walked around Macy's this weekend smelling countless numbers of perfume bottles, I found myself desperate to find a new fragrance just so I could be included in this new perfume revolution that is taking the world by storm. After about 45 minutes or so, I stopped and thought "what the hell am I doing???" I am already more than happy with the fragrances that I wear and obviously they mix with my own body chemistry well enough to be pleasent for those who are in my vicinity. Interestingly enough, as I had this epiphery (to steal a line from The Office's Michael Scott), a woman walked by me and asked what I was wearing (Happy Heart). So, what's the point of this post? If you have something that works for you, there is no reason to run and change it. Sure, I won't be joining in the conversations about the newly released Hermes fragrance or singing the praises of Bond No. 9, yearning to try their latest and greatest; but at the same time, I won't be throwing vasts amounts of money away on the latest fragrance of the week. Just something to think about.

Payless Shoe Souce Makeover

Okay, in the past 10 years I have only been in a Payless ShoeSource once. A friend of mine who refuses to pay more than $20 for a pair of shoes (I know, I can't believe it either!) dragged me in kicking and screaming. I can remember feeling my skin crawl as I looked at how horribly uncomfortable and not well made the shoes were. On top of it, the designs were the worse things I have ever seen. Still trying to recover from using Star Jones as their spokesperson, Payless is doing a complete 360 and trying to appeal to shoe fashionistas.

Can you believe that Payless was on the runways of New York Fashion Week?!?! 2 lines, Abaete for Payless and Lela Rose for Payless were introduced. The bad news, neither lines will be available until the Fall. The good news, both lines are fabulous! The Lela Rose line is packed with different textures and materials. I cannot wait for this line because there are tons of looks that will work wonderfully with a business suit; which is something I'm going to wearing more often in the coming years. The Abaete line screams fashionista. Platforms, metallics, and funky designs are packed into this line. No word on pricing for either of these lines yet, but they can't be too expensive because it still is Payless after all. You can find tons of information on both lines on the Payless ShoeSource website now.

I was also greeted with a new ad from Payless when I opened my latest copy of Cosmo. This one suprised me too. American Eagle shoes available exclusively at Payless?!?! I must admit, the line is full of cute, weekend wear shoes. This line does deserve a look over. Now, I haven't seen this line in person so I don't know if that means they are going to look chinsy in person or if they are comfortable or not. I am going to try and stop in a Payless soon and I'll report back on what I find. If anyone else has already done so, feel free to post some comments on your thoughts about the new Payless.

60-80% Off At Carson's

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, Carson Pirie Scott on State Street has reduced the prices on everything in their "Store Closing Sale." Everything is now 60-80% off! I stopped by there yesterday and was amazed at how much stuff they had left...especially in the shoe department! I was able to pick up 2 pairs of Nine West heels for $60! The Nine West "Freda" Pointed-Toe Pump are classic pointed-toe heels that go with anything. Pointed-toe shoes make legs look longer and leaner too! Who wouldn't want that? The other pair was a similar pointed toe heel but was a sling back in black patent leather. Absolutely gorgeous! I have actually been eyeing these 2 pairs for quite awhile. I may have to go back either today or tomorrow after my classes because there is just sooooo much stuff to go through and I didn't have enough time to go through it all yesterday. If you're going to be downtown and around State Street, you must stop at Carson's! They also have tons of jewelry available. Diamond accent necklaces were as cheap as $4.00! That's absolute crazyness!

New Products From Stila

This past weekend I headed over to Sephora just to browse. There wasn't anything that I needed, but I ended up finding some new products from Stila that I didn't even know about. I have quickly fallen in love with them and wanted to share.

Suprisingly enough, until now, Stila did not have a plumping lip gloss. It seems like they are the only cosmetic company that hasn't hopped on that bandwagon yet. But now, Stila has graced us with their new Plumping Lip Glaze. It comes in the same container as their cult classic Lip Glazes and is available in six shades. Now, all of the shades end with the word "mint" (e.g. berry mint, cherry mint, vanilla mint), so one might be expected to be greeted with a cool minty sensation. This is so not the case. However, unlike many other lip plumping glosses, you are not greeted with an intense tingling sensation either. The tingling sensation is very subtle, just enough to let you know that you have a plumping gloss on. For those of you who believe that DuWop Lip Venom is too much for you to handle, this product is for you. I would say that Stila's Lip Plumping Glaze has about 1/4th of the intensity of tingly-ness of DuWop. With regards to color, these colors are very sheer and light. I ended up purchasing the Cherry Mint shade and while the color looks rich and almost berry-ish in the tube, on my lips it's a barely there color but a ton of shine. It makes your lips look so natural. I know, I know, no one has naturally shiney lips, but these are the most naturally looking shiney lips I have ever had. I absolutely love it.

I also discovered that Stila has released it's new Stila Spring Eye Shadow Trios. Sephora had two versions of the latest must have from Stila: Pretty Pansy (a trio of greens) and Ravishing Rose (a trio of rose hues). I've always been a fan of Stila shadows and there trios are always fabulous. Each trio contains a highligher, a crease, and a liner shade in perfectly matched shades. The packaging is adorable too. Each shadow is housed in reusable mirrored satin box with a cute flower graphic on top. Both of these shades (greens and roses) are extremely hot spring shades right now and are flattering on every skin tone and for every eye color. Also, the green shades are perfect for St. Patrick's Day parties! I know I'll be wearing these shades while watching the Chicago River being dyed green.

Lorac Mocktail Lip Gloss Review

So I finally have used my new LORAC Mocktail lip gloss long enough to give a review. Overall, I love this product! I used the Sex On The Beach shade, which is listed as a "fuschia shade." I will say, this color screams "Hello 1980s" from the tube, but is just a gorgeous, sheer pink when applied. The feel and texture of this gloss is heavenly. It is thick enough to feel it on your lips, but is so creamy that it feels like it is seeping into your lips to mositurize them. When I first took the cap off of the tube, it almost had an overwhelming sweet smell to it. It has gotten less noticable, but if you are one of those people who are turned off by sweet smelling lip glosses then this is not for you. The taste, on the other hand, was not overwhelming and was suprisingly subtle. I was suprised by how much this did taste like a Sex on the Beach cocktail. The good thing is that the taste was subtle enough not to make you want to lick it off your lips, a hazard of other sweet tasting glosses. What about shine, you ask? This was not the shiniest gloss I have ever used, but it had a low key sheen to it. It is noticable without being overbearing.

I am definately going to check out other shades of this product. Looking at the color samples of each shade, it appears that the Sex on the Beach shade has the least amount of shimmer to it. I am curious as to how the more shimmery shades are. Final word...LORAC has once again nailed the art of lip glosses! Love it, love it, love it!

Givenchy Arty Color Collection

Have you guys seen the new Givenchy Arty Color Collection? I had the opportunity to play with all of the new products today and was just blown away. Granted, I haven't really spoken about Givenchy products in the past, but I have been a fan of their cosmetic line for quite some time. The only problem that I had with it in the past (and the reason I have never really posted about it before) is the fact that they never really had any products that I found to be unique and awe-inspiring. Thanks to the new Arty Color Collection, I can no longer say that. Inspired by the art of graffiti, features an "explosion of colors." Just in time for spring, vibrant pinks, blues, greens, purples, yellows, and more are found in their eye shadows, lip glosses, masacaras and more. This collection is so unique in the way that they offer such a wide spectrum of colors. Unlike other lines that seem to feature variations of two or three shades, Givenchy takes a bold step forward and offers all of the colors of the rainbow. With all of these great color choices available, you will be able to create a million different looks.

My favorite piece from the new collection by far is the Givenchy Prismissime Eyes - 9-Colors Eyeshadow Arty Palette 53. These are 9 of the brightest colors I have ever seen. Now, don't be scared by the brightness. The nice thing about Givency shadows is that they can be applied as only a sheer hint of color by lightly coating the eye lid or they can be used to create a deep vibrant look by layering the shades. "Shades include: six vivid mat colors with pearly white inlays in pink, green, turquoise, yellow, purple, orange; and three very iridescent shades with an intense metallic finish in pure silver, pearly pink, and precious copper." The silver shade is out of this world.

Blue mascara seems to be a craze lately. Benefit just released Bad Girl Lashes in Blue and now Givenchy has released Givenchy Eyelashcolor Color Gloss For Highlighted Lashes in Blue as well as Green. "Highlighted" is the perfect word to describe this product because it does not give you heavy blue eyelashes but instead highlights your lashes giving you just a subtle hint of color that makes your eyes pop. Girls with blue eyes, you must try the blue shade. My blue eyes practically popped out of my head with this mascara. Not only is the color right, but the mascara wand is full of tiny fibers that are able to coat every nook and cranny of your lashes without creating clumps. If you haven't tried Givenchy mascara in the past, I highly recommend testing it out.

This collection also features two new Givenchy Magic Khol Eye Liner Pencil shades in Blue and Green. Both have a metallic tinge to them. While both shades are nice, they aren't anything too spectacular. I think that the cream liners available from Stila and Smashbox reign supreme in liners in terms of ease of application, look created, long lastingness, and colors. Now, if I received these as a gift I would definately use them, I'm just saying I personally would not go out and pick these up for myself.

The Prisme Again! Blush Quartet in Arty Pink is very interesting. Okay, I don't really get the name because more than pink is featured here. Glimmering Fuschia/ Glimmering Gold/ Glimmering Soft Orange/ Glimmering Vibrant Pink are all crammed into this palette. Use the colors individually or combine them all together. Believe it or not, all 4 compliment each other like I never would have guessed. The fact that the colors cover such a wide spectrum also allows you to create many looks. Go for the girly pink cheeks look or use the orange to get more the sun-kissed glow look. This palette is great for the girl who likes to mix it up and not wear the same color all of the time. Yes, that would be me!

I expect a lot of mixed reviews for the Pop Gloss Syrup Lip Glosses in Raspberry (a sheer watermelon pink shade) and Plum Syrup (a sheer fuscia purple shade). As far as the shades go, I love the Raspberry but was also drawn to the Plum Syrup. I think most will love the shades, but I think that some will not be too fond of the texture of the gloss. Syrup is the key word in the name. They definately have a syrupy/honey like texture in that they are some what thick. I have heard many complaints about thick lip glosses that tend to feel sticky. I personally do not mind lip glosses like that. In all honesty, it makes me more conscious of my lip gloss and I also know when I am in need of a touch up.

I should also mention that all of the products from the Givenchy Arty Color Collection are of course LIMITED EDITIONS. I highly recommend that the next time you are at a store that sells Givenchy cosmetics that you go over to the counter and try out this latest collection. It's tons-o-fun!

New iPod Shuffle In Color!

Have you guys seen the cute new iPod Shuffle colors? They are so adorable. I must say, Apple was really clever with the new "match book" clip design for the new shuffle. It's so convenient. Even though I already have a full size iPod, I'm thinking I might need to pick one of these up. They are so much more convenient for working out with. I like to go running along the lakefront and find myself juggling my iPod because there is no way to clip it to me. I refuse to get one of those armband things because I don't want to get a tan line from it. I'm definately eyeing the pink one.