Valentine's Fragrance Guide: For Him

Hi Girls!

Sorry I haven't had many posts lately :( I was gifted with the flu a few days ago and have not been in a condition to do makeup, or much of anything else for that matter. On the upside, I think I am finally on the road to recovery :) Hopefully I'll have a FOTD post for you girlies tomorrow :) Snotty noses don't make for good photos today, lol. Here are some upcoming posts for you to look forward too in the near future :)

*Valentine makeup

*Green Machine makeup

*Multi~colored tropical eye makeup

*A favorites post

*A twist on Marilyn Monroe's makeup

Now onto the topic of the day....Men's cologne!! To keep with my perfume themed post, I thought I would share some of my favorite men's fragrances with you girls. As well as "top sellers" or colognes that I know from experience that Men love! Valentine's Day is approaching us soon *wink, wink* Cologne is a perfect gift for your Valentine :) I would recommend giving these a smell if you're feeling lost or are not really sure what's hot. From my four years experience working in the fragrance business, I want to offer you a word of advice. I would say about 95% of men don't care what their Lady buys them as long as YOU LIKE IT! :) Us women are the picky ones...not them. So don't be afraid to choose a scent that you like because chances are, if you like it, he's going to love it! Good luck! P.S. These are in no particular order, they all rock!

~YSL: L'Homme~ Rich, Alluring, A touch of sweetness, Definite YES! This is a very nice fragrance, not necessarily something he would wear everyday.*Note: There is a newer version of this in a black bottle so don't get the two confused. It's a stronger, intense version of this one. Overall, I do not recommend the black bottle. Stick with the original shown above :)*

~Kenneth Cole: Reaction~ I can't tell you how many bottles of this I have sold! It was a top seller in my store for sure and all of us girls working there loved it! It's a light and very sweet cologne but turns more masculine once on the skin. He could wear this everyday. Love this!

~Mont Blanc: Starwalker~ I don't know how hard this one will be to find in a department store but you can for sure find it online @ www.perfumania.com or in your nearest Perfumania store. This is another fragrance all of us girls raved about! It's another light, kinda sweet (not nearly as sweet as Reaction), fragrance with a hint of musk. He could wear this everyday.

~Georgio Armani: Acqua Di Gio~ I have not come across a Lady that hasn't liked this yet! One of my all time personal favorites! Not heavy and he could wear this every day! No brainer hit!

~Chanel: Allure Sport~ It's very important that the "sport" is in there! There is an original called "Allure" and it's good too but not as good as this, in my opinion! This is a rave for me! I know I just said Acqua Di Gio is my favorite but I take that back, lol....this is my #1 favorite Men's cologne ;) Not for everyday use.

~Versace Man: Eau Fraiche~ Nice, clean and fresh! Great for everyday!

~Lacoste: Essential~ Another fresh, clean, everyday fragrance. A top seller!

~Azzaro: Chrome~ This stuff used to literally fly off the shelves! Hot seller! It's really clean and fresh. Great for everyday!

~Givenchy: Play~ As if the Man on the cover isn't enough to make you wanna buy this cologne, then luckily it smells awesome too! LOL. Good job Givenchy! This could go both ways: everyday or special occasion.

Well girls, I hope I didn't leave any crucial ones out! There's NO WAY you can go wrong choosing any of these though. Good luck and just remember, if you like it, he will like it too!

Xoxo,

Ashley

My Perfume Collection

I know this looks crazy but you should have seen my collection while I was still working in the perfume business! This is a reduced version of what it once was, hahaha. Not only do I possess a makeup addiction, it turns out that I also possess a perfume addiction. My Mom used to get so mad at me when we would go into a department store because I would stop and smell the fragrances even though I was surrounded by them at work all day! lol. She would say, "You have a problem." Hahaha. And I admit it, I do have a problem. However, I am going to use that problem to help all of you! :) I'll give you a quick rundown of these fragrances and tell you what I love most about them.

I wish the internet had scratch & sniff capabilities because some of these are going to be hard to describe. But maybe the next time you're out and about, you can stop by your nearest fragrance counter, Sephora, Ulta, Perfumania, and try them out :)

~Lilly Pulitzer: Squeeze~ I first smelled this fragrance at my local Sephora and I fell in love! It's light, airy, and has a definite citrus undertone. I love this for summertime :)

~Burberry: The Beat~ This scent is harder for me to describe. I definitely say it's not for everyday use. It's a little heavier but not in an overpowering way. It's very sweet and romantic. I would wear this going out at night or as a winter fragrance :)

~Calvin Klein: CK In 2 U~ This is yet another one of my favorite summertime fragrances! I got a few of my friends hooked on this one. It's so yummy! Like the Lilly Pulitzer fragrance Squeeze, this one is also a citrus. However, Squeeze is more like Grapefruit & Lemon whereas CK In 2 U is a bit deeper. Almost kinda masculine but it smells amazing!

~Escada: Sunset Heat~ Now we come to one of my favorite fragrance designers-Escada! They make the yummiest fragrances you will ever, ever smell! I can't tell you enough how much I am in love with their scents. They come out with a new fragrance every year and "discontinue" the previous one...or so the department stores will tell you. If you want last years fragrance, you can find it at your local Perfumania or www.perfumania.com. Sunset Heat is so tropical and sweet. It will have you wishing you were on a flight out to Hawaii or some tropical paradise! I can't get enough of it.

Escada also makes a fragrance called Moon Sparkle & I like it even more than Sunset heat ;)

If you're into cotton candy sweet scents, check out Escada Magnetism...another undoubted favorite :)

~True Religion~ I could not wait to get my hands on this one! This is so different from anything I have ever smelled (and I've seriously smelled just about everything out there!). It's very light, fresh and definitely something you could wear as an everyday fragrance. It reminds me of an Abercrombie & Fitch type of smell.

~Vera Wang: Princess~ I adore this fragrance! The packaging is cute enough to display on your dresser even if you didn't like how it smelled! lol. The little crown comes off the top and underneath is a ring you can wear...cute right? So, this one I would say you could wear everyday. It's on the sweeter side and I want to say that it might have a hint of vanilla in it...yumm! And for the record, I am not a fan of the other two Princess fragrances by Vera Wang :( The original however is a must smell!

~Chanel: Chance~ Ahh, this one has sweet meaning behind it :) This was the first fragrance my boyfriend ever bought me and I had wanted it so bad! I was super excited when he gave it to me for Christmas years ago! Since then, I've been through about 3 more bottles. This is what I call my signature fragrance. It's not really something you should wear everyday but I did because I loved it so much. It's the heaviest of the perfumes mentioned yet, but again, not grandma heavy, lol. It's very rich, kinda sweet, and extremely sophisticated. It screams NYC lifestyle to me for some reason. It's beautiful!

~Chanel: Chance Eau Fraiche~ This fragrance is an exception for me because I like all 3 Chance perfumes, although I only own 2. Eau Fraiche means, "Fresh" in French which is exactly what this is. It slightly smells like Chance but much lighter. It still possesses that richness to it! It's amazing as well. This could be for everyday :) The newest Chance fragrance is called, "Eau Tendre" and it reminds me so much of Marc Jacobs Daisy.

~Roxy~ This is a really fun, light, airy, beachy, no~brainer, everyday scent!

~Bath & Body Works: Sensual Amber~ Inexpensive and smells great for Fall & Winter. I use this as my workout fragrance :) It's very sweet and warm.

~Marc Jacobs: Daisy~ Besides Chanel Chance, this is my favorite everyday fragrance!!! I could rave about this stuff for days! It's the most beautiful and balanced fragrance I've ever smelled and fell in love with. If you've never smelled this stuff, make it an ASAP priority ;) I don't know that anything could ever take its place!

~Lanvin: Eclat D' Arpege~ Beautiful & light with a hint of sweetness. I love this for everyday and I've seen this at T.J. Maxx recently! Pick it up there if you see it, otherwise it is very pricey! Ahhh, it's so fresh. It's definitely on my top favorite list after Daisy.

~Jessica Simpson: Fancy Love~ Hmmm, I wouldn't say this is one of my top favorites but I do like it! It smells incredible on my Mom. It's very different and possesses notes of vanilla. It lasts all day and it's really romantic. If only men read my blog, I would suggest this as a Valentine gift :)

~Yves Rocher: Vanille~ This one recently snuck its way into my everyday favorites! It was a gift from our foreign exchange students family for Christmas this year. It's pure vanilla at its finest. It's not overpowering and it's all natural!

If you were recently contemplating buying a new fragrance but just weren't sure which one to try or where to begin, I hope this helped! I hope you like these fragrances as much as I do :) *A helpful tip* When you go fragrance shopping, ask the sales associate for some coffee beans. Trust me, they will have some. It clears your palette in between scents so that they don't all smell the same after a while :)

Tell me, what's your favorite fragrance???

Xoxo,

Ashley

Vol. 2 Misdemeanor

Hello My Pretties!

It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog and it's been killing me! Haha. I was a little busy last week getting myself prepared for a major step forward in the future. If all goes well, I'll blog about that later. Back to the important stuff....I busted out Urban Decay's Vol. 2 Book of Shadows and created this look using 2 amazing colors out of it, Misdemeanor & Flipside. (Shown below on bottom row) That being said, I hope you like it & dare to try it! :)

P.S. I've added a "request box" to the right of the page and it's been very lonely :( If you have any requested looks, please send them! If you have a pic, link it with your request :)

~Eyes~

*Prime eye with UDPP

*MAC Brule for brow highlight

*Pack Flipside onto lid (At the end, I went back and loaded my brush up with more and then spritzed some Fit+ onto the brush to make the color pop!)

*Misdemeanor in crease

*MAC Carbon in outer 1/3 of crease to give more depth.

*MAC Nylon on inner corners of eyes

*Misdemeanor on angled brush to line lower lash line.

*Benefit High Brow on waterline

*Maybelline Falsies Mascara. Not fond of this so far : /

*Demi false lashes

~Cheeks~

*MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Deep Dark to contour

*MAC Sunbasque Blush

~Lips~

*MAC Soar Lipliner

*MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick

Xoxo,

Ashley

The Versatile Blogger award!

Hi Everyone!!

I was checking my e-mail today and I had a message from Ev saying that I was awarded by her for the Versatile Blogger Award! I was shocked you guys. So a HUGE thank you to Ev for choosing me as one of the newly discovered bloggers to give this award too :) Here is a link to her blog Mozzarella and Makeup so be sure and check it out, follow, and show her some love. I love her blog name, it's so cute. Check out her post for the Versatile Blogger award and you'll see why she named her blog Mozzarella and Makeup.

The rules for these awards are:

*Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

*Tell us 7 things about yourself.

*Award 15 recently discovered new bloggers.

*Contact these bloggers and let them know the've received the award(s).

7 Things about me!

1) My two favorite foods are Kraft Mac and Cheese and Sushi!

2) I have a Chihuahua named Tic Tac. He is my love, my baby.

3) I have tried getting into school to be an Ultrasound Technologist for 4 years...I will find out in May or June if I finally make it in this year!

4)Cinderella is my nickname :) My license plate reads, CCNDRLA

5) My dream car is an Audi. I am determined to own one, one day.

6) My hair color is natural

7) I saved the best for last! I have been with my high school sweetheart for a decade!

15 bloggers: (Check them out!)

1) Love of Beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art.

2) Title goes here

3) Mix Mosh of Michelle

4) H3llo mz K!

5) Glamour Diaries

6) EightSeventeen Jewelry

7) Cheryl's Beauty Blog

8) Beauty Smack~ Talk

9) Alpha Blonde

10) Adams Photo Party

11) a DaiLy DOSe of kAaRteHan

12) &Soulful Suga

13) sccastaneda

14) My best beauty buys.

15) Jomakemeblushdotcom

Xoxo,

Ashley

V/S Inspired Beach Bronze

Hey Girls,

I wanted to do a Victoria's Secret inspired look with the dewy skin, really highlighted cheeks, shimmery eyes and the very bronzy face with a juicy lip! This reminds me of a beachy type look as well since it is very bronzy yet neutral and the lip is very natural. I was all over the place when I was creating this and used A LOT of products. I'm going to simplify it for you because this should be very easy! Basically, make your skin dewy, go crazy with your bronzer, and do a highlighted bronzy eye and whaaaala! You'll be runway and beach ready at the same time! Who knew? ;)

~Face~

*Moisturize your face and let it soak in

*Mary Kay Full~Coverage Foundation in Beige 302. I mixed my foundation with Benefit's HollywoodGlo to give my skin a dewy finish. If you don't have HollywoodGlo, mix your foundation with any liquid highlighter.

*Conceal under eyes. I used Maybelline Mineral Power in Fair 0-1.

*Set face & concealer with powder. I use Hourglass Oxygen Foundation Powder in No.1.

*Contour cheek bones, and temple. Jawline is optional. I used MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Deep Dark.

*Highlight cheek bones with liquid highlighter. You want the dewy effect so don't powder over it this time :)

*BRONZER!! Lightly apply bronzer to cheeks, sides of temple, forehead, and chin. *Tip* Using your contour or bronzer, take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and lightly swirl it in the bronzer/contour color. Lightly brush the color down the center of your nose from between the eyes to the tip. Pick up a little more color and apply it where you would normally place a highlighter on your cheeks. This will create the illusion that you've been in the sun and have tan lines.

*Blush~ I used Bare Minerals in True.

*Optional Step* I placed Victoria's Secret all over shimmer powder in Candygirl just beneath my liquid highlight on my cheeks.

~Eyes~

*Eyebrows. I use Maybelline Expert Wear pencil in Blonde and then I set it with Benefit Brow Zings Powder.

*Prime. I used Urban Decay Primer Potion

*Apply a liquid highlight into the inner corners of the eyes.

*MAC Nylon from brow-bone to lid. Get the inner corners of the eyes well! You want an "angelic" type look. Slightly bring it under the lower lash line. (White with a sheen)

*Take any smokey brown you have and place it on the lid. (EX. MAC Espresso)

*Take a Gold sheen color and place it in the crease and blend well. I used Half Baked from Urban Decay's Vol. 2 palette.

*Take a darker brown and apply it in the crease. Blend out. (EX. MAC Embark)

*Last, take your bronzer and lightly apply it between the crease and brow bone.

*Line eyes with a black pencil. Make sure it's a pencil! You want a very light application of liner. I used Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil in Zero.

*Line bottom lash line with a brown pencil. I used Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil in Bourbon.

*Line waterline with a fleshy or white eyeliner pencil. I used Benefits Highbrow.

*Mascara

*Apply Fake lashes. Choose the most natural looking pair you have :) Mine are Ardell 305.

~Lips~

*I applied ELF's lips stain in Heartbreaker and wasn't happy with the way it compliment this look :/ So, then I applied Victoria's Secret Brilliant Lip Shine in Possession (Which I LOVE BTW)

~Hair~

In case your guys are interested, I used Revlon's Wave Iron to get "beachy" looking hair :) I love this thing!!

I wanted to share this picture with you guys to go along with the Victoria's Secret theme :) These are 3 of my very best girl friends in the world! I feel so, so lucky to have them in my life. They are amazing. The two on the left I met in college and the one on my right is my cousin. We get asked all the time if we are sisters or twins! Hahaha. This picture was taken in the Victoria's Secret in Las Vegas for my 21st birthday... 4 years ago come September! Wow, time flys. Speaking of flying, they had these super cute flight attendant hats out for Halloween coming up, so we threw them on and snapped a picture before we got in trouble! LOL. Cheers to soul sisters!

Xoxo,

Ashley

Shiseido Fire Sky Orange

Hey Girls,

I have a Juicy Orange makeup look for you today :) I have this awesome Orange palette from Shiseido that I re~discovered recently...I love re~discovering! So I've been dying to do a really bright but wearable Orange look. I got the palette at Sephora a while back and the name is Fire Sky. It has two colors, an awesome bright Orange and a really pretty glittery White.

So, here's the look! Hope you girls like it :)

~Face~

*Moisturize!

*Mary Kay Full~Coverage Foundation in 302 Beige with MAC 180 brush

*Maybelline Mineral Power Concealer in the shade Light under eyes. I apply 3 dots under each eye and gently tap with my middle or ring finger until blended.

*Hourglass Foundation Powder in No.1. I use this to set my concealer under my eyes with a small, tapered brush. Then I take my big fluffy brush and lightly buff the powder into my face.

*LORAC Tantalizer brozer to contour cheeks, nose, jaw, sides of temple and forehead.

*LORAC blush in Soul with MAC 187 brush.

*Smashbox Artificial Light highlighter on cheek bones.

*Maybelline Expert Wear eyebrow pencil in Blonde.

*Benefit Brow Zing powder in Light to set the brow pencil.

~Eyes~

*Urban Decay Primer Potion

*With a MAC 239 brush, apply MAC fluidline in Uppity to the lid. If you don't have those, use a small, flat brush and apply a light gold cream shadow or eyeliner.

*Apply Shiseido's Orange in the Fire Sky palette on top of Uppity Fluidline on the lid. Pack the Orange on with the MAC 239 brush. Just use a bright, opaque Orange if you don't have the same palette :)

*With a MAC 219 (any pencil brush), I applied MAC Goldmine shadow in the tear duct and brought it a 1/3 of the way under the eye.

*Apply MAC Brule to brow and blend down into crease

*MAC Symmetry in the crease and blend well

*Apply a glittery black into crease with a pencil brush and then blend it out with a fluffy brush.

*Apply Kat Von D Tattoo eyeliner in Trooper. (Any black eyeliner will do!)

*Line water line with Benefit High Brow or a white eyeliner pencil.

*I applied Stila Major Major Lash Mascara to my top lashes and Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion to the bottom lashes. I wanted the top very dramatic and the bottom more subtle so I opted to used the two different mascaras.

*Take your Orange eyeshadow from earlier and line your bottom lash line with an angled brush. Spritz it with Fix+ to avoid fallout & make the Orange more vivid! The Orange should meet up with the Goldmine (or a yellowish gold) on the inner 1/3 of your bottom lash line.

*Optional~Then I took a Sephora eyeliner in Flashy Brown (bronzy brown color) and lightly lined the outer 1/3 of bottom lash line. You will be lining over the Orange you just put on. It gives just a little more depth.

*LASHES!!! :) Mine are MAC but I don't know the number :( ANY lashes are fabulous!

~Lips~

*Smashbox lip/lid combo concealer stick. Any lip concealer will work, as does a heavy foundation :)

*MAC Subculture Lipliner (Pinky Nude)

*MAC Creme De Femme Lipstick (Rosy Pink with sheen)

*MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick (Optional step)

Have a bright day! :)

Xoxo,

Ashley