Top 5 Fall Beauty Trends

The first day of fall is September 22nd, but already the temperature is changing and so are the wardrobes! Here are the top 5 beauty trends I've spotted for Fall:

1) Pop of color is still in, so why not let that pop come from your lipstick. Bright matte colors are in, and look best paired with pearly whites. Rid your teeth of stains with Rembrandt Intense Stain whitening strips, and your lips will make an even bolder statement. Don't just take my word for it, check out the other great things people are saying on their Facebook page. 

2) Blue is in. Royal, navy and cobalt, all included, for clothes and makeup this season. Blue shadow and liner can really make eyes stand out. Now don't go reproducing an 80's look with bright blue shadow up to your brows and glitter! Try either a blue liner with a nude shadow or black eyeliner with shades of blue shadow for a smokey eye.

3) Neutral nails are in. Bold colors, nail rings and 3D art was big in the summer, but a pink or nude neutral color can transition well from business to going out at night. Just think of how many more outfits a soft pint nail goes with as opposed to a bright magenta!

4) Strong brows. Fill them in if they are thin with a brow filler, and make sure not to over tweeze. Filling brows in is really easy, just make sure to get a color that is a shade lighter than your brows if you're using a soft pencil, and shade that matches your brows if you're using a powder.

5) Everything is rosy! Rosy cheeks are in. Which I love. So sweet and girly girl. 

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips dissolve on your teeth in minutes to easily remove tough stains caused by coffee and wine. Get a whiter smile in 2 weeks. Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products.

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® Stain Dissolving Strips & REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® toothpaste together:

REMBRANDT® INTENSE STAIN® platform uses 3x Triple Action ActiShield™ technology to:
· Remove: helps gently remove tough stains like coffee, red wine and tea
· Repel: works like an invisible shield to help repel future stains
· Restore: strengthens the enamel to help prevent daily acid wear
Visit www.rembrandtboutique.com to learn more or purchase REMBRANDT® products.

Compensation and product was provided by REMBRANDT® via Glam Media to facilitate for my review. Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies is a sponsor of Glam.com. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of REMBRANDT® or Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies.

Birchbox NYFW Sample Stop

Birchbox totally out did themselves with their Sample Stop set up during NYFW. Located in the Chelsea Market, they transformed the space into a beauty sampling candy shop. I still get the chills just thinking about how cool this was!

Wall of Beauty Samples & Finished Birchbox

In addition to candy galore, the Birchbox team gave you an empty Birchbox as you walked in, and you were able to select 4-5 samples from the wall to build your own Birchbox. They had wrapping stations set up to complete your box. SO CUTE.

There were several different beauty brands present, including Benefit Cosmetics, Fresh Cosmetics, Jouer Cosmetics, the Balm, and more. You could sign up for a hair or make up touch up by featured brands or a manicure from Color Club.

Benefit Cosmetics makeup artists were doing makeup and eyebrows. I got my eyebrows shaped by Mercy and she did an amazing job! I usually get really red after eyebrow waxing, but she did an awesome cover up job afterwards so I didn't have to walk around with swollen eyes.

When I left the line was practically wrapped around the building because no one wanted to leave :)

Mercy & me. Check out those shaped brows!

Birchbox is a beauty sampling site that delivers the hottest beauty product samples right to your door. It's $10/month, and you can also give gift subscriptions (great idea for birthdays!). From the boxes I've seen, you definitely get your money's worth in each one. If you love the samples you receive, you can buy the full size product from their site and receive points to be redeemed towards full size products and gifts. Visit their site to find out more!

Top 5 Beauty & Shopping Finds in NYC

Yesterday a very lost looking tourist family asked me for directions on the subway. I helped them, obviously, but then was surprised how easily I was able to answer their questions. For only being in the city for 3 1/2 months, I think my husband and I have covered more ground than those who have lived here for years. I'm comfortable with the subway system (as long as I have a map to reference) and I know where all the good finds are...specifically, the beauty and fashion shopping spots! 

Here are my top 5 beauty & fashion finds in the city:

1. A trip to NYC is not complete without visiting Bloomingdales. If you're from out of town, Bloomingdales offers you an out of town discount. For the entire day, you can get 10%! It doesn't apply to cosmetics but I was able to use it for a new designer purse I had been wanting.

2. Want to score a designer bag or outfit for a deal? Visit Century 21. Not to be mistaken with the real estate company, Century 21 is a discount designer department store. There are two locations in Manhattan, the larger store being on Wall Street.

Make sure you set aside at least 2 hours for when you visit, there is a lot to see! Cosmetics, purses, clothes, accessories, and home goods, you name it, they have it, all on sale.

3. For most vacations, I would recommend getting a mani/pedi before you leave. But not when you come to NYC. There are several salons in each area that offer mani/pedi deals. I found them as cheap as $19.99 for both a manicure and pedicure! As soon as you step into the city visit a salon. Our favorite is Angel Nails on 85th and Amsterdam. They know us by name! 

4. Support local artists and business by shopping the jewelry vendors in Soho. I love these vendors for affordable, NYC authentic souvenirs.

5. Make sure to check out the local fashion blogs to find out if there are any designer sample sales going on while you are here. Designer sample sales are amazing. You can get items right off the runway at a discount. The one I frequent the most is in the Chelsea Market,

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Compensation was provided by Capital One via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Capital One.

Maybelline Color Show in Dressed to Kill

Maybelline New York Color Show nail lacquer in Dressed to Kill. Awesome deep brownish red for Fall.

Manicure compliments of the Allure lounge at NYFW. 

NYFW Coverage

Glam.com is sharing great video coverage of shows. Check them out here!

Donna Karan's DKNY Spring 13 show at Videopump.tv.

CND Behind the Stage - details on their blog.

Yuna Yang SS13 Collection

Bucket List item #26: Attend a NY Fashion Show...check!

My first show was Friday after work. Yuna Yang chose a very unique location, the NASDAQ Marketsite. The models strutted their stuff around the open glass middle while we overlooked Times Square.

For her SS13 Collection, Yuna drew inspiration from the musical layers and rhythm of the rock band, Civil Twilight. Her SS13 collection features a foundation of French chantelle lace with modern touches of Japanese polka dots.

Lots of pastels, a few red pieces, lace and dots. I love the lace overlay dress, especially in the baby blue she picked out. I'm also a fan of the long lace overlay over a shorter dress. Its an option for non-maxi dress wearers (like me) to try out the longer look. I'll take one of the laced back dresses for work, please!

Close Your Eyes and See the World

Stop by the Beauty Bus!

If you're in the city tomorrow you have to stop by the Beauty Bus in Lincoln Center, on Broadway between 67th and 68th Street!

Powered by Hair Room Service, the Beauty Bus celebrity stylists are armed with products from OSiS by Schwarzkopf Professional and NYX Cosmetics. They are also doing mini manicures with SinfulColors nail polish.

First I received a hair touch up by Katrina, a celeb stylist from hair Room Service. She straightened it with a super hot flat iron so it wouldn't curl up throughout the day from the humidity. She finished it off with OSiS hairspray for a soft hold. It out-lasted the humidity!

I also got a mini manicure from a Hair Room Service manicurist. I chose Smokin' by SinfulColor nail polish, which is part of their Fall collection. I went on a deep gray kick last year, and I think I'm going to follow suit this year. It just goes with so much!

Make sure to stop by and sign up for a free appointment. Treat yourself to a little pampering! 

NY Fashion Week Guide - Part 1

NY Fashion Week is full steam ahead! Even if you're not in front row for the shows (I'm not!), there are several events going on in the city. And if you're not in the area, you can still check out live streaming shows from your couch. Check these out:

Get behind the scene footage from TINte Cosmetics at the W118 by Walter Baker show! Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to get a peak behind stage!

Maybelline New York will be partnering up with YouTube to stream live Fashion Week shows, news, beauty tips and fashion tips all throughout Fashion Week. Check out YouTube.com/LiveRunway!

Livestream invites you to experience Fashion Night Out and MADE Fashion Week's live runway shows on New Livestream. See what's happening on & off the runway!

If you're in NYC:

Stop by the Beauty Bus in Lincoln Center, Sept 7 & 8 from Noon to 6pm each day. Hair Room Service, celebrity stylist mobile salon, and StyleHaul, the largest original fashion and beauty video content community, will be making over Manhattan, from the bus! Celebrity stylists will be armed with OSiS by Schwarzkopf Professional and NYX Cosmetics to bring the trends from the runways to the street! Stop by for a makeup and hair touch up or mini manicure! More details here.

More events to come - Stay Tuned!

Smitten Polish review

I'm currently obsessing over Smitten Polish. I discovered this brand from Never Enough Nails blog and purchased from Etsy immediately! I really wanted the polish in Confection but it was sold out (not surprising since it's adorable!). It reminded me of fun-fetti cupcakes!

I purchased the polish in Strawberry Tart (see above, layered over Essie's Van'd Go). Noelie, the creator of Smitten Polish, is so sweet! She's working hard on these polishes and literally can't keep them in stock!

I made sure to shake my bottle thoroughly to make sure the glitter wasn't settled at the bottom. I put two coats on in the picture above. The bigger pieces of glitter are easy to shift around with the brush for strategic placement before they dry. The different glitter spec sizes are what make this polish so cool. It's not an obnoxious glitter nail polish.  I would wear this out to a party or as weekend polish. I'm going to put it on my toes too :)

You can purchase Smitten Polish from the Etsy store. I would also check out Noelie's blog to keep up to date on her inventory and new colors.

Mullet Dresses

I'm kind of obsessed with the 'mullet dress.' Short in the front, long in the back. I think it's fun and different. I've been seeing girls rock this style all around the city.

Shumaq dress, Tom's wedges

Soprano dress, Steve Madden flats, Louis Vuitton bag, Soho street  vendor gem necklace