Currently Loving...

Coffee pics. I love coffee in general, but fun cups and mugs make it that much better. This one put a smile on my face even though I had a 5 minute wait for the train. It's from the W 87th and Broadway bodega I stop at when I want to treat myself on the way into work.

I love fun chairs. These aren't practical for my house, but fun to see out and about. This one is at the Hotel Palomar Chicago (which has a complimentary coffee bar every morning, which I also love). 

I love sushi, but healthy sushi rocks my world. Imi Sushi on 92nd and Amsterdam makes mean brown rice rolls. They even take it up enough with cucumber wrapped rolls. They are my go to restaurant when I get grubhub.com to deliver.

I'm currently loving accessories. Big, chunky necklaces...can't get enough. I about fell over when I walked into Pink accessories in Midtown. 

I love views from high up. This one is of Chicago and Lake Michigan, from the John Hancock building. Note the shadows of the buildings on the water. Kinda eerie.

 

See what other fabulous bloggers are Loving Lately....

And the Winners are...

Congrats to the ladies who won the latest giveaways...

Argan Oil giveaway - lmariegrimm
Playboy VIP fragrance gift set giveaway - dfox111359

Be sure to continue to enter the Faith Hill fragrance giveaway here. 

Waxelene - a Petroleum Jelly Alternative

I'm pretty much obsessed with lip balm. If I don't have one within reach at all times I go into panic mode. I normally just settle for petroleum based jelly balms, but recently discovered a new petroleum jelly alternative, Waxelene.

Waxelene contains no petroleum, parabens or artificial ingredients, they don't use animal testing and it's made in the USA. You can use it for anything you would use petroleum jelly for. I've been using it on my lips at night, to remove eye makeup from underneath my eyes, and as a cuticle moisturizer. It's not greasy and has only a slight hint of a beeswax smell. I love the way it feels on my lips, and when I use it on my face and cuticles it soaks in fast and doesn't leave a greasy finish. 

I always look for products and foods with the least amount of ingredients, which means they are that much closer to being natural. Waxelene contains the following: Organic Soy Oil, Beeswax, Natural Vitamin E Oil, Organic Rosemary Oil. Normally I don't like wax based balms, but it's not a hardened wax, but more like jelly and easy to spread. The 2 oz. & 9 oz. jars retail for $5.99 and $15.99. You can find them at Bed Bath & Beyond and several other retail locations. Find the location nearest you here. Waxelene is a must for everyone's nightstand and vanity - I'm now a petroleum jelly alternative believer! 

Patriotic Reds for Election Day

Looking for a new fiery red? Below are some Splurge and Steal options!


SPLURGE

CND Shellac in Hollywood is a bold red with light gold specs in it. Make sure that the salon you choose for CND Shellac applications is a certified CND salon. If not, you will not be getting your money's worth out of your Shellac mani!

SEMI-STEAL

Jessica Nails nail colour in Scarlett. I am a huge fan of Jessica polish. The colors are always rich and it wears really well.

MAJOR STEAL

Essence Colour & Go in Fame Fatale is a bright and shiny red and super affordable. Available at Ulta stores and Ulta.com for only $1.99.

Now go out and VOTE!

Mandarin Tilapia Spinach Salad Recipe

Tonight I tried a new recipe from Oxygen magazine, Mandarin Tilapia Spinach Salad. I think Mike told me about 5 different times how good it was. Here's the recipe with the modifications I used.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I used pecans I had left over from a salad I made last week)
1 mandarine orange, halved, unpeeled (local market didn't have mandarins, so I used 3 tangerines)
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
6 oz tilapia
Red pepper flakes
2 cups of baby spinach
2 cups mixed greens
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste (I didn't use salt, I normally don't ever add it to my recipes)

1. Heat oil in a skillet and brown almonds over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
2. Squeeze juice from the orange halves into a small bowl.
3. Add orange juice and in vinegar to skillet. Stir in chopped celery and parsley. Mix all ingredients together and remove from pan; leave the heat on.

A good way to test if Tilapia is done is to rub the top with a fork. If it flakes, than it's done!

4. Brush tilapia fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. Combine spinach and mixed greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked fish and pour almond mixture overtop. Garnish with extra orange slices, and season to taste.

Voila! Finished product. I was wishing we had big salad bowls in our apartment for this meal. I was surprised at how much the tangerine juice covered the salad. No extra dressing needed. This was a quick recipe. Took me less than 30 minutes to make. It will definitely become a staple for when I need to whip up a quick, clean meal!

Paul Mitchell Event at Caru Salon

I was a lucky girl and was able to participate in a Glamour event at Caru Salon in Hoboken NJ.  Glamour partnered with Paul Mitchell to help launch their new lines: Curls and Blonde. Of course, I was in it for the Blonde line. I’m already a huge fan of Paul Mitchell styling products and color, so I was excited to learn more about the Blonde line.

All of the bloggers who attended received a complimentary blowout from one of Caru’s talented and trendy stylists. I was paired with Andrea and couldn’t have been happier. She did an awesome job with my hair! After a shampoo and mini scalp massage, I gave her free reign over my hair and she decided to curl it after giving me a volume blowout. I was so happy with the way this turned out. I’ve always wanted to be able to try the ‘beach waves’ look and she showed me how I can achieve it at home with a curling iron and Paul Mitchell Curl products. Even if you have straight hair, you can use Paul Mitchell Curls line to achieve this look!

Caru Salon is definitely designed for the working woman, which I love. It’s right off the PATH train so it’s very easy to get to. They are open until 10pm at night (love) and are all about creating a relaxing environment and pampering experience for their clients (double love).  

We parted with fun goody bags filled with Paul Mitchell products and a surprise gift card from Caru Salon. I have been faithfully using the sample of Paul Mitchell’s Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair before blow-drying my hair to help keep moisture in my color treated hair. An added benefit to all Paul Mitchell products is that they smell great too!

I would definitely visit Caru again for a haircut or highlights. The staff is super friendly and talented, and I love that they use Paul Mitchell products! Many thanks to Kim at Fashionably Petite for being the hostess with the most-ess! 

Essie School of Hard Rocks

This is Essie School of Hard Rocks. Depending on the color of clothing you wear, this shade will change on you. It ranges from a stone gray to an army green. 

What's Your Favorite Piece of Clothing?

My favorite piece of clothing is also my staple piece: my black Tinley Road blazer from Piperlime. It transitions well from work to night, with jeans or over a dress. It's a staple in my suitcase for every trip I go on. I especially love the cut of this particular blazer: cropped in the back and lifted shoulders is flattering to my figure.

What's your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe right now? Please share below!

Beauty Blogger Coalition Weekly Round Up

• Check out Blushing Noir's swatches of the Zoya Ornate Collection! Holiday just got that much more glamorous!
• Cosmetics Aficionado suggests wearing a bib to look at the Guerlain Liu Eye and Calligraphy Palette
• Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog shares her review on the Guerlain Meteorites: Perles Du Dragon.
• Shalini from Be Beautilicious loves MUA Blushers for being an excellent budget makeup product. See if you love them too.
• BeautyTidbits gives you the scoop on three luxurious lipsticks from the new Sensai Rouge Intense Lasting Color Lipstick line. Check out the review and swatches!
• Winter is almost upon us. 'think you can skip sunscreen? TheFabZilla has the answer; plus check out her review on MDSolarSCiences natural mineral sunscreen made for every body!
• Nail-Aween Day 6 - Mrs. Frankenstein Nails from datyorkLOVES
• Sheila from Painted Ladies finds out that Hourglass Film Noir Kohl Pencil In Espresso is a miracle worker for the waterline.
• Want to know more about The Best of Beauty Award winners? Check out Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's exclusive interview with Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor Sophia Panych!
• Elena from Endless Summer tried and tested a foaming cleanser from an anti-aging line which is good for oily and combination skin as well.
• Lipgloss Break: Want to know what the color of 2013 will be?
• One color might have sparked an obsession for Mama Fashionista! Find out what nail polish formula has got her scrambling to acquire every shade she can get her hands on!
• Check out what is inside Pammy Blogs Beauty's diaper bag! A review for JustFab's cute 760 tote. Fits personal essentials, makeup, and baby stuff. Love this bag!
• Suave Professionals has come out with a new serum - the Keratin Infusion Smooth & Shine serum - that's "salon proven to work as well as Kerastase." Christina test drove the serum and shares a review on Curls N Pearls.
• Polarbelle shows you how to be sure to see the posts you want to see on Facebook.
• Ashley from Peek & Ponder shares a colorful masquerade look for Halloween.
• Alison of the Advice Sisters wants you to know about the unique beauty products she saw during BeautyPress Editor's Spotlight Day. You will be amazed!
• Get out your battle gear. Beauty Info Zone is ready to teach you how to fight wrinkles.
• Mimi'a Mani's features a guest poster rockin' Zoya Jem
• Need a Halloween idea fast? Check out Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful & her drugstore mermaid mask makeup! 

Sponsored Post: Abreva Conceal Patch

Being able to accurately cover up a blemish is an art form. Especially before a big date or interview, the last you want to show up in the morning is a blemish, or even worse, a cold sore! They always seem to pop up at the worse time, and unfortunately, there isn’t an instant blemish or cold sore eraser on the market yet.

There is, however, a product that can help you with the cover up process. Abreva Conceal was created to help protect and cover up cold sores. It’s a clear non-medicated patch that conceals and protects cold sores with MicroAir technology that allows air in, and keeps contaminants out!

These are really easy to use! You don’t have to be a makeup artist to conceal anymore. Just follow these simple steps:

Applying Abreva Conceal
1 – Always wash your hands with soap before applying anything to your face!
2 – Open up the Conceal packaging and remove one of the individually wrapped cold sore patches. 

Abreva Conceal individual wrapped package

3 – Open up a package and remove a patch. Peel back the paper tab marked in red with the number ‘1’ (don’t touch the sticky part underneath!)
4 – Continue to hold the rectangular tab and peel back the other paper tab, marked in blue with the number ‘2’ 

Clearly marked tabs

5 – Place the round patch over your cold sore
6 – Press down lightly on the center and hold in place for 20 seconds
7 – Gently pull away the applicator tab at a slight angle away from your face

Now it’s time to cover it up: 

• If it’s on your lips, you can cover it up with lipstick or lip gloss. If you want to wear lip liner, be careful going over the Conceal patch. 
• You can also use liquid concealer. Put a little on a concealer brush and dab gently over the concealer. Start out with a small amount, and you can always add more later. 
• You can use foundation in place of a concealer, or use both for ultimate coverage. If the foundation is too light, try using a little bit of bronzer over top. 

Voila! After covering up with makeup your patch should last up to 8 hours. That’s a full day at work or a night out.

Abreva Conceal is a clean, non-medicated patch for cold sores that allows air in, yet protective enough to keep contaminants out.

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