Nail of the Day

Today's NOTD is brought to you by what other than and OPI shade. 

With all the change in weather and fall like mornings I was ready to pull out one of my 

favorite fall shades from last year. 

OPI shaded "Over the Taupe." 

This is the most gorgeous deep brown with beige highlights. This photo was taken with the flash

and you can see it almost has a hint of purple/lilac. This is a great neutral that will look good

on any skintone. I applied two coats with a topcoat over. 

Have you checked out the Fall 2012 OPI line?! I am trying to get my hands on "Berlin there

done that." Go check it out! 

Weekend Rewind, What's in my Bag?

Hey Guys! 

I hope you had a great weekend. For those that live around AL we had great cooler weather

in the mornings that was a nice season change! 

I cannot get away from Bath & Body fall candles. I have mentioned before how much I love

their candles in the Fall. Mmmmm, they are so yummy! 

So, "Leaves" is one of my most favorite scents and I already have 2 of them and will more than 

likely go through more before end of year. But, I grabbed a couple others this weekend

and am already in love. 

Get in your car right now and drive to the nearest Bath & Body and get

Pumpkin Cupcake, NOW!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how yummy and 

delicious this candle smells. I literally want to take a spoon and eat this. 

As you can see from the pic I already spent some time burning this baby this weekend

and my house smelled of Fall. I was going to try to wait until October to burn this one, but

I could not wait. I will for sure be buying another one of this scent. 

Bath and Body describes Pumpkin Cupcake as:

"The perfect pick from the corner bakery this fall. A spiced pumpkin cupcake with 

rich buttercream and frosted ginger." 

Marshmellow Fireside is another one of my faves. I bought this last fall and it's 

such a unique scent. It really does smell like a smoky fireside pit and roasting smores 

and marshmellows. 

Bath & Body describes Marshmellow Fireside as: 

"A sweet toasty end to a long cold day. Toasted marshmellows and sumptuous vanilla 

cream blend with the comforting aroma of rich smoldering woods." 

Candles are truly one of my favorite things about the Fall season. 

What candles do you enjoy this upcoming season?! 

Friday Face of the Day

Happy Friday and start to your weekend. 

It's been a lonnnnng time since I've done a FOTD post and since I seem to be on a blog

roll this week I thought I would post my latest look. 

I didn't take a picture of the products used in this look... so if you want to see what they look

like just google them to get a better idea. 

My favorite part of this look is for sure the eyes. I don't think this picture does justice to the 

Wet n Wild "Silent Treatment" trio. I love the lid color in this palette so very much. It's a gorgeous

plum/purple taupe with a silver undertone that is a very unique color on it's own. I added the dark brown crease color on the outer edge of my eye and put the peach highlighter color under my brow. 

The price of the Wet N Wild Silent Treatment trio is a whopping $2.99 at your local drugstore and 

I cannot stress how incredible these shades are for the price. I can be really hesitant of cheap products 

and their payoff b/c often you get what you pay for. However, Wet n Wild really does have very

good formulated, well pigmented, and lasting eyeshadows!! This is by far my favorite trio and shades

by them b/c it really is so unique and works well with my dark eyes and hair. But, the purple 

taupe shade will work well with any skin/eye color. Go buy it.... NOW!! You will love it. 

Ok, so on to the origins of my face. 

Foundation: Clinique Stay Matte 

Concealer: Estee Lauder Double Wear

Blush: Lorac Velvet Rope (great matte baked blush for fall or year round)

Highlighter: MAC Soft & Gentle 

Eyes: Wet n Wild Silent Treatment 

Liner: Urban Decay Zero (black)

Mascara: Almay Get up & Grow 

Lips: NYX Beige gloss 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Product of the Day- Perfume

Today's product of the day is brought to you from Paris. Ok, no I didn't really go to Paris

to pick up from perfume, but it would make for a better blog post if I had, right?! 

While in ATL a few weeks ago I decided I wanted a new perfume and I wanted it to be 

something that was similar to my favorite scents, (Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana and 

Flora by Gucci) but very unique in it's own way. I explained to the lady at the Nordstrom

counter that I am very sensitive to strong scents and I want something light, but feminine. 

After sampling and sniffing lots of different scents and going back to coffee beans to prevent

myself from passing out we came up with something that I really like. 

Hermes (pronounced with the H silent) has a perfume called "Un Jardin Sur Le Nil." 

I am pretty terrible with describing scents so I'm going to let Sephora do the job:

"Inspired by annual themes at Hermès, this fragrance is an olfactory stroll, in situ creation, in the footsteps of the in-house perfumer.
Jardin sur le Nil is a sensory stroll along the Nile River. A new translation of freshness: green, mouth-watering, and tangy scents. A fragrance of light and life, generous and sparkling."

When smelling this as compared to Light Blue you can definitely smell a more green scent. That

probably doesn't make much sense if you have never smelled anything like this, but it's very 

fresh, light, and it does have a certain orange citrus smell about it. I smell green above everything 

else though. Very grassy and summery. 

The price tag on this small little 1.6 oz bottle is hefty. I have never spent $90 before taxes on a 

perfume for myself, but this was a special purchase and weekend with Mdub. We both decided 

to pick out scents that we liked on each other rather than picking something out on our own. 

And when wearing our scents it would remind us of each other and our weekend. 

So cute, right?! : ) 

So, with all that said this is not something I wear everyday. I could wear it everyday b/c it is light

enough, but due to the price and it being more of a memorable purchase I choose to wear it more

for special things. I think it's one of those perfumes that really grows on you the more and more

you wear it. I wasn't 100% sure about it when I first started wearing, but after sporting it several times

I really do love it and look forward to putting it on. 

If you are interested in reading some more positive reviews click here. 

What is your current fragrance obsession? 

Product of the Day- Simple Skincare

Today's product of the day is brought to you by Simple. This is a skincare line that is sold

at drugstores and Target. They market themselves as being "the sensitive skin experts" and 

their products claim to be infused with vitamins and minerals that are good for your skin. 

A few months ago I picked up a few of their goodies and was impressed with all but one 

thing. 

I will start with my favorite product, the refreshing facial wash gel. This stuff is amazing, guys.

I feel like it gets my face so squeaky clean without drying out my skin. It foams up very 

nicely (which is always a plus for me... it makes me feel like I am really getting clean.) 

It is fragrance free so which is also nice for sensitive gals! 

With the wash I also purchased the cleansing facial wipes and the eye make up remover. 

Nothing but good things to say about the wipes. I mean it's really hard to mess this up. It's pretty basic.

But, they get the job done and are also fragrance free. I am a big fan of make up remover wipes. 

This is apart of my daily skincare routine. I like to use these to get all my makeup off and then follow

up with a wash or cleanser to really clean my skin and pores. 

Now, onto my disappointment. I was not impressed nor a fan of the eye make up remover at ALL!

Let me preface this with saying that I do typically wear primer, shadow, mascara, and a good liner on

my eyes. So, there is a lot to remove I suppose, but this baby just did not get the job done well. I had

to really rub (which is something I don't want to do in my eye area) to get things off and I still had a lot of leftovers the next morning. This is not something I would repurchase obviously. My favorite 

eye m/u remover is Neutrogena oil free. You get everything off in just a swipe or two and never

have to tug or pull. It leaves my eyes with a very clean and even refreshed feeling. 

Overall I really like this line and would try more of their products. 

What drugstore skincare products are you liking?! 

Weekend Rewind, What's in my Bag?

I hope everyone had a fabulous Labor day weekend. I always get a little sad over LD b/c

it is the holiday that ends the summer. You know how much I love spring and summer and I hate

to see it go. Sad day. 

However, I did have a lovely long weekend in Gulf Shores, AL with my whole dad's side of the

family. Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle, Cousins, and mom and dad. We have never had a beach 

trip with everyone and it was truly a memorable weekend that I'm so thankful to have. My 

grandparents are old and you never know when something will happen. So, I cling to memories

like these with them. I really cling to as many family memories as I can get. I feel overly 

blessed with such a wonderful family. There is such strength, comedy, strong values, integrity, 

character, and fun that comes with the Story Fam. I'm going to quit now before I need my tissue. 

There are some great outlets in Foley near Gulf Shores and I picked up a couple things at 

Coach. Sad thing is I am really not sure how much I like them. They were semi impulsive buys and 

now that I'm home and have bills and other things I want for fall I'm kind of like whyyyy did I buy 

this stuff?! Ha. I just felt like I needed to bring something back from the beach. 

This purse was totally impulsive. I literally grabbed it on my way to pay and decided to purchase

it in about 1 min. Brooke doesn't do this. Ever. I think through things meticulously. To the point where

it can annoy the heck out of me. So, I'm not sure why I decided to purchase this. Actually, I do.

It was 50% off and then you got an additional 30% off for Labor Day. 

I'm really into cross over bags lately. Carrying less and being hands free is so nice. Esp in fall

for tailgates, shopping, or weekend fun. 

With all the discounts this purse rang up for little over $100. 

I'm just not sure that I love it that much. It's practical. Functional. And will go with everything, but

$100 for a cross over is a bit pricy. 

These tortoise shell shades had been a purchase I was contemplating over the weekend.

I first saw them on Friday while we jetted over to the shops when a shower came through. 

They are just a classic pair of shades. 

Side view. I like that they don't have a big C. Not a fan of that... or the 

ones that say "Coach" on the side. 

Front view. 

What do you think about my goods? I'm so torn and conflicted about them. I love having that 

feeling of walking away with something and loving it and knowing you got a good deal or buying somethingyou have saved for and really wanted. I don't have that feeling with these things. Boo. 

So, since there is a Coach outlet about 20 min from where I live I may take these back this week. 

Thoughts? Opinions? Yes, please! 

Product of the Day- Review

I recently decided to try some curly product shampoo/conditioner for my huuur. 

Since about March I have been wearing my hair curly in it's natural form. My routine has been

washing in with a regular shampoo, not brushing it out straight, and putting Garnier 

Surf Hair paste in it to scrunch it up, and using my diffuser to blow dry out. 

It is super easy, has lots of volume, and lots of curl. My hair is very naturally wavy/curly so

this process works for me, but prob not everyone. 

Ulta had some products on sale recently and I decided I would try the Redken "Fresh Curls"

line. I have mixed feelings about this product. When I first started using them I felt like I could

tell an big difference in my curls and how bouncy and curly they looked. However, as I have used

it more I feel like it just gives me more messy volume and a heavy feeling than great curls. 

I have found myself not reaching for this as much as other shampoo/cond so I guess that should tell 

you how I really feel about it. I will continue to use it b/c I don't hate it and it doesn't make my hair

look bad or ratty, but just not the effect I was hoping for. 

What shampoo's/cond do you like most? 

Weekend Rewind What's in my Bag?

It's almost Fall, Ya'll. 

For most of you this time of the year is one of your most favorite seasons and you look forward

to so many things. Football games. Cooler weather. Tailgates. Scarves. Boots. Darker 

nails and clothing. Halloween. Etc, Etc. 

I have to be honest with you... Fall is probably one of my least favorite times of the year. I hate

the transition from summer to fall. I hate dark nights and cold weather. I hate knowing that kids have

to go back to school and their summer is over. And living in AL means people are OBSESSED

with college football. I enjoy some fun tailgates and being around friends and good food, but 

I think I have accepted the fact that I just don't care that much about football and I get tired of 

getting on FB and seeing nothing but that posted everywhere. Bleh! 

So, anyway enough Debbie Downer talk. In the past few years I have enjoyed the season a lot 

more. A few of my fave things about fall... dark finger nail polish, scarves, boots, fun decor, and 

CANDLES!!!!! I love me some fall scents. 

With all that said this weekend I picked up my favorite fall bath & body candle. Last year

I discovered "Leaves" and bought at least 3 rounds of this through the fall colder months. 

Bath and Body describes this candle as:

"Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and berries. "

Gals, I can't even explain how rich and fall in a jar this scent smells. Do yourself a favor this 

upcoming season and pick up a few of these! Your home will thank you for it! 

Happy Monday and start to a great week!