Intimate Gatherings

I'm giving my wardrobe a total overhaul, guys.  Yep, it's long overdue.  I'm slowly taking it apart and getting rid of all the pieces that no longer fit, are ill-fitting and/or I no longer wear, and replacing them with items that reflect my current fashion mood: funky, sexy and sophisticated.  I'm rebuilding, starting from the inside out... starting with a massive run on some new bras.  Yeah, my brassiere situation was becoming dire, so when I saw that Nordstrom was having their Anniversary Sale, I took that as my cue to indulge.  And indulge, I did.  So, if you have a few moments to spare, I'd love to share what I bought with you.

Me and Victoria's Secret have long since parted ways; almost all of their bras have way too much padding, which I find seriously annoying and unnecessary.  I've successfully dabbled in other brands (e.g. Soma Intimates), but was curious to see what one of my fave department stores had to offer and stumbled upon this cute, convertible demi from Betsey Johnson.

Accented with tiny bows on the straps as well as the cleavage, this Betsey Johnson Stocking Stripe T-shirt bra in Pussycat Pink is such a lightweight, comfortable fit that it feels like you're wearing nothing at all.  Oh, but the support is definitely there!  Equipped with thinly padded cups and an underwire, it's a lot sturdier than it may appear.   And just as the name suggests, a stocking-like fabric covers the entire bra - a cosmetic detail that made me a little nervous as I'm prone to snagging nylons and such with my nails.  Nevertheless, this Betsey beauty is a definite keeper as it conveniently converts into a racerback bra via a hook on the back of the strap.  Two bras for the price of one?  LOVE IT!

And then I laid eyes on this gorgeous contraption and I knew I just had to have it!  Framed in a patterned lace, the ultra-feminine Natori Feathers Underwire in Café was everything I didn't know I wanted in a bra and more.  Its lightly padded cups had no problems "girding the girls" while its deep plunging "V" allowed for ample cleavage without any pushing up.  And it wears like a dream, feeling soft against the skin and über-comfortable throughout the day.  Helplessly smitten after one go, I immediately ordered three more colors: Black, Deep Sea Blue and Dragon Fruit (a bright magenta).

So, there you have it!  My most recent recruits in my quest to overhaul my wardobe.  Just so that you know: Betsey's bra fit true-to-size in both cup and band, however, Natori's Feathers ran small in cup size (as is well documented in the online reviews for the bra) and I had to order a size up, which fit perfectly.  But both are ab fab and totally what I needed to step my undergarment game up.

One mission down, so many more to go...

Betsey Johnson Stocking Stripe Bra and Natori Feathers Bra can be found at Nordstrom and retail for $48 and $68, respectively.

Field Trip: MAC

Going to the mall just ain't my thing and hasn't been since I was a teenager.  I prefer to avoid the hassle of both its inside and outside traffic, and do my shopping online.  However, I did brave the crowds recently to make an in-person visit to MAC and see if they had anymore items from their Alluring Aquatic collection as all the items have long been sold out online.  Of course, during my search I got a little distracted... but we'll get into all the details of my wanderings soon enough.

For those unfamiliar, MAC's Alluring Aquatic makeup collection had simulated water drops covering both its packaging as well as the products' individual casings.  It wasn't so much as the products themselves, but the beauty of the too cool for school 3-D texture that had me venture out and the sales associate rewarded my efforts by placing the last two pieces she had in stock in my hands: Modern Lure and Seducing Sound Lipglass.

(Seducing Sound Lipglass)

(Modern Lure Lipglass)

I gave the sparkling berry of Modern Lure and the sandy bronze of Seducing Sound a once-over, but ultimately passed on both.  They were pretty enough; however, I wanted something in a compact - of which they had none left - so I moved on.

 
I wandered over to their display of Veluxe Pearlfusion Shadow palettes and nodded my head in approval of the assembly of colors.  Already a fan of the Veluxe eyeshadow formula, I grabbed a palette to test the newly introduced fare.

Keeping in line with their reputation, these Veluxe shadows did not disappoint as they yielded an abundance of color and were super soft to the touch.  Very pretty...

I looked over to my left and saw a collection of compacts filled with their new Mineralize eyeshadow quads, so it was only right for me to take a gander since I was in the neighborhood and all.

The Mineralize shadows were highly pigmented and had a high shine quotient as well, which one would readily expect from a baked, mineralized product such as this.

I moseyed on over to MAC's Moody Blooms and visually drank in all the colors the collection's goodies had to offer...

... made the trip to the counter a couple of feet away to ogle at the stack of eye brushes, paying extra close attention to one in particular (I'm looking at you, #217!)...

... swung by the foundation station to feast on the new, Shea butter infused, light-reflecting Mineralize Moisture liquids...

... landing, finally, in front of the parade of Pro Lipsticks where I ended up being docked for an admitted good amount of time... salivating over the vivid hues, my mind swelling due to the incessant deliberating over the purchase of all nine in one go.  (Yes, I am lipstick fiend, y'all.)

But, alas, I calmed my beating heart and sated my impulse to buy with the purchase of two items.  In fact, these items were ones that I had been meaning to snag for a while, but just never got around to it.   So, while I didn't acquire any Aquatics, I did procure products from my "want/need" list; therefore, my trip definitely secured a spot in the #WIN column after all.  (Yay!)

I love that my recent MAC excursion ended on a high note.  (Woo-hoo!)  And I'm revved up to show 'n' tell 'n' share the fruits of my venture with you guys very soon.   

Project Pan Update

OK, so I started a Project Pan with a few products some months ago (try, like, seven months ago) and feel that I'm slightly overdue to give a status update on how things have been progressing.  Therefore, this will be a quick show 'n' tell on how close I've come to hitting pan and/or using up the items I put on the "hit" list: MAC's Dollymix blush, MAC's Cranberry eyeshadow and an assortment of falsies (false eyelashes).

First up is Dollymix, which is a candy pink.  Can you see the wee bit indentation in the center of the blush?  You can't?  Well, maybe it's more like a teeny-weeny dip...  OK, guys, I'm gonna give up the tapes on myself and confess that I haven't been using Dolly as much as I had originally planned.  I've made very little progress in hitting tin on this baby - partly because I really have to make myself reach for it since I don't particularly care for it too much.  But I'm going to make more of an effort and hope to make more significant progress in the months to come. 

Next is Cranberry, which is a red plum.  Now, I can't even front with this one; I started out using it on my cheeks and lips early on during my PP challenge, but quickly fell off as time went on.  I see no major change in the eyeshadow pan as far as usage and know that I must do better.  And I shall.  Using it on the lips under a clear gloss will definitely help me meet this goal...

And now the lashes, the falsies, the drugstore "window dressers" that I had stashed away for the longest, but had never used until this project.  I documented my first encounter with Wispies and haven't picked them nor any other set of false eyelashes up since.  (For shame!  For shame!)  I know, guys...  To my defense, I haven't exactly been trippin' the light fantastic and going anywhere that would warrant such an adornment.  But I put them on the PP list, therefore, I must do better.  Must and shall!

So there you go.  That's my update on how I've done thus far with my Project Pan challenge and I will steadily admit that I've done horribly.  I'm really gonna start crackin' the whip and get motivated to get better results.  I haven't been wearing a whole lot of makeup recently because I've been preoccupied with other things, but I don't like the idea of putting forth a less than stellar effort with regard to anything, either.  Therefore, it's time for me to get 'er done.  My Project Pan will NOT be a total fail.  And I'll be back with the final results in a few more months to prove that it wasn't.

Apartment Hunting 2.0

Like a rudder without a sail, I've been trying to navigate through the somewhat arduous process of finding a new abode in a brand new city, but haven't gotten very far.  The places I've seen since I've been down here just haven't completely floated my boat.  However, I did come across one that had great potential in becoming "the one".  Oh, it had all the bells and whistles and upgrades a person could ever want, with one upgrade in particular I had never even dared to dream of... and one significant "downgrade" that gave me pause...

Met by a gregarious form of gorgeousness as soon as you enter the door, the apartment's entranceway was decked out in an ornate tile design, which I liked very much.  It helped set the tone for the rest of what I was about to see and experience during the tour: decadent living at a decent price.  And with this high-caliber intro they certainly had my attention!

To the right was a dining room area that was nicely sized and equally nicely furnished.  I don't yet own a dining room set, but seeing the potential of having one in this space definitely lit a small fire beneath my feet to strongly consider the purchase.

The living area, too, was a decent size with a small balcony and fireplace to boot.  But it was the kitchen - the heart of the home - that took my breath away, if only for a moment.  It was an absolute eye-popper with beautiful granite countertops and stainless steel appliances as far as thine eyes could see.

The master bedroom was ample enough to comfortably fit a king sized bed and all its accompaniments.  It also had a small balcony off the window.

And the master bathroom was OFF.  THA.  CHAIN!  Insanely spacious and roomy, it housed a humungous his & her sink; a tiled, infinity glass shower; separate water closet and a marble tub!  Umm... that wasn't a typo.  You read right: marble tub.  Yesssss!

Did I mention that this apartment has a marble tub?!  Marble, y'all.  Wow-wee-wow!  Ab fab-u-LOUS!

And just when my mind was about to reach the farthest most point of the stratosphere due to it being blown away by the awesomeness of the bathroom, it was quickly jettisoned back to Earth upon sight of the master bedroom's closets.  Ughhhhh!  Where do I begin?  Umm, they were puny!  Small.  Too small to be called "master", which I guess is why they put two of them in there to compensate for their lack of size.  Think I was disappointed?  Try devastated!  I just couldn't believe my eyes.  For this unit to be so outfitted to the nines like it was, but then totally skimp on closet space was beyond any reasoning I could muster.  I was dumbfounded, truly.  If this place had walk-in units, I would have signed on the dotted line right then and there.  But knowing how much clothing and closet-needy stuff I have, I just couldn't pull the trigger.  I was sooo tempted... but, no, I just couldn't do it.

So, the search drags on.  Just like Goldilocks, I'm looking for just the right place to lay my head.  I'm trying my best to stick to my guns and not compromise on the things I really want.  I'm simply looking for a sweet place to call home.  And I'm crossing all fingers (and toes!) that I find that special someplace very soon.