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Please follow the blog's Instagram page for fashion inspiration, and to keep up with the blog daily. Thank you all so much for following and keeping up with me. I appreciate everyone's support!

P.S. - Blog posts will be on the way very soon, I was on a pretty long hiatus due to school and work.

 

@shoetokill

Target & Claire's Mini Haul

Hey guys and gals! Summer is right around the corner and what better time than now to pick up a few key items that will make your summer days a little brighter! Today I went on a quick trip to my local Target and Claire's stores to pick up some things and I ended up getting a few things for myself.

Target:

 

I grabbed these Merona Elaina Braided sandals after trying on a few different pairs. These felt most comfortable and did not leave my foot as exposed as the others. I love the braided design connected to the thong part of the sandal because it gives the shoe a half-Grecian/half-Pocahontas look. The cushion sole makes for a comfortable and semi-supportive shoe compared to most flat sandals. These sandals come in three different colors but I opted for black because that's the color I wear most of. You could easily sport these to a music festival or just wear them for a day at the park; they're very versatile. -Merona Elaina Braided Sandal $19.99

 

At Target, I also purchased two Sonia Kashuk brushes which are the Spoolie Brush No127 and the Angled Eye Shadow Brush No108. The Spoolie Brush is only $1.99 and the Angled Shadow Brush goes for $4.99. I plan on using both for my eyebrows as I have now become fascinated with creating a stronger and cleaner looking brow. I have yet to use these but was lured in by the positive talk about Sonia Kashuk products.

 

Claire's:

 

 

At Claire's I picked these up from the Katy Perry Prism Collection exclusively by Claire's. They are the Katy Perry Double Prism Pendant Necklace and the Katy Perry Double Prism Stud Earrings. These both come in silver and gold and because most of my jewelry is white gold or silver I chose the silver. The double prism feature makes these pieces extremely attractive as one prism is solid while the other contains a number of rhinestones set into the pendant/studs. Read about Katy's Prism Collection debut here!

Liny Confections Idea

If you read my post about starting my own lollipop and cookiepop business, you probably know all about my plan and that I would be sharing any news with you if I furthered my decision. Well, this past Valentine's Day, I made some treats, as a trial run, for me and my friends for our Anti-Vday Celebration.

Through trial and error, I realized I had to start out with something simple - chocolate dipped cookies to fit the occasion. (Making cookiepops didn't work because the stick kept breaking the cookies and would slide out while I dipped the cookie causing a lot of frustration).

Also, on a side note, rather than calling the company Liny Pops, I've decided to call it Liny Confections as a way of broadening the brand.

This was the finished product, and they were a hit. I hope to make different ones using different types of cookies and for different holidays and occasions. I really hope to begin selling this summer. The treat boxes are from Michael's Craft Store. 

Le Chat Perfect Match Mood Gel Polish in Angel's Breeze

On my last trip to the nail salon, I thought I'd try something entirely different: mood gel polish. I was inspired by my best friend who got a mood mani during the previous nail salon trip we took together. (I believe the color she got was called Coral Caress). The color I chose is called Angel's Breeze, from the Le Chat brand that I like, which is a frost color that varies from a light, natural nail color to a pretty, hot pink. The polish is temperature activated. When my hands come in contact with heat, the color is the light, natural color and when my hands come in contact with cold temperatures, the polish transforms into the hot pink color. Many of my friends were fascinated by it and asked me questions. Below you will see a picture of the color change on my actual nails, as well as a video of how the color change occurs with cold and hot water.

 

 

Le Chat Angel's Breeze

Fossil Multifunction Leather Watch

I recently purchased this watch as a gift to myself, along with another one I will review at a later time. I have been really wanting a black watch for some time now and came across this one, which I found to be super elegant and sleek for a leather strapped watch. Normally, I wouldn't go for a watch with a leather strap because in the past I had watches and nine times out of ten would ruin the strap with my excessive use of water. Of course, I was a lot younger and was prone to messing things up so I thought now that I'm older and more responsible, I'd give this a shot.

After about two weeks of wearing it, I have found it to be very functional, comfortable, and stylish. The genuine leather strap is comfortable to wear and does not cause any irritation on my wrist. The stitching on the strap is flawless. The face, bezel, and crystal are gorgeous, but the most intriguing part of it for me is the gold roman numerals and hands because they give it a timeless look. Overall, it's a sleek and sexy watch that can be dressed up or down.

This watch goes for $125 and the shipping was free. You can also purchase interchangeable watch straps to change up the look of the watch. To order or get more information on this watch, click the link to the site below.

Band Width: 20mm
Case Size: 40mm
Case Thickness: 12mm
Circumference: 190 +/- 5mm
Closure: strap buckle
Movement: Multifunction
Water Resistant: 10 ATM

AM4523 Link To Watch

JUST GEL POLISH in Tickled Pink from IBD

I recently got my nails done again and this time I went with pink, not just any pink, Tickled Pink. It's a cute color that reminds me of Barbie, bubble gum, and cupcake frosting. This UV Gel Polish is from IBD's JUST GEL POLISH collection. The link is below, although I don't think it can be ordered straight from the website. It is sold on Amazon.com and other beauty supply sites, so it might be easier to purchase it there, if you plan on doing so.

I've had it on for about five days now and so far everything is still in tact. I'm not sure whether its the brand itself or that its just an old bottle that my nail salon still carries but their formula is a lot thicker than the Le Chat gel polish, so the application wasn't as smooth as I would have liked it to be.  If I had to choose between this brand and Le Chat, I'd probably say that Le Chat is my favorite brand out of the two.

Just Gel Polish Collection

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Review

I'm sure all of you have been raving about the Naked 3 palette lately, but since I'm so two thousand and late (corny joke lol) I figured I'd review the Naked Basics Palette. Although this palette was released in late November 2012, I recently received it as a Christmas gift. Typically I'm not into over-the-top eye makeup so this palette has been great for me, as I love to play up my green eyes with neutral tones. The 6 beautiful colors rest in their pods in a gradient style from lightest to darkest.

• Venus - An off-white color with a subtle satiny frost. Perfect for the brow bone and the inner corners of the eyes. Great way to highlight!
• Foxy - A light yellow beige toned matte shadow, my least favorite as it is barely noticeable on my fair skin tone.
• Walk of Shame - A matte light pink toned beige. Although very light, this is my go to when I go for a more natural look and want my liquid eyeliner or mascaraed eyelashes to be the focus.
• Naked 2 - A pale warm taupe matte. Love this for a light contour in my crease or all over the lid when I wear my glasses.
• Faint - A warm brown matte, great for extreme definition.
• Crave - A very pigmented off-black matte. Perfect for that smoky eye!

The texture of the shadows is so velvety, which I absolutely love. The packaging is super compact and sleek, easy to slip into a small clutch or in a makeup bag for travel purposes, which is ideal. The cost of it is $28 and it can be purchased at the Urban Decay website, Sephora, or any other makeup retail stores.

 

 

Le Chat Perfect Match Gel Polish in "Emperor Red"

Hi all!

I got my nails done yesterday for back to school as my Spring semester began today, and simply because I really enjoy nice, polished looking nails. Being that we are still enduring the cold here in New York, darker and reddish hues are still in season. I chose the color "Emperor Red" which is a pretty satin red color. I really am in love with this color, probably not as much as my favorite color "First Love" but this is a close second. (They no longer carry "First Love" at my nail salon anymore *tears*). The nail salon I go to carries the brand Le Chat Perfect Match. You can visit the brand's website below using the link provided.

Here are some swatches of my nails in "Emperor Red":


Close Up



Wearing Michael Kors Women's MK5020 Stainless Steel Watch

 

Buy Le Chat's Perfect Match Gel Polish Emperor Red Here

Pinspiration

As I was pinning yesterday, I came across a post on lollipops which eventually brought me to diy lollipops with organic ingredients such as tiny daisies and little rose petals. I was pretty inspired and thought of creating a quaint little hand-made, gourmet lollipop and cookiepop business. I hope to start this up in the spring and begin taking orders by the beginning of June. I'm definitely going to start out small but secretly I hope that my own business would be a large part of the near future. My first goal is to get an Etsy shop going if I decide to fully go through with it. Of course, I'll keep you posted if anything develops.

P.S. - I created a little logo earlier and I think it's just the cutest thing.

Guess Who's Back, Back Again

Hello to all you gals & fellas out there.

I've been gone for a VERY long time, I know, I apologize! But I am back, and I plan on doing weekly posts as I had been doing before.

This blog is going to get a little revamp. I am hoping to make posts about topics other than just fashion such as beauty, home décor, food, entertainment, and little bits of my life. I want to make this blog relatable to everyone, not just you fancy fashionistas ;)

I hope you enjoy what is to come to this blog! Stay tuned!

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and loving new year xo <3

Project Runway Recap & Review Week 7

On Week 7 of Project Runway, the designers were given the Lord & Taylor Challenge in which the designers were asked to make a simple garment inspired by the last nine winning designers in the previous seasons. Their garments must complete the existing collection and the Challenge Winner's design will be displayed in the Lord & Taylor window.

Seven out of the nine garments part of the Project Runway Collection at Lord & Taylor

Of course, the Challenge, Winner this time around, was Mr. Christopher Palu!

 

Although I do love it, I have a complaint ... The back cutout looks weird. Now, I don't know if it's the model's shoulder blades or the stance she has in the photograph as she walks but it just look unfinished to me. Other than that, I do love it. I commend him for being the only designer to attempt a gown instead of just a cocktail dress. He took a risk and he won.

 

Surprisingly, the Judges decided to keep everyone this week! I was actually quite happy with this decision because all the designs looked fabulous for the most part.

 

Gunnar: He was the last designer on the runway, meaning he had the lowest score but he was safe. I thought his dress was really pretty and I actually did enjoy watching him this week. (Shocking, I know!)

 

Alicia: I wish the waist on her dress was a tad bit higher. I feel like it would have looked cleaner and more put together if she had done so.

 

Elena: She had a total melt down because she ONLY designs Avant-Garde clothing. Umm hello? This is not an Avant-Garde competition. A designer should have the ability to do any style of clothing and do it well. That's just my opinion. The same way Ven should be able to design for any woman.

 

Melissa: GORGEOUS fabric, asymmetry, and design! I loved everything about her dress!

 

Sonjia: She too had a total melt down. She ran out of time, sobbing and sewing, while telling Tim she still had to hem and fix the zipper because it didn't fit her model. She faked it 'till she made it, because on the runway it looked flawless. I hope she doesn't let being in the bottom last week get to her head, she's a great designer and she needs to realize that.

 

Ven: Very pretty! As always, loved his signature rose pattern. I wonder if he'd be comfortable making it in a larger size ;) (Sorry I had to!)

 

Dmitry: Beautiful lines, gorgeous construction, and rich fabric! Just perfection all around, I hope he wins a challenge soon!

Back to School Haul

Classes began this passed Monday, August 27. I did some back to school shopping the day before and I purchased a few things for the coming Fall months. Besides the items you see below, I also purchased a Turquiose Pleated Chiffon Scarf from H&M for $12.95 (There was no picture online, but it is beautiful). There were also a few essentials I bought: Black and White Tanktops, Black and Gray Zip-Up Hoodies, and Black Pants which I use on a regular basis. I'm excited to wear these items in the coming months and I can't wait to mix and match with stuff I already have as its still pretty warm out :) I hope you all enjoy your Fall semester and stay stylish throughout!

 

Torrid - Black & Leopard Serina Bow Flats $28.50 BOGO 50%



Dark Navy, Pink Stripe, Gray Stripe, Medium Gray Vintage-Style V-Neck Tees $7.50 each

Old Navy - Polywog Pintucked Split-Neck Blouse $29.94

Old Navy - Gray Print Pintucked Split-Neck Blouse $29.94

Graphite Heather Tunic Sweater $29.94

Old Navy - Brown Leopard Crepe Roll-Up Shirt $17.50

Old Navy - Black Jack Button-Front Cardi $19.94



Sketchy Sunday: Happy Hour Cocktail Collection

Project Runway Recap & Review Week 6

Surprise!!! I'm early on this one! This week on Project Runway, the designers were given the L'Oreal Challenge in which they had to create looks for actual clients who are looking for a style makeover to accompany their new hair styles. This challenge just .... *sigh* ... I don't even know where to begin. This week's Challenge Winner was Fabio. I'm actually quite proud of him.

Here's his look:

 

This look just screams Fabio. He's getting better at staying true to his aesthetic which I'm happy about. He kept his client happy while helping her to step out of her comfort zone but also incorporating her style into the mix.

 

Out this week:

 

 

Nathan ... I don't know what he was thinking. I truly liked a couple of his previous designs but this looks like it came out of a hooker's closet (I'm sorry, I had to). The color is one of my favorites but that doesn't change the fact that its utterly terrible and extremely slutty.

 

My favorites of the night:

 

 

Of course I loved Christopher's look. He, to me, is just absolutely fabulous at what he does. The dress on his client is beautiful and very flattering to her body. I loved the jacket too when they showed it on the dress form while he was still in the midst of designing. I wish his client would have shown it off more and not crumbled it in her hand the whole time.

 

 

Dmitry's looks was also very cute. I just wish he had made it a slight bit longer and I would have loved for the cleavage part to be a lot lower to make it a bit more sexy and not so stuffy looking. As always, his construction is pretty immaculate.

 

 

Okay let me explain ... You all are aware that I can't stand Gunnar but I have to say I am fond of his skirt and the technique he used to achieve it. On the other hand, the top part is SO uneven and those triangle things in the center look stupid (Yes, stupid)! Also, if you paid attention to the back, the V is cut so unevenly. I will admit, he does sometimes have good ideas but the way in which he tries to achieve them and his construction is very poor.

 

Now come the comments....

 

Although I do not like it very much, mostly because of the color, I am proud of how Alicia stepped out of her comfort zone and attempted a dress which resulted in a pretty decent look. I hope we see a bit more of this in the coming weeks.

 

In my opinion, Elena's fabric choice was poor but the concept was nice, I must say.

 

I don't know if it was the clients body type or the dress itself, but Melissa's black dress looked terrible on the runway. The long shall was pretty but I didn't really enjoy the whole look because it seemed kind of sloppy.

 

Sonjia had problems with her proportions, I guarantee that if the knot thing was under the bust and if the dress was longer it would have been a lot nicer and more sophisticated.

 

And finally, Ven ... He had me disgusted! Not to mention, the fabric and design altogether was hideous. First of all, I think his client is beautiful and has a great shape to her plus size figure. Ven was totally out of line and made rude comments about his client's size. He claimed to never have designed for a "real size woman." What the hell does that even mean? What woman is NOT a real size? And yes, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES. Not all women are as stick thin as the models the designers design for. As a plus size woman myself, I found it very offensive! I'm going to be rude for a moment so I must apologize before I continue. I am sorry for what I am about to say but it is the truth. Ven is not a twig himself, in fact he is similar to that of a tree trunk. To make a woman uncomfortable and self conscious about her body is the worst thing a man, designer, and supposed professional can do. I hope he removes his arrogant head out of the clouds and realizes how terrible he made his client feel. Shame on you Ven!

 

Next week, there will be lots of crying! The ladies have plenty of problems in their designs, while the boys seem to be doing well (At least thats what it looks like from the promo). Ven makes a sexist comment about men being stronger (Please shut up!) and Christopher looks like he's trying to do a Cher impression (LOL I can't wait)! I'm not really sure of what the challenge is but Tim Gunn says that they'll be put into production or something along those lines. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Project Runway Recap & Review Week 5

So here's the deal for last week; The designers were given Nina Garcia's Challenge which consisted of designing for a working woman to be featured in Marie Claire Magazine. The designers were divided into two teams and were instructed to create their functional, editorial looks and direct a photoshoot for the magazine. In Team 5 was Christopher, Ven, Fabio, Nathan, and Gunnar. In Team 6 was Sonjia, Melissa, Alicia, Dmitry, Elena, and Raul.

Team 6 won the feature in the magazine, while everyone in Team 5 just ended up safe and still in the competition.

The Winner this week:

Melissa won last week's challenge and honestly I don't understand why. Yes, the blue dress with the oversized collar was pretty and intriguing but I don't see what is so special about it. Suprisingly, she used color which was in her favor but its not like she had much choice being that Elena wanted to take over.

Auf'd last week:

Raul was out ... again! He made the two tops seen in the above looks. I personally liked them both although the grey one wasn't as memorable. Raul seems to put himself in high regard. I'm not going to lie, I thought he was okay but still needs improvement, but people treat him as if he has no skill at all and that just annoys me. Anyway, farewell to him for the second time.

My favorites:

Who other than Mr. Christopher Palu? I love that he used his signature pointed fabric cutouts! I just thought his look was remarkable. Enough said, I think it speaks for itself.

Dmitry's look was nice and simple. I love the diagonal coloring and the construction of it was great. He sews incredibly as we know and it makes this look very clean cut.

Fabio is finally designing with his aesthetic in mind and it comes across beautifully. The head wrap brings in his own sense of style while still working with the collection. I think this look is very chic and modern.

I dont't know why, but I am quite fond of the top and out layer that Elena created. It's not her typical box-y, warrior things that she makes time and time again. She did good with this one; its simple and sophistocated.

I'd also like to add ...

Ven's top was sloppily put together and his white skirt was eating at the model's thighs. He needed to include a slip underneath the skirt so that it doesn't bunch up her legs. I'm also getting tired of his architectural/drape-y type designs, I wish he'd do something different.  

Gunnar needs a reality check. He doesn't know what the heck he's doing. This may sound rude but I really hope he's next to go.

Elena may be blunt and telling it how she sees it but enough is enough. No one wants a control freak telling them what to do and no one likes a bitch, yes I went there!

Nathan's look was okay but the pants, even though the draping was intentional, looked very sloppy and baggy. If they were more tailored, his look would definitely be a favorite of mine.

Finally, Sonjia's skirts were nice and well put together but there was nothing special about them to me.

Next week, the designers are creating looks for actual clients who are in need of a makeover. Let's see how that pans out.

Costume Extravaganza: Into the Woods at Shakespeare in the Park

This past Wednesday evening my friends and I went to see Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. The Shakespeare in the Park production officially opened on August 9th. The musical intertwines a number of classic childhood fairytales including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Rapunzel, and The Baker and his Wife. I thought it was wonderful and I wanted to share a few of the costumes that I really loved.


Donna Murphy as the Old Witch

Donna Murphy as the Young Witch

I absolutely LOVED this green dress, Donna looked spectacular in it. The color and the way it moved on stage was gorgeous. 

Laura Shoop

Jesse Mueller as Cinderella and Ivan Hernandez as Cinderella's Price Charming

Jesse Mueller's blue dress is adorable and I really like the checkerboard-like effect in the fabric. Ivan's costume is luxurious in white with gold details. It looked stunning in the stage lighting.

I also loved Jesse's Cinderella ball gown, unfortunately I can't find a picture, but it was gorgeous.

Just an Update

Unfortunately, there will be no Sketchy Sunday this week. I've been super busy with work and other projects, that I haven't had the time this week to come up with something to share. Project Runway Recap & Review Week 5 will be posted some time on Monday. I will also be posting a Costume Extravaganza, after this post, for Into the Woods at Shakespeare in the Park. In the coming weeks ahead, there will be lots of Fall trend and (hopefully) Back to School haul posts.

Some news: I recently entered a contest to win 2 tickets to the J. Mendel runway show during Fashion Week on September 12. They are announcing the winner tomorrow on their Facebook Fan Page. Lord knows I would love to attend a show. We'll see what happens with that (fingers crossed).

I am also hoping to finish my first outfit, that I am still working on, before the Fall semester starts. The photoshoot will probably happen early september while its still warm out. I'll keep you all updated on more stuff to come. Have a great weekend and stay stylish!

Lady Gaga Sketch Submission

Recently, GaGa posted a video on her social media site, LittleMonsters.com, about a sketch submission contest asking fans to submit their own fashion sketches for her. She will choose and wear her favorite looks! She says she will work with the winners to actually create the garments. I think it's an amazing opportunity so I went for it, thanks to one of my friends. I, of course, wanted to share it with all of you.

About a week ago, GaGa also released the name of her upcoming album, ArtPop. The name is partially what gave me the inspiration. When I thought of the word ArtPop, my mind immediately went to Andy Warhol and the famous Marilyn Monroe picture. I began to look more into his works and found his Grevy's Zebra. The colors looked magnificent and I ran with it. So here you see a shell-like structure with the colors of Andy Warhol's Zebra artwork. I also knew I wanted to incorporate something like aluminum or metal, hence the hoop-like strapless dress. The heelless boots are also metalic with a red platform. She wears shoes similar to this so I figured I'd try to keep her style in this as well.

I hope you all enjoy and remember YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY!

Project Runway Recap & Review Week 4

Hello gang ... another week has passed and this time aroud the designers had their Girl On the Go Challenge from Michael Kors. They were asked to create a look for a client who is always traveling or in high demand from her busy lifestyle, whether it be a look from day to night or just versatile clothing. Tim Gunn stressed that it should keep wrinkle free throughout the day. Also on the go were TWO designers. Andrea left the competition in the middle of the night and Kooan made the decision to leave, making the announcement in the workroom

The challenge winner this week:

Sonjia! This dress looks so versatile and sexy on her model. She clearly followed the challenge rules and used a fabric that seems to be comfortable and doesn't wrinkle. Any woman can make this a day to night look effortlessly with a change of shoes and some accessories. She may even want to let her hair down. I also really love the color if the fabric. Yes, its grey, you might be asking "Who cares?" but something about it is interesting.

Out this week:

Buffi was out. I was actually really sad to see her go because I'm quite fond of her quirkiness. She's got spunk but this look honestly was terrible. I understood that she was trying to stay true to her aesthetic, which is all well and good, but she could have toned it down a bit. I wonder if she would have been safe if she had listened to Christopher, who honestly seemed like he was innocently trying to help. The construction was awful, particularly the hemline of the zebra print dress. If she had used the sheer pink garment over maybe a nude or black fabric and focused on construction a bit more she would have definitely continued on.

My other favorites:

Christopher's look was delicate with an edgy touch. I thought it was styled perfectly, my only wish is that his model would fill it out more because she is incredibly thin.

Suprisingly, I like Alicia's look. Typically I don't really like the looks she puts together. It's super crisp and clean and the construction of it looks awesome! If she keeps this up I might start to actually enjoy her designs.

I don't know what it is about it but I really love what Melissa did here. I think its the fabric she used, it looks so comfortable! I also LOVE the layering and the combination of the black and brown because it's typically what I'm into personally.

We all know Dmitry is a sewing machine wiz so I'm not surprised at how fabulous the construction is. I love it but I just wish it wasn't so boring. He needs to add a little bit more depth into his aesthetic and not be so monotone, then we'll have a winner.

And finally, Nathan .... but I only really like the vest-like garment over the dress. The rest of it (styling and colors) reminds me of Mardi Gras and it washes his model out. I know she's on the go and traveling, but it shouldn't be to New Orleans. I hope he chooses better color palettes in the future.

This week the designers are given Nina Garcia's Challenge, good luck to them on that one!