Week in Review · No 2

Place of Interest: Two Hands · Little Italy, NYC

If you're in the area and find yourself wanting a little snack (or like, the best latte ever) check out Two Hands. Another great Aussie coffee shop. Oh, and their cookies and avocado toast are to. die. for.

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Links: 

• I can't stop quoting this tweet. I'm not even sorry about it. 
• Still stuck on Duolingo. Level 9 in French. Vous venez ici souvent?
• Brace yourselves: Radiohead is coming back.
• NYT Cooking is great. I'm addicted to the New York Times, if you haven't figured that out by now. I read it every morning (except today). Oops. The Newstand app is great. So is the NYT Now app... but I really just prefer this NYT Skimmer for web. So good. 
• I'm still dying for one of these. 

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Music: 

• Lia Ices has been on repeat all week. Thousand Eyes in particular, though. This song is pretty freaking great in every sense of the word. 
• Pretty jealous of everyone who saw KAYTRANADA this weekend in SF. This one has got it goin' on.
• I think I love Fouk! It's a thing. I can't help it. This is no exception; a play on elevator music? Oh god yes. Just listen to it. Close your eyes. Enjoy.
• This one's a bit older but I went to see MØ with my babely boyfriend last night and DAMN. She puts on a great show. If you have the chance to go see her, I would definitely suggest going. When she started singing this song I FREAKED OUT. I mean, who wouldn't?
• I'm not sure if it's the weather or what but I've been digging atmospheric stuff a lot lately. As per usual, Tycho doesn't disappoint. See is a good one.
• I'm always on the hunt for new stuff. I came across Gidge on Rdio and was immediately obsessed with this song. The entire album is pretty ace but this song is just something else. It was nothing like I expected to be, and I think that's what I love most about it. 
• POOM! I can't ever say no to some good French music. POOM is a favorite of mine and their newest track De la Vitesse à l'lvresse is smooth, sensual, and sweet. Just like I like it. 

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Hope everyone has an amazing weekend! Until next time...

Diptyque Do Son Eau de Toilette

Diptyque Do Son Eau de Toilette · $90 (50ml)

I rarely stray from my go-to scents. They're familiar and comfortable and I love them but sometimes a perfume comes around and I just can't say no. I kindly blame Zack for getting me this beauty in solid-form for Christmas. I tried to make that thing last as long as possible but like, it's such an amazing smell that I wanted to constantly apply it all over myself. Whoops.

So I gave in, as one does, and took a little trip to the Diptyque store. If you haven't been to one, go. It's a magical place — I can assure you that much. Luckily it was one of those "I already know what I want so hopefully I won't get sucked into anything else" type shopping trips. I left with one beautiful 50ml bottle of Do Son and I swear I was so excited I must have skipped the entire way home.

My favorite part about Do Son (other than the smell, duh) is the description that Diptyque has on their site. It goes a little something like:

"Relief from the sweltering climate, a pagoda on the shores of Ha Long Bay, where trade winds tenderly caress the flowers. A name that sings, undulating like waves upon a beach. Do Son is an eau de toilette rich with contrast, exuding the fresh, intoxicating sensuality of tuberose."

And if that doesn't make you at least a little intrigued about Do Son, I'm not sure what will. Pop into your nearest Diptyque and let your nose do all the work. Oh, and let me know your favorite Diptyque scents!

Phytodéfrisant Botanical Straightening Balm

Phytodéfrisant Botanical Straightening Balm · $28

Spoiler alert: if I had to use only one product on my hair for the rest of my life (aside from shampoo and conditioner, of course) it would be this. Hands down. No questions asked. I praise the Phyto gods for creating this stuff. Thanks, guys.

The first time I tried this was a few years back — I had a sample from Sephora but for some reason never purchased the full-size. Until now, of course. My move to Brooklyn came with some things I was familiar with but hadn't dealt with in a while. Namely: super sticky gross humid weather and stuffy suffocating subway air. Do you know how hard it is to keep your locks frizz-free during summers in NYC? The answer is very (and I was very over trying).

Here's the thing, this stuff is damn near perfect. It's heat activated and locks in hydration leaving you with super smooth, super silky hair. I've noticed that my straight hair lasts a few extra days when using this which means I'm using less heat on my hair overall. I wouldn't even consider blow-drying my hair without this stuff now. I'm sold and this is definitely going to be one of those products I repurchase time and time again.

Have you guys used this before (or other Phyto products)?  What's your all-time favorite frizz-fighter?

Q + A

Happy Monday! A few days ago I posted that I was going to be doing a q + a because of some questions I received via tumblr so here goes nothin'!

"You always have such perfect brownish-nude lips! What lipsticks do you use?" 
Firstly, thanks! Nude has definitely been my thing lately. I have so many nude/browns but these are what I use most often: MAC Hug Me, MAC Modesty, MAC Viva Glam V Lipgloss, Dior Addict Lipstick in Tokyo, MAC Patisserie, NARS Pigalle. I also am a bit obsessed with nude liners. I think I might do a post on this, what do you guys think?

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"Your hair looks amazing! What shampoo have you been using? Love your blog! Ignore the haters, you are doing great. :D"
Thank you! I've been using Alterna's Caviar Repair RX Instant Recovery Shampoo + the corresponding conditioner. I'm really liking it thus far!

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"Hi, Chelsea! Which products do you use for a makeup in the day?"
Hiya! I've gotten into a little routine which I don't actually mind and it's something like:

• Base: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua or NARS Tinted Moisturizer + NARS Creamy Concealer. If I feel like I need extra coverage I pop some Laura Mercier Mineral Powder on top. 
• Cheeks: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone + NARS Douceur or MAC Margin. Oh, and Laguna because bronzer is important. 
• Eyes: Brows-wise I'm still stuck on Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash. Mascara is either YSL Babydoll or Benefit's They're Real. For liner, I've been digging the cat-eye and Stila's liquid liner is a freaking godsend. 
• Lips: Anything I've mentioned above, for the most part! 

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"What do you do for workouts and stuff? You seem to be in great shape!!"

This is nice because I've seriously gotten off track, whoops. Anyway! I try to eat really healthy Mon-Fri and I work out most days for 30-60 minutes. I like to stick to weights, but I do go for runs every now and again. I walk a *lot* and just try to keep everything fairly balanced!

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"1. Top 3 favorite MAC products? / 2. Favorite nail polish atm & all time favorite? / 3. Favorite TV shows? / 4. Did you like Charmed growing up? (I was obsessed :D) / 5. Do you like the movie "The Craft"? (Witchy teamed questions!) / 6. This weekly post sounds perfect to me! / 7. A more general question, but could you, when time allows you, post ootd's? I love your style so much and need inspiration! Ps: love the blog, everything you do and you so much! Thanks for doing this! <3"
Oh my god this question is so great. Seven questions in one, WOO. 

1. All of their lipsticks, honestly. Hug Me, Patisserie, Dark Side, and Ruby Woo are especially great IMO.

2. My favorite nail polish right now is straight up black! My favorite nail polish is either Essie Wicked or OPI Samoan Sand! 

3. This is a good one! I don't watch much TV but when I do: American Horror Story, Twin Peaks, Parks and Rec, Bob's Burgers, Law and Order: SVU, etc

4. I LOVED Charmed growing up. I wanted to be Piper + be with Leo. 

5. The Craft is amazing. Cult films forever. 

6. I'm so glad you like the weekly post! They're so fun for me to do!

7. I would love to get back into doing OOTDs honestly. I love fashion and even more than that I love personal style posts so I'll see what I can do! 

Thanks so much for the lovely questions.

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"What are the necessary makeup items you can not live without?"

All of 'em! Hahaha no but seriously: brow pencil, mascara, lipstick!

I'm thinking maybe next time I do a q+a I will make a video — what do you guys think? Seems like it'd be way easier than formatting a long post like this. Leave any questions you might have below or send them over here.

Week in Review · No 1

Life isn't always lipstick and platforms. I swear I have other interests. I figured I could post about them here too. It's all relevant.

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Place of Interest: Little Paper Planes · San Francisco, CA

Visited this little shop while I was in SF last and I'm obsessed with it. I want to buy everything. I want to photograph everything. They carry Small Spells and ANN-YA and I mean, just look at that space. It's perfect.

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Links:

· I recently read this NYT article about exerting self-control and now I want to buy this book just out of interest
· I'm using Duolingo again! You should too!
· My dear friend Sophie wrote a little list for staying productive while working from home. Keep it nearby just incase you start to get off track.
· I'm answering some questions (beauty, fashion, life) on my blog tomorrow so let me know if there's anything you would like to know! Ask here.
· This tweet made me laugh and this one is just relevant
· I want to eat and make everything on Superfood Siobhan. Might be drooling. Hot.
· Featured on VSCO this week?! Mind. Blow. Thanks guys!

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Music: I've been listening to such good stuff lately! Notable favorites include:

· Tennis' I'm Callin' — a new track with 80's vibes that I can absolutely get down with
· Shoutout to Mr. Twin Sister. I like you guys. I also like this song. The end.
· Made in Heights might not be everyone's cup of tea, but they're mine, and Murakami is great. If you want something a little softer, check out Pirouette.
· Favorite song currently. Waited 4 U by Slow Magic. I mean, just listen to it.
· This Alex Adair remix of Jessie Ware's Say You Love Me has literally been in my head all day which I'm pretty sure gives it enough cred to be on this playlist
· A Simple Design is probably one of my favorite songs off The Juan Maclean's recently released album, In A Dream.
· The best way to end this playlist is with the most perfect end of summer song (which is also aptly named), Goodbye Summer by Misun


Mix of the week: The Magician's Magic Tape 45, duh

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Anyway, that's all for now! Let me know what you think of these kinds of series. They're more fun for me than anything else. Plus, it's nice to see what I've been up to and enjoying all week long. So stoked that it's Thursday, can't wait for the weekend. Bye guys!

NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Pigalle

NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Pigalle · $26

If you've been reading my blog for even just like, a second, you'll know what kind of lip colors I gravitate towards. Pigalle is described as pink chocolate and I mean COME ON. Pigalle also reminds me of the metro and Paris and all the things I love in life so I couldn't say no. Well I could have, but why would I want to?

I'd never really considered buying a NARS lipstick before this one. No real reason for that; I've been a MAC lipstick girl for ages and never felt like I wanted to stray. But as one does, I was checking out NARS in Sephora, swatching everything like a crazy person and I found Pigalle and all I could think was yessssss. The thing I love about this color is that it's perfect for this summer to autumn transition period. It's not too pink, not too brown and lasts for ages! Heat, cold, whatever the weird in-between weather might be! Looks amazing with summer brights or fall darks. It's been my go-to for the last few weeks and I don't see that changing anytime soon!

Lastly I should say, I usually don't buy matte lipsticks but this one isn't at all drying and doesn't make your lips look more chapped, which is always a plus. If you're in the market for a color like this go and check it out. It's my new fav!

What's In My Bag for Fashion Week

This is a bit exciting, I suppose! A little while back I shot a video with Glam while I was in San Francisco about what I'd pack in my bag for fashion week. The concept was to curate a little bag that you could take straight from the airport to NYFW. Simple, right? Not so much as I wanted to pack all black. Tell me if you're surprised!

In my Cuyana Tote was:

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine #10, Chocolate Instyle
MAC Rebel
MAC Breath of Plum

Shoemint heels (similar here)
Catbird + Endswell rings
Beanie from Voyager

Dress from Wasteland
Helmut Lang skirt
Romper from Jane's Closet
Zara leather jacket

Samsung NX-300

That romper has been in full rotation and I don't think I've gone two days without wearing that beanie since I got it. I finished that YSL lipstick since shooting (RIP) and will probably repurchase; we all know I love those 90's brown lips. Still digging that leather jacket I bought a few years back — so impressed with the quality of Zara's leather goods, if I'm being honest. And of course I go nowhere without my lil camera + rings. Woo.

I had so much fun shooting and love how it came out. Check out the video, let me know what you think, and leave me some comments telling me what you would put in your bag for fashion week, yay!

P.S. Give a little love to Kristen and Kelly; they were amazing!

August 2014 Favorites

MAKE Cosmetics Matte Dew · MAC Hug Me · MAC Viva Glam V Lipglass · MAC Margin Blush · Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer · NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska

How crazy is it that August is over? Gonna be honest though, super stoked for fall weather; leaves changing, chilly nights and gorgeous days. Put me on a rooftop and give me a glass of Pinot and I'll be good. I think I have an obsession with rooftops, guys.

It's been hot in New York — really hot with a stupid amount of humidity that makes you want to shower 341482 times a day. Not cute, therefore minimalism was definitely a thing for me. Less is more and all that jazz. 

To help combat oils, I stuck to the matte side of MAKE's Custom Finish Effects Matte Dew.  It's super silky and will help in any places you need a little less shine. On the other hand, when the nights are cooler, I've been loving the dewy side for a purposely-glowy boost. It's perfect and I really want to try their Face Gloss when the cooler weather comes.

Nude lips are my thing as of late. MAC's Hug Me + Viva Glam V Lipglass are the perfect combo. I usually hate lipgloss but I can't stop wearing this one. If you're looking for a pink nude that leans towards the brown side (as I normally do), definitely check these two out. Obsessed.

While NARS Douceur is my every-day blush of choice, I've started to fall a bit for Margin again. It's kind of a brown peach color with a frost finish so it's gorgeous on tanned / yellow-toned skin. Paired with the aforementioned nude lip and a bit of liner? Hell yes.

Switching gears to bases, Fresh's moisturizer is still in rotation. It's light and hydrating and I can't get enough. NARS Tinted Moisturizer is the new love of my life. It stays on through the hot summer days and doesn't melt off while waiting for the subway (guuuuuuhhhh). The coverage is on the lighter side but totally buildable.

And so we have my August favorites. Let me know if you guys would like me to do separate reviews for any of these! Happy September!