My Old-Hollywood Inspiration

 Love the new album by Girl Talk... and to make it even better, it's free!

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 “Maybe there are 

no right moments, 

right guys, 

right answers

...

maybe you just have to 

say what's in your heart.”

-Carrie Bradshaw, Sex & the City

Glamour in its Purest Form

 

Ready For Spring... Already!

Words can't express how much I adored Valentino's couture lineup for Spring 2010. Body-conscious but flowy, the silhouettes were incredibly sexy but still very wearable. To me, the collection's colors are what made this collection so special... I love how striking the neons are when paired with neutrals. Love it, and hoping next spring will continue the feminine, brightly colored trend- D&G's 2011 RTW collection (see below) gives me hope! Now it's just a matter of waiting for winter to end... but then I guess it has to begin before it ends, right? ;)

Photo credit: style.com

"The Road Less Taken"

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost, 1915

Taylor's Gym Rat Playlist

Working out has been one of my favorite things lately, and more often than not, you'll find me at the gym if I have a free moment. Having a high-energy, kickass iTunes workout playlist makes a tough workout so much easier for me, so hopefully these suggestions help motivate you as well.

Taylor's Gym Rat Playlist:
Bounce- MSTRKRFT (ft. N.O.R.E.)*
Dimmakmmunication- The Bloody Beetroots*
How Low (The Filth Remix)- Ludacris*
Trizzy Turnt Up- A-Trak*
Crysteena (Fear of Tigers Remix)- Mille*
What You Know (Lightsover LA Remix)- Two Door Cinema Club*
1901- Phoenix
You Can Do It- Ice Cube
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger- Daft Punk
Swordfish Hotkiss Night- Empire of the Sun
Dynamite- Taio Cruz
Slam- Onyx
Calabria 2007- Enur ft. Natasja
She Wolf (Moto Blanco Radio Mix)- Shakira
Music Sounds Better With You- Stardust
Sexy Bitch- David Guetta ft. Akon
Purple Haze (Benny Benassi Remix)- Jimi Hendrix
Now You're Gone (DJ Alex Extended Mix)- Basshunter
Hot In Herre- Nelly
Move Shake Drop- DJ Laz ft. Pitbull and Flo Rida
Rock That Body- Black Eyed Peas
Good Girls Go Bad Remix- Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester
Sexyback- Justin Timberlake
Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)- Pitbull ft. T-Pain
Scream- Janet Jackson
Girls on the Dancefloor- Far East Movement
I Can- Chris Brown ft. Lil' Wayne
Jerk It- Thunderheist
Memories- David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi
Satisfaction- Benny Benassi

* From the ATG Workout Mixtape

Other workout remixes I love:
DJ AM's Set from WMC 2008
DJ KrisCut's Cardio Workout Mixtape

Great New Artist

Interesting...

"The largest species of flamingo has been observed using makeup to enhance its signature pink hue in an effort to breed more successfully and form a monogamous sexual partnership. Writing in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Spanish researchers say greater flamingos apply reddish-orange pigments, called carotenoids, from glands near the base of their tails to make their pink coloration brighter. The birds’ main pastel tint comes from pigments in the food they eat. Females apply the makeup more often than males, and those who use it the most breed earlier and more successfully, the researchers say." -Earthweek

My Experience with Latisse

I've always been complimented on my long, dark eyelashes, so it might seem weird that I was excited when I found out that Latisse had become FDA approved. But the way I see it, eyelashes are sort of like shoes- you can never really have too many. ;)

Back in late August, I decided to take the $125 plunge and buy Latisse from my local medical spa. Apparently, my spa had never had a patient so young buy it (I'm 22). While it definitely seemed a little pricey,  I was really excited to try it out. I also ended up getting a free $45 Vivite Defining Lip Plumper by mail, so I figured the price was somewhat justifiable. You get a small box with a pack of 60 wrapped applicators and the TINY bottle of Latisse (3 mL)... and I definitely felt a bit ripped off when I saw the size of the bottle. After washing my face at night, I squeeze a small drop of the Latisse on the applicator brush, brush the liquid on both lash lines, and I'm done within a minute. Super simple! My doctor told me to start off using it every other day to avoid eye irritation, and I've actually stuck to that routine for the past two months. As a result, a month's supply has actually lasted me much longer, and I still have a bit of it left.

My Results:
I first started noticing lash growth after about 2 weeks, although I really noticed dramatic growth after a month. The ads are nothing short of the results I experienced- my already dark, long, thick lashes are significantly longer, so much so that my corner lashes are actually curling up on their own. Paired with my favorite mascara (Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion) and my favorite Shu Uemura eyelash curler, my lashes almost look fake. That being said, I am unsure that I'm going to continue using Latisse. While I love the results, it's not necessarily something that is super noticeable to other people. Already having long lashes, I don't think I can justify spending $125 every few months on something that I don't really need. For someone that has short or sparse lashes, I could definitely see this product as a great investment.

Before:

 

Sorry about the quality, it's the only before photo I have!

After:

 

Both before and after photos are without mascara or the use of an eyelash curler.

Just Move On Up

This blog was once a short-lived way for me to get my thoughts out about superficial interests, and it really didn't turn out to be anything I stuck with. A year ago, my life was completely different from the one I lead today. I was in a relationship of nearly six years, and while I was only 21, I was essentially living the life of a housewife college student. It was comfortable and secure, but I wasn't happy. I'm an extremely passionate person... and that's exactly what I was lacking in my life. My own joie de vivre.

Four months ago, I made the decision to end my relationship. Since that time, I feel like I've made a tremendous amount of growth and change to my life. While it's been anything but easy or simple, I feel like I'm becoming a happier, more complete me... the girl I'm supposed to be. At the end of the day, I've chosen to live my life without regrets and without fear... to embrace change and to find beauty in uncertainty.

Life is too short to be anything but happy. xx

Changes

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Petticoat

MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Powder in Petticoat is a cult favorite of many bloggers, although I resisted purchasing it when it was actually available. Since it was limited edition, I ended up missing out and had to find it at a CCO outlet to get in on this product. So glad I did! It's so beautiful, and gives such a different look that I haven't found with any other blush or beauty powder. The best way I can describe this powder is that it gives a sheer rosy glow, giving you an artificial halo-y like look. The first few times I mistakenly used a heavy hand applying it, thinking it would be difficult to overdo. So wrong on that on! The key to this product is light application because a little goes a long way. You can wear it on it's own, but I actually found I like to lightly apply this after using Benefit's Dallas blush. Pretty on the skin and pretty in the package- this one is a winner. (Now you just have to find it!)