Category — style & beauty

(Banana Republic dress, Ann Taylor clutch, Madewell necklace, BCBG bracelet, Zara shoes)

Here’s what I wore to the Target Garden Party I went to on Saturday. As I mentioned before, I’ve been all about color lately. But as much as I love the color green, I never thought it was color that looked good on me so I never wore it. The dress looked so pretty on the hanger, I thought I would just give it try. I loved the dress and realized how silly I was being about swearing off this color. Pairing the dress with nude shoes would have been the obvious choice (for me, anyway), so I decided to contrast the dress with black and white for a look that can go from day to night. I also cannot get enough of dresses with pockets. The dress wears more effortlessly and makes it more versatile for different occasions.

With all the vertigo nonsense, I haven’t been to a brand event in quite some time. It was with fingers crossed and lots of prayer that I made it out without a hint of dizziness on Saturday to the Target Beauty Garden Party in Beverly Hills. It was certainly an awesome way to break back into the social world – Great food, fun people and, well, Target. Who doesn’t love Target? I can’t go into that store without leaving with a hundred things I had no intention on buying.

As if I didn’t love Target’s products and collaborations enough, they launched a Premium Skin Care Collection to take care of your beauty needs morning to night. I spoke with several Target Beauty consultants who were at the party about my skin care needs, and got a few great recommendations. I’m excited to try the Laneige products, which were suggested to me because I have combination skin and use Retin-A. My skin gets very dry and flaky, and needs extra hydrating TLC throughout the week. I’m always looking for a great gel or cream to keep my skin looking supple and flawless.


Loved meeting new beauty bloggers and women who are enthusiastic about looking and feeling their best. The party was in a beautiful home, so the vibe was super cozy and welcoming.


I got a bit picture happy because I just love party details. Products were spread about the estate and adorned with flowers, drapes and delicious food. Not one stone was left unturned when it came to creating a beautiful garden party setting. Exactly what I envision for myself when I shop for home decor and products. You got me Target. Tons of fabulous items under one roof for all my lifestyle needs!

It was a wonderful afternoon I plan on following up with a visit to Target this week. I had not talked to a Target Beauty Consultant when I’ve gone shopping before but I totally recommend it now, especially because their new collection is pretty extensive -Laneige, La Roche-Posay, MD Complete By Dr. Brian Zellickson, Borghese, Own Skincare, Vichy, and 29 Lydia Mondavi. If you try these products, let me know what you think!

(Banana Republic dress and clutch similar, Zara heels similar)

I haven’t been shopping in months so when this chica spent the afternoon perusing the stores, I just felt like diving into all things color. I typically stick to black and white but as of late, I’ve been craving bright yellows and greens. The brighter the better.

Even though I’m craving sunny colors these days, I always stick with a classic silhouette. An A-line is always the perfect go-to dress for a slimmer look. It’s also feminine and perfect for hot days, and can be paired with heels or flats. And although flats are probably what I should be wearing considering my back is not where it should be yet, I just cannot live without heels. I was so happy to whip these out of closet – Even if it was just to wear for a short bit!

My mother always watched old Hollywood films when I was growing up, especially Katherine Hepburn movies. Her hair and makeup was always so flawless, and her personality and sass made her all the more perfect. I was more drawn to the Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr and Ava Gardner when it came to beauty and fashion icons.

But really, as much as I love old Hollywood glamour, it’s not exactly a look I can keep up most of the time. But if you narrow it down to the basics, you can definitely pull off an inspired look for a night out. I stick with inspired by and simple to do. All you really need is a great foundation, two eyeshadows, one mascara, one eye liner, a rosy blush and a red lipstick. Alright, you need a few more things but it won’t take that long, and you’ll be ready for your date in no time.

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Chinese New Year is upon us and as you can tell – I. Am. Inspired. I feel so fortunate to have grown up in the cultural wonderland that is NYC. So much of my upbringing was influenced by the diversity that surrounded me. It’s always interesting when people ask me “what are you?” because I almost feel like a hybrid of different cultures. For example, my neighborhood landscape included many family-owned businesses who were from all over the world.These experiences simply became a part of who I am and from it I fell in love with the artistic expressions of countries like India, Japan and China. After college, I got a job as an educator for the Bronx Museum (Latino, African American and Asian contemporary art) and I really got a chance to delve into the beauty and history of Asian culture, particularly Chinese culture and their theatrical productions. I was very familiar with their beautifully embellished images of Chinese women and men draped in intricate garments with breathtaking makeup to match. However, I didn’t know that it came from The Chinese Opera and was also used to celebrate Chinese New Year.

We are now entering the year of the horse and I wanted to have a bit of makeup fun with the colors red and gold, which symbolize luck and wealth. My first image is a classic red lip look but inspired by The Chinese Opera with a more dramatic eye. The nails are a take on the flowers typically used in Chinese New Year – Plum Blossom and Azaleas. In the second picture, I combined pink, red and gold to create a wearable everyday Spring look. My last picture is definitely not what I would consider an everyday look for me, but it was a lot of fun to recreate. If you’d like to shop these looks, I have all the details on Babble … or you can just use this as inspiration to create your own makeup looks inspired by Chinese New Year. It’s a lot fun to play around. My boyfriend and I stayed up late shooting pictures and trying out different ideas. Hence the more the conceptual take on makeup than I usually do.

May this year bring you lots of happiness!

I own a few peplum tops, and have a love/hate relationship with them. I really have to be in a frilly sort of mood to wear one unless they have a more structured or flowy look, if that makes sense. The top I’m wearing wouldn’t technically be considered a peplum but I’m favoring this silhouette a lot more. It’s way more flattering if you have curves. I really like the asymmetrical cut too. It’s a jersey knit, so it’s super comfortable and can be dressed up or down.

(Heather Pleated Asymmetrical top, Asos pencil skirt, Chinese Laundry heels, Ann Taylor bag)

Last Spring, black and white was all the rage. However, the thing about trends is that it’s all about reinventing and modernizing an already classic look. Well, for the most part. I can think of a few trends that don’t resonate with anything classic (acid wash jeans). But black and white will always remain a classic no matter how you dice it up. In fact, it’s one of my favorite “non-color” color combos! As I’m sure you noticed.

I’m wearing Zara’s monochromatic striped sheer top from last Spring similar here. Here are a few

This post is in collaboration with Conair. All opinions are my own.

As I’ve gotten older, I focus more and more on my skin and hair. I feel that if your hair is shiny and your skin is glowing, all you really need is a bit of mascara and gloss, and you’re all set to go. And with holiday season right before us, I really need to be able to get ready quickly for events after a full day of work. When Conair reached out to me about their Infiniti Pro and Cleansing Brush, I definitely wanted to try it out. I actually used to use a Conair hair dryer years ago when I was in college (it has since been discontinued) that I couldn’t live without. Similar to the Infiniti, it had a comb attached and cut down on my drying time. In fact, I had it down to 30 minutes – pin straight!

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