Another True Blood Beauty Collection!

I am a ginormous True Blood fan, so I was super excited when I found out via InStyle that HSN will be releasing a beauty collection inspired by the show which will be available on August 9th. Tarte already made a relatively small True Blood collection which I did check out at Sephora, but in all honesty nothing seemed unique enough that I felt I had to have it.

The HSN collection appears to be much more extensive than Tarte's, and I'm especially intrigued by the Forsaken perfume (pictured below.) I'm a total sucker for a pretty bottle, and this one looks completely different (see: less girly) than anything else I already own. The scent is described as "... a very sexy fragrance that any woman can wear anytime when she wants to feel ultra-feminine, yet sultry." 

The collection also includes a set of nailpolishes inspired by Sookie, Jessica and Pam for $25. Though they come as a set, I'm the most interested in "Bad Blood" (on the left) inspired by Pam.

 I would have preferred a girlier route with Pam, one of my favorite things about her style is how seamlessly she switches between leather-clad dominatrix-esque outfits to pink cardigans and pencil skirts and I think a homage to her versatility would have been a better reflection of her character. One of her best quotes is "I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear their problems. Maybe I smile too much. Maybe I wear too much pink." A hot pink polish with a bit of a twist -- black glitter maybe -- would have been way cooler in my opinion. 

Fun fact: Pam is actually my spirit animal. 

The center polish is called "Strange Love" and is inspired by Jessica, and I rather like the color choice. Jessica is as sultry as it gets, but she's also a bit goofy and naive. A sexy but not too dark color seems perfect. And then there's "New Flesh" inspired by Sookie. It's beige and bland. Fitting. 

Are you a fan of True Blood? If so, how do you feel about the color choices for the characters? Tell me in the comments! 

{Image Credits: College Candy, InStyle)

Summer Essentials 2012

Even though I still have two weeks of classes left, the weather says Summer is definitely here which means time to go shopping for light weight fabrics and the latest trends. Thankfully, I've never been much of a trendmonger. I follow what's in style mainly so I can find out what will be easy to find in stores that already matches my personal aesthetic. I'm excited for pastels and retro themed items, though I'll definitely be skipping over the stylized athletic look.

As a girl who loves her layers and cardigans, there is unfortunately a huge hole in my wardrobe where stand alone Summer pieces should be and I've found myself a bit uncomfortable in the heat lately. I guess a trip to the mall is in order, and here's what's on my absolute must have list for Summer of 2012!

1. Cat-Eye Sunglasses (Mossimo, $16.99)
For some extra oomph, try adding a DIY touch like pastel tips or rhinestones.

2. Silk Scarves (Roberto Cavalli, $198)
For days when I just don't feel like styling my hair I like to wrap it in a lightweight scarf, Old Hollywood style.

3. Lace Dress (Miss Selfridge, $68)
Lace and pastel dresses are a bit reminiscent of Spring time, but I don't see why that can't carry over to Summer. Ultra-feminine pieces like the one above make me want to have a picnic in the park and bring a parasol.

4. Clean Scented Perfume (Acqua di Gioia, $39.50-$82.00)
I like to have a different perfume for every season. Spring was Versace Bright Crystal, but Summer calls for a fresher fragrance.

5. Beach Tote (J.Crew, $49.50)
Even if you don't live near a beach, oversized totes are great for festivals and pool parties too. You can keep your sunglasses, swimsuit, sunscreen, flip-flops or anything else you may need in one of these.

6. High-Waisted Shorts (Jane Norman, £ 32.00)
I don't like wearing normal cut shorts. Lucky for me, the high waisted variety not only give off the retro vibe that I love but they also sit much more comfortably on my hips.

7. Bright Nail Polish (Essie, $8.00)
I don't even think I should have to explain why bright nails and Summer go together like ice cream and cake. I'm in love with Essie brand nail polish lately, the staying power is way better than any other brand that I've tried.

8. Polka Dot Bikini (Betsey Johnson, $67.20)
It doesn't necessarily have to be itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny, but I love polka dots in most anything; especially swimwear.


What are your favorite Summer trends? What's on your absolute must-have list for the season? Tell me in the comments!

Top 5 Favorite LUSH Products

In my previous post How To Get Perfect Skin, I talked about some of the products I use in my skin care routine. Many of my favorite products are from LUSH Cosmetics, a company that specializes in organic beauty and bath products.

I've tried a variety of  products from LUSH since I discovered the shop tucked away at the Macy's in Mayfair Mall about three years ago. While some of the cosmetics I bought I certainly could live without, a few others became absolute essentials which I wanted to share!

1. "It's Raining Men" Shower Gel 

($9.95-$27.95)

This was allegedly a limited edition product the first time I bought it, but seems to have been added to the permanent line. With good reason, because this is the single best smelling body wash I have ever used ever. It smells like honey and flowers and candy and rainbows, and the scent lingers ever so subtly even after I'm out of the shower. I have the 16.9 oz. bottle and it's lasted me well over a year. The "best if used by" date has already passed, but I haven't noticed any difference in the smell or quality yet. 

2. "Breath of Fresh Air" Toner

($8.95-$19.95)

The concept of toners seemed sort of gimmicky to me at first, but being the adventurous gal that I am I decided to take the plunge one day and get a small bottle just to try it. I love the way it makes my face feel, especially during the Summer or after a shower. It's a nice, tight, clean feeling which makes my skin noticeably more supple. LUSH toners also come in little tabs, but I've only ever tried the bottled variety because I'm lazy. 

3. Gorilla Solid Perfumes 

($10.95)

I have a few of these, so it's difficult to pick just one to showcase. I use Lust the most though, it's a rich and musky scent; very sexy. I love these because of how convenient they are. I keep one or two in my purse at all times in case I need a quick dab of something delicious smelling while at work or out and about. You only really need one quick little dab too, the scent is extremely concentrated so one tube will last you an eternity. I also suggest Vanillery and Karma. 

4. "Buffy" Body Butter

($11.95-$22.95)

A body exfoliant and moisturizer all in one, Buffy is tons of fun to use and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. After I'm done washing in the shower, I rub this all over and then massage the crushed up nuts and beans into my arms and legs to scrub away dead skin cells. I've found that one of the 3.3 oz bars will last approximately 10 uses, and using it two or three times a week will suffice. It's especially effective for smoothing out freshly shaved legs and preventing itching. I've also tried King of Skin, but I prefer Buffy. 

5. "Dark Angels" Facial Cleanser 

($26.95)

Dark Angels is the holy grail of skin care for me. It was unavailable for a few months about two years ago because they were changing the formula around a bit, and I literally checked back every week to see if it was in stock. In the mean time I had used Herbalism instead, but it just wasn't the same. The nice thing about LUSH's cleansers is that there are different varieties to suit different skin types, so while Dark Angels is perfect for me, another might be better suited to your needs. I like Dark Angels because of the sugar scrub (can you tell I'm all about exfoliation?) and because of how well it cleans out difficult blemishes like black heads. In stores it's possible to purchase whatever size or dollar amount you want, I usually get about $15 worth at a time and it lasts me several months. 

Have you ever tried any LUSH products? What did you try and what did you think? Tell me in the comments!

Happy Holidays!

I hope whatever Holiday you and your family celebrate was fantastic! My family isn't religious, but we still celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Eve we have an extended family party. I taught my family how to play Werewolf. For those of you unfamiliar, Werewolf is a fairly simple role playing game where you draw a card that assigns you the role of either a Werewolf or a Villager, and the goal is to kill off the opposite team without knowing the other players' roles (It's very Christmas-y, no?) It was my first time moderating the game, and it was actually kind of fun being "in the know."

Christmas Day I have dinner with my immediate family and my grandmother. My sister woke me up early to open presents. It's a little funny to think back to when I was a kid and how I couldn't sleep because Santa was coming, and sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and stare at the presents under the three waiting until morning so I could open them. Now someone has to wake me up and I roll out of bed only begrudgingly.

Here's what I got!

I love, love, love this Betsey Johnson watch. I remember being at Boston Store with my mom a few weeks ago and pointing these out to  her. She picked a good color, I probably would have gone with hot pink only to realize it doesn't match anything I have. I like the gold face with rhinestones and the iridescent cream colored band though, I'm sure it will go with almost everything.

On the same trip to Boston Store I was helping my mother pick out a new perfume, and I told her I liked Armani Code. She went with a different Armani Perfume: Acqua di Gioia, but I guess she picked this up for me too. I love it when I get presents that show that the person was listening closely to the things that I said I liked earlier in the year.

My sister bought me this gorgeous tea pot. I got a teacup and saucer from her last year, she certainly knows how much I love tea.

Tell me in the comments what you got for Christmas!