LIFE: Chicago & F21/Inglot Haul

Matt and I work such conflicting schedules that we don't often see each other for more than an hour or two a day. When tax time came around this year we decided we wanted to spend some of our return on a mini vacation, so we jumped on the train and headed to Chicago for the weekend.

Because we've been to Chicago so many times we ended up skipping a lot of the touristy type attractions like Navy Pier and Shedd Aquarium and opted for a more low key weekend of shopping and eating.

We tried to avoid shops we have in our hometown and focus on stores specific to Chicago. My most exciting purchases were at an Inglot counter in Macy's. Here's a look at what I bought.

If you aren't familiar with Inglot, they are a high end cosmetics company based in Europe. They sell insanely pigmented, awesome quality makeup for a fraction of the cost of other high end brands. My favorite part about Inglot Cosmetics is their "Freedom System." You buy an empty palette, of which they offer a variety of sizes, and hand select the products you want to fill them with. While I was shopping they gave me a small magnetic board which allowed me to see exactly how certain shadows would look together in a palette. After spending at least 45 minutes putting together different configurations of shadows, I ended up with two eyeshadow palettes.

I wear some sort of neutral eye just about every day so I wanted to make a palette that I knew I'd get a lot of use out of. The empty trio was $8 and then the shadow pans were $6 a piece, making this trio $26. (Just as a comparison, MAC eyeshadow pans are $12 each so these shadows alone would have been $36 if they had been purchased at MAC.)

The second palette I made was inspired by a display I saw while we were there. I realized that because I tend to do more of a neutral eye every day, I don't have many other colors to work with should I want to venture out of my "norm." This quad took me far longer to assemble than the trio I made because I wanted to really experiment with each blue they offered and see which ones would make the most complete look. Here's the look I came up with for this palette.

Another store I wanted to make sure we visited was Forever21. While we do have one at our mall at home, they don't have a very good selection and I find the staff to be rude and unaccommodating. I ended up finding a couple super cute shirts.

The first top I picked out is a red racer back tank top. I was drawn to it because of the adorable heart pattern. It'll be a great addition to my Summer wardrobe, and it's perfect to layer under a cardigan for work in the mean time. It was $10.80.

The second top I picked out is coral with lace detailing on the shoulders and upper back. (I apologize that it's showing up pink in one photo and orangey in the other. The lighting in our hotel room wasn't great.) It may be a bit too warm for Summer but it'll be a great transitional piece from Winter to Spring. I love, love, love the lace! It was $13.80.

Forever 21 has such great deals on accessories! I've been really into headbands lately and when I found these braided beauties for $1.80 each, I scooped up one of every color. I thought they'd be perfect for days I don't want to put a lot of effort into my hair.

I also picked up two sets of bows. They were also $1.80 each. I got one black and white set and one floral print set. I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of these, but they were cheap and they're incredibly cute!

Surprisingly, I only got one piece of jewelery; a pair of heart shaped earrings. I thought they'd go perfectly with the heart top I picked out. They were a steal at only $1.50. I've actually been wearing them almost every day. So cute!

 I got a couple of miscellaneous items as well. All of the following items were impulse buys. Darn check out lane...gets me every time!


 My first miscellaneous purchase was this knit scarf. It was INCREDIBLY cold in Chicago while we were there and I forgot to bring a scarf so when I saw this scarf clearanced out in a bin by the registers I decided to grab one. I absolutely love the heather gray/taupey color and it was so warm! I'm not sure exactly how much it cost, but I want to say I paid about $3.

I have been experimenting with different eyeliners to figure out which types, and also brands, that I prefer. I found this gel liner for $1.50 so I decided to give it a whirl. To be completely honest, I wasn't at all impressed. It smudged far too easily. But I guess you can't complain when you pay less than $2!

 The final thing I got at F21 were these Hydrating Makeup Cleansing Tissues. There are 30 in each pack and there were two packs taped together for $2.80. They aren't the best quality makeup removing wipes I've ever tried but with a couple, they get the job done.

Of course no post about Chicago would be complete without a couple of Bears devoted pictures, so here ya go!

                                                                          DA BEARS.

TAG: 10 Little Secrets Tag

1. What is one product that makes you feel like a million dollars?

Mascara in general is a bit of a vice for me, but the Organic Wear mascara from Physician's Formula is definitely a product that makes me feel like a million bucks! Even if I decide against wearing a full face of makeup, I don't feel totally undone if I'm wearing this mascara. It lengthens my lashes so well. Love, love, love! 

2. What is your skincare secret?/A passed down skin care tip?

I am probably one of the worst people to ask this question to because I do a HORRIBLE job of taking care of my skin! Most frequently, I will take my makeup off with a remover wipe and then go to bed without washing my face. OOPS!

3. Share your hair care secret?
I have had a few bad haircuts in my lifetime...and when I say a few, I mean most of the cuts I've ever had have been horrible. I have always had a hard time walking into a salon and telling someone exactly what I want so I would say "Oh sure, do whatever you think would look good!" I know, I know. I only have myself to blame. Anyways, after a particularly negative experience, I just quit going to the salon all together. I went several years without so much as a trim. When I finally mustered up the courage to go back they had to take a significant amount of hair because my ends were so damaged. I had to learn the hard way that regular haircuts are the most effective way to get your hair to grow and look healthy. Bottom line? If you've had a bad haircut, don't shy away from salons all together; get back in the saddle. Just be more direct about what you want and if it's not what you hoped for, don't be afraid to ask them to fix it! You're paying for the service. You may as well have what you envisioned.

4. What is your biggest diet rule?

Personally, I don't believe in dieting. As soon as you stop "dieting" and revert back to your old eating habits, you're going to gain the weight back ten fold. So when I am trying to loose weight, I never restrict myself from eating things that I love. The idea is that if allow yourself to eat enough to satisfy the craving, you won't have a full on meltdown and over indulge. This isn't to say that you should eat junk all the time, but everything in moderation is acceptable.

5. Any workout tips?

Don't kill yourself. Everything will come with time. Obviously, if you're working out for the first time, you probably aren't going to be able to run 10 miles or lift 100lbs. It doesn't mean that you won't ever get there...just that you aren't there yet. That being said, don't be afraid to test your limits and challenge yourself. Just let your body guide you in the right direction. Rest when you need to, etc.

6. Which perfume is your secret weapon?
I absolutely swear by "Be Delicious" by DKNY. I have been wearing it for 4 years and I have yet to find a scent that even comes close! I'm not really into floral scents so this perfume works perfectly for me.

7. A clothing item of yours which always turns heads?
I am not they type of person to push boundaries with my wardrobe. I wear a lot of muted colors and jeans. Lame answer, I know. I'm sorry!

8. What is your most treasured piece of jewelery?

Lindsay, my older sister, studied abroad in college. She brought me back the most beautiful earrings from Scotland. They are heart shaped and they have the Celtic symbol at the top. Sadly, I took them off absentmindedly one evening and the dog got a hold of them. Now they're misshaped and the clasps are broken so I have to take them to the jeweler so see if they can be fixed. :(

9. Who is your style crush?

Lauren Conrad. Her style is so flawless! Anything you see her wearing, I would probably wear myself. Her line for Kohl's is gorg.

10. Tell us something we don't know about you.
I LOVEEE Joan Rivers. I think she is wildly hilarious and I am dying to see a live show. If you have never seen her stand up videos, definitely look them up online. She is the ultimate diva!

TAG: My Makeup Story

1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?
I have been wearing makeup since I was in middle school (probably 7th or 8th grade)...But I've only been wearing it correctly for about 6 months. I never took the time to learn technique or form. It never seemed important to me, which is funny considering how much of my time is devoted to it now through blogging, etc.

2. How did you get into makeup?
My interest in makeup came from watching my older sister over the past couple of years. The whole time she was away at college I would look at pictures she posted on her Facebook page and think how gorgeous she always looked. When she graduated and moved back home 2 years ago, I started asking questions and picking up tips here and there from her. Then, about 6 months ago, she turned me onto the beauty community online.

3. What are some of your favorite brands? 
I recently started purchasing MAC products, and love them! I also really love NARS blushes, though I don't own any of my own. For drug store makeup, I LOVE NYX. In fact, I'd have to say that NYX is my all time favorite makeup brand. I've mentioned them on my blog several times before and my feelings have definitely not changed. They offer great, great products at awesome prices and I have loved just about everything I've tried from them.

4. What does makeup mean to you?
Makeup means freedom of expression and the ability to become whoever you want. At least at a surface level.

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face what would they be?
Foundation--because you can always double it up over problem areas in place of concealer.
Blush--because I'm very fair toned and I need color.
Mascara--because I have really long lashes but they're blonde so they're hard to see without mascara. Also, I feel like mascara can really make or break a look.
Lipgloss--because you always need something on your lips and if you find something with good pigmentation you don't need lipstick.

6. What is your favorite thing about makeup?
To me, makeup is an art form. It's a way to express yourself or how you're feeling. I love that you can literally transform your face.

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup?
I don't own a lot of high end makeup. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't justify spending the money on it at this phase in my life. The majority of the makeup I own is from the drugstore and I love it. I also feel like with either type, you're going to have hits and misses. You just have to find what works for you and go with it.

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner?
Take your time and don't get frustrated if a look you're trying to recreate doesn't come out perfectly on your first try. Just like anything else you've had to learn in your life, this takes time and patience but you'll get there!

9. What is one makeup trend you never understood?
Lipstick shades 100x lighter than your natural skin tone. No, that is not a nude lip, ma'am. You look like you died...twice.

10. What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube/Blogger?
I think that it's a great place to meet new people and learn about new products, as well as  new techniques. However, like I've mentioned 100x before, there is a lot of hate and cyber bullying that occurs and I think that's truly sad. If you don't like someone, don't watch their videos or read their blog...pretty simple! Overall, I attribute a lot of what I've learned to watching videos--so I think it's great.