Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope y'all are able to enjoy a stress-free weekend with good wine and good company.

I'll be back next week with new posts!

High & Low: Fall's Most Coveted Black Shoes

High: Stuart Weitzman The Lowland Boot: $875 | Low: Dolce Vita Neeley Slouch Boot: $260 (with code "20BOOTUP")

High: Loeffler Randall Ambra Lace Up Flats: $295 | Low: TopShop KINGDOM Ghillie Pointed Shoes: $95

High: Tory Burch Maya Peep Toe Mules: $350 | Low: ShoeMint Miller Peep Toe Mules: $60

High: Chloé Scalloped Leather Ballet Flats: $475 | Low: LC Lauren Conrad Scalloped Ballet Flats: $30

Not only are the bargain shoes on this list dead ringers for their pricier counterparts, but with the exception of the Lauren Conrad scalloped ballet flats, all of the less expensive options are also real leather. I've already purchased the Dolce Vita & TopShop pairs and can't wait to add the last two to my collection for fall, too!

Two-Minute Affordable Eye Look

Today's look is a two-minute, three product, nine dollar makeup look that you can recreate without even using makeup brushes. All the products I used are from Elf, a brand you can find at your local Target or Walgreens. The Elf baked shadows can be used wet (for a smokier look) or dry (like I used them here), and the smudge pot can be used alone or as an eyeshadow base (they last forever and never crease on me).

I love this super versatile look because it's work appropriate and party appropriate. It's got just the right amount of shimmer and depth without being totally overboard for 9 a.m. This makes my blue-green eyes really pop, but I think it would complement practically any eye color and skin color. In fact, if you've got a rich, deep skin tone, I imagine this would be especially great for an easy every day eye look.

Products Used:

Elf Baked Eyeshadow in  Toasted ($3) | Elf Baked Eyeshadow in Burnt Plum ($3) | Elf Smudge Pot in Ain't That Sweet ($3)

How To:

1. Apply Toasted all over your lid and slightly up into your crease (I used my pointer finger for this). 

You want the most product on your lid and for the color to fade as you get closer to the crease area.

2. Apply Burnt Plum in the outer third of your eye (I used my pinky). 

Use short swiping motions to make sure this color blends nicely in with the Toasted color.

3. Apply Ain't That Sweet in your inner corner.

4. Using your pinky, rub a little bit of Burnt Plum along the lower lash line.

5. Add mascara (and liner, if you like) and you're ready to run out the door to work, a holiday party or happy hour.

Link Line Up

Photo Sources: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10

1. Isn't this outfit just perfection?

2. If you've ever wondered what Shia LaBeouf thinks of his own films, you can find out here. Hint: Transformers 3 isn't exaaaaaaactly a favorite of his.

3. Bring it on, Martha Stewart.

4. Uncropped Instagram photos show what life is really like outside of the social media phenomenon.

5. Movie posters made infinitely better with their Amazon reviews included.

6. Houston, you certainly are a strange, strange, land. (Numbers 6 & 7 crack me up so much.)

7. Even though we have two Apple TVs and a Google Chromecast in our wee little apartment, I foresee us buying the new Apple TV in the very near future because its new features are just so great. 

8. All I have to say is: sparkles. 

9. Brown butter garlic knots. Hallelujah. 

10. In case you've never met a cat before, I highly recommend reading this cat-petting guide before you do so.

Through the Lens (A Round Up of Some of the Random Photos on My iPhone)

The Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

I just so happen to think that the Starbucks holiday cup design is one of their best ever.

Just shut up and buy these, will you? 

Hot cocoa + re-reading the Harry Potter series with the newly illustrated covers

Do you ever just get that feeling that you're being watched? (To be fair, I was eating mac & cheese.)

Bonus photo from the boyfriend's phone:

Drinking martinis & stalking Instagram. (When P showed me this picture, the first words out of my mouth were, "contour on fleek!" I know. I hate myself.)

Sephora VIB Sale: Haul & Recommendations

If you're a Sephora VIB Rouge member, hopefully you took advantage of the 20% off sale that ran from November 6-9. If you're just a VIB member, you can participate in the general VIB sale which starts today and will run until November 16. The code for the upcoming sale is VIB20.

Things I ordered during the 2015 Rouge sale:
NARS Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette ($69)
Beauty Blender kit (two Beauty Blenders, one Micro.Mini & the Rea.activate rehydrator) ($40)
Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation ($62)
Koh Gen Do Pure Cotton facial pads ($12)
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($19)
Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck ($21)
Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara ($32)
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Dry Shampoo ($28)
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Parfum ($100 for 3.4 ounces)

Things I have already tested & recommend + mini reviews:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz ($21): There is no better pencil for filling in your brows. You can make tiny, hair like strokes and can also vary your look from natural to bold depending on how much pressure you apply.
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Parfum ($25-$100): The best way I can describe this perfume is intoxicating. According to Sephora, the notes are violet, sandalwood, and vanilla & the style is sensual, mysterious and warm. Just a tip for the sale: if there's a perfume you're obsessed with, order a backup now to take advantage of the 20% off sale.

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayons ($24): Bite lipsticks are made with food-grade ingredients, so they taste like dessert. The Leche crayon is my favorite nude of all time.

NARS radiant Creamy Concealer ($29): This has a cult following, and for good reason. It has great coverage but doesn't feel too heavy or cakey and resists creasing, as well. Plus, the shade range is bananas.

Jack Black Lip Balm ($7.50): This is the best lip balm I've ever used & they have value kits out now that I'd highly recommend.

Beauty Blender ($20-$40): There's nothing better for achieving a flawless makeup application. If you want to look airbrushed, you need one of these. And a savvy shopping tip: if you need a Beauty Blender during the sale, spring for a kit containing multiple sponges to get the best bang for your buck.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper ($19): The best black eyeliner ever. You can achieve a flawless wing in seconds, and it'll last through any late nights or sob-fests, too.

Tarte Maracuja Oil ($15-75): I recently pulled this out again after a glowing review from Kristina at Pretty Shiny Sparkly (Kristina is a Houston blogger, too!). If you apply a couple drops of this oil before bed, within a few days of repeated use, your skin will arguably be in the best shape it's ever been in.

If you have any holy grail products I should take a look at during the Sephora sale, please leave me a comment!

Three Memorable Vacations

I got this idea from Emily Schuman's post over on Cupcakes & Cashmere. I'm constantly traveling, which I attribute to the sense of wanderlust I was born with thanks to my parents moving us overseas when I was three. It's practically impossible for me to remember every single vacation I've taken, let alone write an entertaining synopsis about each of them. So for now, I thought I'd shine a spotlight on a couple of my favorite trips from the past few years.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam [August 2013]

Duration: Three nights
Reason: Bar trip
What made it so special/memorable: My parents were beyond amazing during mine and the boyfriend's month-long bar trip (we traveled through Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia & Vietnam), but our trip to Vietnam was in a word, spectacular. We rode motorcycles through the city at night, toured the war grounds & crawled through hidey-holes, and ate dinners at abandoned opium refineries.
Vacation in one word: Spectacular (see, I told you!)
Best meal: Garlic chicken & rice at the Hoa Tuc opium refinery
Go-to drink: Gin--mostly because it's generally unsafe to drink liquor in Vietnam unless you bring it yourself, so we bought the biggest bottle of Bombay Sapphire I've ever seen while running through Duty-Free at the airport.
Best thing I packed: My sock bun maker (none of my styling tools worked overseas + humidity is real)
Best thing I brought back: A hand-sewn piece of art depicting Ho Chi Minh City life
Scent associated with the trip: Diesel fuel (this sounds creepy, but every person in Vietnam that is over the age of 13 seems to have a motorcycle, and you cannot escape the noise or smell)

Aspen, Colorado [September 2014]

Duration: Three nights
Reason: Labor Day Weekend
What made it so special/memorable: This was my first time in Aspen (I've been three times in a calendar year, now) and nothing can prepare you for the first time you get to see the landscape. I had never even been up in the mountains before, so on this trip, I spent most of my time staring up at the sky with my mouth gaping open in awe. We explored the town, went to a music festival and hiked Maroon Bells.
Vacation in one word: Breathtaking
Best meal: Aspen Cruds (bourbon, milk & ice cream blended into a shake) & parmesan fries
Go-to drink: The cheapest sparkling wine in Aspen (which was like $18 but still)
Best thing I packed: Target combat boots
Best thing I brought back: An abstract painting found in a thrift store. I sort of got into an argument with one of my friends about who should get to buy it. (She saw it first, but didn't scoop it up. I ultimately won, and it's hanging on our living room wall right now. Sorry, Amy.)
Scent associated with the trip: Firewood

New Orleans, Louisiana [January 2015]

Duration: Two nights
Reason: Spontaneous getaway
What made it so special/memorable: I had been to New Orleans a month prior for my birthday, and long story short, it turned out to be a disaster. I spent weeks reeling from the letdown that was that attempted trip, and the boyfriend had been working extreme hours. So on a dreary Thursday in January, when his schedule miraculously cleared for the weekend, we decided to book a last-minute hotel in New Orleans. We looked at it as a do-over for me and an escape for him.
Vacation in one word: Gratefulness
Best meal: Crawfish étouffée at Jacques-imo's. We waited outside the restaurant for almost three hours, drinking wine and playing Heads Up on our iPhones.
Go-to drink: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager (it was the first weekend of the year that it was available)
Best thing I packed: My cream peacoat
Best thing I brought back: Café Du Monde coffee & chicory
Scent associated with the trip: Galatoire's espresso

I plan to do a few more of these posts over the coming months because I have so many other great trips I want/need to talk to y'all about (Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Santa Fe, Thailand, New York, Indonesia, Harry Potter World, San Fransisco, etc.).

The Decision to Go Cruelty-Free

Why don't we just jump back into blogging with a super serious post? Take things slow, you know? Ease into it?

A couple of months ago, I made the decision (for myself & my boyfriend--luckily he has completely approved) to go cruelty-free with any makeup, skin care, body care & hair care products we purchase from here on out.

This all started when I was reading the back of the shampoo bottles in our shower and realized less than half of them were labeled as "cruelty-free" or had a "no animal testing" disclaimer. I started thinking about all the money I spend on make up and skin care (#hoarder) which got me wondering: exactly how much of my money is supporting brands that are rubbing concealer in bunnies' eyes? By the time I got out of the shower, I had made my mind up (I don't know if I've ever made a decision in nine minutes before...).

I'm not going to be preachy about this because the only thing I hate more than soggy french fries when you get to-go food is people pushing their views in other people's faces. The only real effect this will have on the blog and its content is that I'll only be featuring cruelty-free brands. Practically every beauty good I own is from Ulta, Sephora or Target/the drugstore, so rest assured, if you see something you like, it'll be readily available.

I read somewhere that going cruelty-free is the lazy person's way of making a difference, and I almost spit my coffee out I laughed so hard. Literally all I have to do with this decision is not give money to brands that test on animals. Simple as that. And while the ultimate goal is to live a life where everything we're consuming has animals' best interests in mind, this was just the easiest place for me (and the boyfriend) to start.

New Beginnings

Let's try this again, shall we?