Happy new week, Mes Amies!!

I'm so excited to bring you today's post. The 4th installment of "Duping Divas". This is the series where we take a high end cosmetic and find a true, less expensive "dupe" of it.  Admittedly, there post are few and far between. (Read the other installments of this series HERE , HERE and HERE ) This is not on account of malaise or anything of that ilk. The reason why these posts come only ever so often is because I have to have items that are truly dupes for the higher end counterparts. Not items that are "similar" or "close enough". They have to be nearly interchangeable with the more expensive products in order to be featured here.

I think this edition of this series was worth the wait 😉 

My long beloved "Good Genes" by Sunday Riley has a serious rival in The Oridanary's Lactic Acid serum.

I've long been a user of lactic acid. It exfoliates and aids in the hydration of the skin. Sunday Riley's version is $85 (or $122, depending on the size)  The Orinary's version is $10.

You save $75

I've been wearing Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey since I was a teenage girl back in the late '90's. Its the perfect shade and consistency. 

Now, everything 1990's is "in" again. My beloved black honey was out of stock. I saw Elf's Sheer Lipstick in Black Cherry and decided to give it a try.  Low and behold, they are nearly identical. The Clinique version is $20, the e.l.f. version is $5.

You save $15 

In the fall and winter, I try to use more cream based cosmetics instead of those that are powder.

My go to for warming up my complexion is Chanel's Les Beiges Bronzing Cream.

Its a great product that has gone viral. Because of this, my shade was sold out. While at Ulta, I saw Color Pops SOL Face and body bronzing cream.

WOW. The only discernable difference is the packaging. Oh, and of course, the price. Chanel's version is $50, Color Pop's is $15.

You save $35

You know that "no makeup, but still perfection" look that some folks are blessed with? Well, these foundations are your ticket to achieving that look yourself. They look as if you are not wearing any foundation at all. But, they still blur away discoloration and give your skin an almost filtered effect. 

Fenty's version is $30, Wet n' Wild's version is $5.

You save $25

Could these two be anymore alike? I doubt it! On top is Charlotte Tilbury's iconic "Pillow Talk" lipstick. This lipstick has a cult like following. Its in my bag (my 3rd tube!) right now! Its $38 and worth every cent. You can find a nearly identical dupe in Flower Beauty's Petal Pout in "Spiced Petal" for only $8.

You save $26

For as much as I love boujee, high end cosmetics, lipgloss is a category where i often choose to "save". I have to reapply it so often, that its just not worth it to me to spend $$. The expectation I would make was for Nars Lip-gloss in Turkish Delight because the color and consistency were so ideal. 

One day at Target, I saw Revlon's "The Gloss" in Sky Pink.   They are identical twins! The Nars version is $24, The Revlon version is $6 

You Save $19

That's it for this episode of "Duping Divas" As I discover more, I'll be bringing them to you. Remember, sharing is caring. Let me know if there any dupes that you know about!

XO,

Happy Friday!

Today I wanted to share with you the new favorite snack food at our house.  Savory roasted chickpeas (aka Garbanzo beans).  This recipe is adapted from one in Gordon Ramsey's "Healthy, Lean and Fit" ORDER THAT BOOK HERE

Last month while we were on vacation, we ate at Hell's Kitchen. Oh. My. Gawd, to say it was amazing would be an understatement. 

• 32 Ounce can of chicpeas
• 2.5 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 TSP each of sea salt & cracked black pepper
• 1 TSP Garlic powder
• 1 TSP of Onion Powder
• 1 TSP of smoked paprika 
• 1 TBS Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Directions

• Drain and rinse chickpeas from can. Lay them out flat on the counter on absorbent paper towels. Gently pat them as dry as you can. Leave them layout out flat for 15-30 minutes to continue to dry them. Do not skip this step. In order to get these to be crispy & crunchy, you need to get them as dry as possible. 
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spread the chickpeas out evenly.
• Top with olive oil and spices. 
• Place in over, every 10-12 minutes, use a wooden spoon to move them around so that they will roast evenly. Do this for roughly 30 minutes.
• For the last 10 minutes, kick the oven up to 400
• Once they are finished, enjoy! Wait until they are cooled fully before putting them into any type of food storage.

Welcome to a new week, babes. 

Last week on Instagram, I posted the above photo to my stories. It generated a bit of interest. Several folks said "Let me know what you think!" or "I was thinking about getting this too!"

Before we go any further... what is it we are talkin about here?  A shampoo, conditioner and leave in treatment for your hair. Here is what Redken says :

Details

I decided to give this a try because lately I've had a LOT of breakage. I have done "all the right things", but because of a medical condition, my hair has gone on a snapping spree.

My hair is VERY thick, very course and I have a TON of it. (My colorist uses enough color for 3 other clients to do my hair.)

So far, I've used this once ( I wash my hair 2x/week). While its FAR to early to tell how it will work long term, so far I'm VERY impressed.

After the wash but before the conditioner my hair already felt so much softer. Once I had conditioned and put in the leave-in, I was blown away. 

The real "magic" began when I started to dry it. My hair was so smooth and manageable. Blow-drying was quick and easy.

Its too early to tell long term how much this will help. However, my initial 1st impression in 1000% favorable. I had 0 breakage in my comb. I wore black tops the past two days specifically to see if I'd have any  noticeable hair fallout. I had none. 

My hair feels smooth and hydrated from roots  to ends . 

The scent is clean and light.  Its a very faint citrus essence.  The only real "con" that I can think of is the price. All three items were $90 pretax. I look at it like this, if buying these saves my hair and saves me from buying a bunch of other products, its money well spent.

As I get further into the use of this line, I'll update you!

XO,

Happy almost weekend!! How did we get to the 1/2 point of this September so quickly?

Anyhow, a couple of weeks ago when we were on vacation I got to go to my favorite Sephora (The one in the Venetian).  I added a few items to my cosmetics arsenal. I ended up LOVING all of these things and think that maybe you might love them too! I'm not going to bother adding links here as everything is from Sephora.

Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Hairdressers Invisible Oil

I LOVE this stuff. Its a mighty hair product powerhouse. Its a heat protectant, shine enchasing, frizz fighting product. Unlike most hair oils, this is clear, not gold or amber in color. Why does this matter? Well, it doesn't add unwanted gold to my cool toned highlights.

Natasha Denona Retro Eyes

Berry shades are all the rage for Fall '21 makeup. When I saw this palette, I loved how it was the "colors of the season", but also the colors that look best on my green eyes. 

  

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

I love how makeup trends are reverting back to a more natural aura. This tinted moisturizer provides plenty of coverage (and SPF protection!) all while letting my skin still look like skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Dance Floor Princess

This is the shade I bought when I accidentally bought Kim KW as well.

This lipstick is so hydrating, perfect going into the fall. It has just a subtle touch of pink while still retaining its "nude" classification.  

Are there any new palettes, lippies or hair products that you have your eye on?

XO,

Deep breath in. (Me, not you) Today's post might ruffle some feathers.  Today, we are going to discuss items that are officially "out of style". These are things that those "in the know" think we just should not be wearing at all anymore. 

Full disclaimer here....none of these are coming from me. Its not me telling you that these things are "out". I'm simply compiling the info into this one post. Also, it goes without saying that "you do you." If there is something that you love and feel good in it, who cares if "They" say its out?

Okay, with no further ado...

1) The Skinny Jean

Yup, its DONE. Its over. Last year, all of the fashion mags that I read would say "Don't stop wearing your skinny jeans, just stop buying new ones."  Now, everything says "JUST STOP. DON'T WEAR THEM." 

A dear friend of mine was lamenting about how her 14 year old niece loves "Mom Jeans" and wouldn't touch  skinny jeans with a 10 foot pole.  She said "Do they not know how hard we railed against those things? We spent all of the late 90's and 00's making them go away?!"

I had to point out the irony here. Years ago we were perplexed by the older (than us) people who just wouldn't let go of a dead fad, and yet here she was doing exactly that. 

Change is hard, but I'm not too upset over this one. Skinnies lasted longer than most other fads. To me, the seem tired at this point. Plus, all the other jeans are more comfortable. 

This Recent Article from Elle Magazine showcases all of the many alternatives that are hot.

2) Round Toe Shoes

6) Tie-Dye Anything

Get rid of it. Donate it, use it as a rag to wash your windows, just don't wear it. Why? Well, because its now associated with the 2020 pandemic lockdown. That's when tie-dye blew up big time. Now, that's a time we'd all just like to forget. Tie-Dye is associated with very bad time. If YOU don't want to be associated with that same bad time, steer clear.

Again, remember if any of these things speak to you, you keep wearing them. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Regardless of what you wear, I see you. You are beautiful.

XO,

Happy Monday, Mes Amies!

Did you have a fun fall weekend? This summer girl knows that she needs to be realistic. Its time to start filtering more fall pieces and packing away the shorts and tanks. (Here in New England, the temperature is starting to change)

As always, Target is coming in STRONG with on trend fall styles.  I ran to the bigger, better Target a few towns over this weekend. These are the goodies that came home with me.

Camo Sweatshirt $15.00

What tye-dye was to 2020, camo is to 2021-2022. I'm inclined to believe that camo wont fizzle out as quickly as tye-dye did.  The later has a bad connection to pandemic era lock downs.

However, even if this camp trend goes out as quickly as it came in, this super soft and cozy sweatshirt is only $15.00.

High Rise Straight Leg Jeans

Are you not ready or willing to get on board with the "mom jean" trend, but yet you are realize that those skinny jeans are getting more dated by the minute? What's the solution? The straight leg jean, that's what. If you are like me and have short legs, you'll love the elongating effect of this front seam.

Striped Sweater $29.00
 

I tell you, its becoming increasing difficult to distinguish Target's Knox rose brand from Free People.

This sweater is no exception.  Its so soft and looks far more expensive than it is.

Cream Combat Boots

Back during Nordstrom's Anniversary sale I hemmed and hawed over a pair of cream colored combat boots. Ultimately, I decided against them. I'm so glad that I did because I like this pair from Target even better. Oh and these come in at $120 LESS THAN the other pair. Total WIN!

Aside from the shopping that I did on vacation, this was my 1st round of fall shopping this year. Its getting real. RIP Summer.

XO,

Hi Friends!

Happy Thursday!

Okay, things are finally starting to settle down and I feel as if I can get back to checking in her 3 times each week.

How have you all been? The Mister and I just got back from a much needed vacation. The 1st in three years. In 2019 we had a dying dog that we wouldn't leave and in 2020...well.. no explanation needed. I fully admit that I am a homebody. I traveled extensively in my 20's, and by and large am happier at home now. BUT 3 years was far too long. We made up for it though! We had some amazing dinners, did some serious shopping (yes, even Chad!)  and all in all had an AMAZING time.

This was at Hell's Kitchen. I need to find a place to wear this dress again. This is a dress from Halston Heritage. I became so infatuated with Halston after watching the Netflix series on him.  If you have not yet seen it, watch it. Its SO good.

We stayed at the Wynn Las Vegas Book A Room Here . This hotel is all about luxury and it shows, especially in the details. 

Also , its right across the street from The Fashion Show Mall . What I wouldn't give to have a shopping center like this local to me. On 2nd thought, maybe its for the best that I don't.  They have the largest Lululemon store that I have seen. I did some serious damage there on morning 😐

One of the benefits of not being much of a drinker / partier is that I would wake up bright and early. Because of this, I was able to get a workout in. I did something I've wanted to do for awhile... run the Vegas strip. (Not all of it, that would be 8.5 miles round trip! Although, that might be a goal to work toward! 😉)