"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening." -Coco Chanel



Monday, October 19, 2015

My Best Friend (Is a STAR!)

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I have some rather exciting news, not about myself, but rather my best friend! (Just a heads up, this is an all right bragging post) A few months ago, my best friend became a certified makeup artist and has been doing some really awesome jobs here and there since graduating. It turns out that she did yet another amazing shoot with a very talented photographer and that her own makeup looks/designs were featured in an online magazine!!! I could not be more proud of her! I've linked the article below and I've posted her Instagram, which features some of her gorgeous looks, as well for you all to check out! It still amazes (not really, because she's always been amazing) me how far she has come in her life with her career and I could not be more proud to call her my best friend and honorary sister! If you'd like to follow her through her journey of becoming an A class makeup artist (not that she isn't already) you can follow her @charmingfacesbychristina or at her personal account @darkwavemermaid on Instagram! I hope you all will fall in love with her and her work just as I have! (Rant over, and yes, I warned you about having one of those "proud parent" moments, but I just couldn't help myself!) Congratulations again Christina! xx

Until next time!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xx


leila

kelli

Photo credits:
Ericka, Kelli, Leila, styled by Kacey Barnes @_jusyteen_ with make up by Christina Couch @darkwavemermaid

Monday, September 21, 2015

67th Primetime Emmy's Best Dressed

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I, like the other couple million people that tuned into the 67th Primetime Emmy's, got to experience some of the night's best and worst fashion decisions. However, I decided not to dwell on the negative. So, I've decided to share some of my top fashion picks of the night! Hope you all enjoy seeing my personal favorites of the night!

Laura Prepon in Christian Siriano 


So this may be a bit biased, seeing as I'm already obsessed with Christian Siriano's designs and OITNB's Laura Prepon, but this gown is absolutely STUNNING! The minute Laura walked onto the red carpet my jaw dropped and the thought of "HOT DAMN!" came into my head. Laura looks so strong, stylish, and drop-dead gorgeous in this dress! Definitely my best dressed of the night! 

Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell


This look of Gaga's just HAD to be mentioned! She looked so classically gorgeous! I can definitely see her taking over the acting world in this new regal and classic look of hers! Definitely one of Gaga's best looks yet!

(Emmy Winner) Allison Janney in La Bourjoisie


For a gorgeous 55 year-old woman, she carries this daring dress BEAUTIFULLY! I could not have seen anyone else on that red carpet carry this look as well as Allison Janney does! You go girl! 
 
Yael Stone in Unknown


Orange is the New Black? More like pink is the new black! Yael Stone looks gorgeous in this bubblegum pink ballgown. Definitely one of the top dressed OITNB cast members this evening! 

Emma Roberts in Jenny Packham 


Emma Roberts captures the Old Hollywood Glam look beautifully in this sparkling champagne Jenny Packham gown! If THIS is how Chanel #1 dresses on the red carpet, I cannot wait to see her gorgeous style is incorporated with her character in Scream Queens!

(Emmy Winner) Uzo Aduba in Jonathan Cohen


Uzo Aduba, a recent Emmy winner, looked radiant in this Jonathan Cohen gown! It was a beautiful color for her and it had the perfect amount of 'drama' in the black splatters at the waistline. A clean, but beautiful, look for Uzo! 
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Oscar de la Renta


Although Maggie Gyllenhaal did not win an Emmy tonight, she did win a best dressed award (from yours truly) for her look at tonight's red carpet! Such a bold color with a classic shape! She carried this dress with such grace and beauty! This is probably one of her best red carpet looks to-date! 

Julianne Hough in Marchesa


Julianne Hough looking va-va-voom in this amazing Marchesa gown! She filled this dress perfectly and was careful not to outdo the dress with bold accessories and makeup. This was probably one of the most sexy and daring looks of the night, and she ROCKED IT!

January Jones in Ulyana Sergeenko


January Jones looks gorgeous in pretty much everything, but this Ulyana Sergeenko jumpsuit was a brilliant choice for her! Not only was this jumpsuit glamorous, it was also one of the less-dressy garments seen on the red carpet tonight. Not to mention the bright emerald green color! It was a daring, but gorgeous choice that only she could pull off.

Lena Headey in Zuhair Murad 


Lena Headey's dress and I had a love-hate relationship when I first saw her walk onto the red carpet, but once she made her way down to the stage to join her Emmy winning Game of Thrones cast-mates, my jaw dropped in awe! This gown looks so beautifully constructed with a shape that flatters Lena's slim figure. And the beautiful wine/burgundy color with the matching sheeny netting was just too gorgeous for words! All I can say is, Lena, you have gained yourself many many style points in my book!

I hope you all enjoyed seeing my list of "best dressed" at the 67th Primetime Emmy's! Comment down below what looks were your favorites! Also, if you're interested in seeing my "worst dressed" picks, comment below and I'll see if I can quickly compile my list into a blog post. Until next time! x

-The Sophisticated Shopper xx

Friday, August 14, 2015

The Lipstick Tag

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I hope you all had a fabulous July and are having an even better August! Today, I decided to do one of the fun tagged blog posts that is circulating around the beauty blogger community. This is called "The Lipstick Tag." I decided that I NEEDED to do this post because lipsticks (along with many other beauty items) are one of the things I collect and obsess over! In this tag I'll be showing you some of my go-to lipsticks, favorite lipstick brands, and absolute favorite lipsticks from my collection that I am ALWAYS reaching for.

So without further adue, here are my answers to "The Lipstick Tag" questions!

How many lipsticks do you own?
Oh boy…this is a tough question…if I don’t include lip lacquers, liquid lipsticks, and lip-glosses I would have 67 lipsticks (not counting the 17 lipsticks I purchased the other day on e.l.f’s website…whoops…lol)

What was your first ever lipstick?
My first ever lipstick was Wet & Wild’s 530D/ Dark Pink Frost. It’s kind of sad…I still have the original lipstick AND a new tube of the same lipstick. It’s cool to think that my first lipstick is still around to be purchased and is still only $0.98!


What is your most worn lipstick?
My most worn lipstick has to be NYX’s Butter Lipstick in the color Pops. It is SUCH a versatile color and it is such a creamy formula!



What is your favorite brand for lipstick?
I would have to say that my favorite brand for lipstick has to be NYX lipsticks. One of my favorites from their brand is their NYX Butter Lipsticks. Although these guys aren’t crazy long lasting, these are SUPER creamy and feel AMAZING on the lips!



What is your favorite finish?
My favorite finish is either a butter/cream finish or a matte finish. It just depends on how dry or chapped my lips are.

What is the last lipstick you bought?
The last lipstick I bought was e.l.f’s lipstick in Posh, which is a deep purple/mauve. I figured it would be a perfect color for fall and it was on sale today on e.l.f.’s website for only $0.50! (I bought a wholeeeee lot of lipsticks the other day on e.l.f’s website but this lipstick was the last one added to my cart.)



How many lip products do you currently have in your bag?
I currently have 6 different lip products in my bag. I have 3 lipsticks, 2 chapticks/lip balms, and 1 lip-gloss in the purse that I use every day. I’m fairly positive that I have many more lip products hiding in my other bags.

What lipstick do you use to rock a red lip?
My #1 go-to lipstick for a bold, red lip is my Laura Geller’s creamy lipstick in Chile Red. It is soooo creamy and it has an amazing staying power! It’s the perfect blue-toned red for paler skin tones, such as my own.



How do you store your lipsticks?
I tend to store my lipsticks in acrylic lipstick holders that hold 12 lipsticks each. I have 4 of these lipstick holders and one four-compartment acrylic case with lipstick in it. I also have all of my liquid lipsticks, lip-glosses, and lip stains in an acrylic box.

(Example below)


What lip products are you currently lusting over? 
I’m currently lusting over e.l.f’s Studio Matte Lip Color! I know they aren’t a newer product, but these are absolutely amazing! They are super matte, super creamy, and aren’t drying! These are so amazing that I’ve purchased them in 8 different colors! (soon to be 9…yes, I purchased another one tonight…but, it was only $1.00)




So this concludes my lipstick tag! I hope you all enjoyed seeing exactly how much I love and obsess over lipsticks and my lipstick collection! I'm not going to nominate anyone specific to complete this tag, but I highly encourage everyone who is as obsessed with lipstick as I am to answer these questions either in the comment section below or in your own blog post! If you make your own "Lipstick Tag" post, please post the link to your post below for all to read and enjoy! I hope you all enjoyed this post and enjoy the rest of your August! x

Until next time! xx
-The Sophisticated Shopper  

Monday, June 1, 2015

Liebster Award Nomination 2015

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! The other day I was reading through the comments on my blog page and I came upon a lovely comment from Rosanna at Rosanna's Palette nominating me for a Liebster Award. Not only am I surprised to receive the nomination, but I am also surprised at the amazing response I am getting from my blog posts and YouTube videos! Thank you all SOOOO much for all of your support in this little hobby of mine! I love all of you, my little Sophisticates! x

In order to fulfill the requirements for the nomination, I had to answer some questions that Rosanna provided for her nominees. The questions and their answers are provided for your reading enjoyment below! x


Rosanna's Questions:

1) Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
As much as I wish I could be working and living in the world of fashion, I have chosen a more school oriented approach for my future. Hopefully in 10 years I will already have my Bachelors in Wildlife Biology and Restoration Ecology, my Masters in Marine Biology, and my PhD in Whale Biology or Marine Vertebrate Biology and will be working with a company or even the government on marine life conservation and preservation and possibly even doing some field studies on whales. It may sound like an odd career for someone blogging about fashion and beauty to have, but it makes me very happy :)

2) Who is your celebrity crush?
Hmm, this is a hard question. There are so many amazing celebrities out there! I would have to say, it would be a tie between Chris Evans or Kellan Lutz. They are both gorgeous guys with great qualities! 

3) What is your holy grail product?
Hmm...that's a tough one...I would say either my Sephora 8HR wear mattifying compact foundation in Porcelain or my Classic Tipped Laura Geller Eye Calligraphy Liner in Black because those are the two products I can't leave the house without.
 

4) How does an average morning for you look?
I wake up, usually about an hour before I have to be anywhere, and I make my bed. After doing so, I get my hair done and my makeup on then go into my room to pick out something to wear, which in AZ, usually requires shorts and some sandals. Once dressed, I head into the kitchen for a quick breakfast, eventually making myself run a tad late, then run into the bathroom to brush my teeth. After brushing my teeth, I usually run into my room and grab my school bag or purse, depending on if I am going to school or work that day, and I grab my car keys and rush (more like speed) to my destination! Usually my morning starts really early, and if I have school, it drags on to about 11:30 or until I have a break in-between classes. 

5) What made you start blogging?
I have always read fashion and beauty blogs and watched many famous YouTubers grow over the years and I had always longed for the ability to do the same thing, since I didn't pursue a career in fashion like I wish I could have done (unfortunately, I'm not exactly talented enough to make it in the wide world of fashion). Another thing that inspired me to start blogging and vlogging about beauty and fashion was the movie The Devil Wears Prada and the exhilarating life that Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway's characters had.

6) Lipstick, lip-gloss, lip-liner or all 3?
Lipstick, definitely! I hardly ever wear lip-liner (tisk tisk, I know) and the stickiness of lip-gloss kind of bugs me, not to mention you have to reapply it all the time. 

7) Favorite store?
Oh boy, another hard question! For clothing, I would have to say H&M because I am never able to leave the store without purchasing something cute to wear. For accessories, I would say hands-down Charming Charlie. That place is just soooo addicting! And with my slight OCD, its extreme organization and color coding is super exciting for me! It makes it easy to stay in the store for hours and hours!

8) If you could have one super power...?
My super power would be the ability to talk to animals. It would be so interesting to hear what they really think and to see what improvements could be made to their way of life. 

9) Favorite subject at school? Why?
In high school, my favorite school subject was tied between Fashion & Interior Design, History, and Animal Science. All three subjects were SUPER interesting to me and I had AMAZING instructors for each, which I'm sure made everything more enjoyable. In college, my favorite subject find of varies, its either Mammalogy (the study of living mammals) or even Sociology (which is what I am minoring in). Both were super interesting to me and I also had some amazing professors teaching the courses.

10) Twitter, YouTube, tumblr, Facebook, blogger or instagram? (Hard one :P )
What is with these hard questions?! Haha! I would have to say that I probably spend the most time on Facebook and YouTube, especially when I'm bored. 

11) Tell me about your best friend!
My best friend is the most awesome human being on the planet! No joke! She is my 80s obsessed, Marie Antoinette loving, makeup guru sister! We seriously have SO much in common and we literally tell each other everything! We have known each other since kindergarten, so in total we have known each other for 16 years of our 19 years of being alive! She recently moved to L.A. so it's been really hard not having her around, but she left this horrible of AZ for the fabu life in L.A. so she could pursue her dream of becoming a makeup artist! She is super duper talented and is an AMAZING person! Love ya Christina! x (Check out her freelance makeup business here! https://instagram.com/charmingfacesbychristina/ <---- yes, that is a shameless plug for my bestie)

Me and my bestie! x --->

The last part of the nomination process is to choose 5 lovely people to also receive this Leibster Award! My nominees are the following people... x

Marieta from Head of Roses
Becca from Becca Emily 
Mary from Crazy in Life
Haley from Delicate Teeth
Megan from Briar Rose

My questions for you lovelies...

1) What do you collect more? Shoes, purses, jewelry, or makeup? (If makeup, what do you have most of? i.e. lipsticks, bronzers, blushes...etc.)

2) What is your dream career? 

3) What is your favorite animal? (I'm a huge animal lover, so I'd love to know what your favorite is!)

4) Liquid eyeliner pen/marker, crayon eyeliner, pencil eyeliner, or cream eyeliner (in a pot)? Or all four? 

5) What is something that is on your bucket list?

6) What place, if any, have you wanted to visit for a long time? Why? 

7) Who's your best friend? Tell me about them! :) (It was such a nice question, I just had to take it from Rosanna)

8) If you could live in a certain time period, which would you live in and why? 

9) Who is your style icon?

10) Who do you inspire to be in life? (i.e. a role-model, a leader, an innovator, an educator...etc.)

If you've been nominated, please comment below with the link to your post! I would love to see what you've answered for the questions I've left for you!  If you are one of my fellow Sophisticates that casually clicked on this blog post, feel free to answer the same questions in the comment section below so I can get to know you, my fellow Sophisticates, more! x

Until next time! x
-The Sophisticated Shopper

Saturday, May 23, 2015

May 2015 Ipsy Unbagging

Hello fellow Sophisticates! I have been working hard to keep putting together and recording videos for you all, so when my Ipsy bag came in the mail, I just HAD to do an Ipsy unbagging video! This month's bag is perhaps my FAVORITE bag EVER from Ipsy! Not only was the bag itself adorable, but the items inside the bag were dead on to what I like in my beauty and haircare items! I would keep blabbing on about how awesome May's bag is, but I'll just let the bag do the talking! Hope you guys enjoy seeing what I got! x



Until next time!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xx


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Essence Lipstick Review

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I hope you all are enjoying your week! I have made yet another video regarding makeup and beauty goodies that I have in my collection. This video is about my Essence brand lipsticks and why I love them so much! If you are looking for a high-quality, inexpensive drug store lipstick, than these may be for you! Hope you all enjoy my little review! xx



Until next time!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xx

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

High-End Makeup Favorites

Hello fellow Sophisticates! I hope you have been enjoying the last few videos I've been posting. I am here with yet ANOTHER video, which I hope you will enjoy. This video is about some of my high-end makeup favorites that I highly recommend and you all might already love or want to try out. Enjoy seeing these beauty faves! xxx




Disclaimer: I am not using this video to brag about my rather small collection of high-end makeup products, but rather to show you all some of my favorites that you all might already like or want to try out.

Until next time!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xx

"This or That?"-Liquid Eyeliner Pens

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I am back with yet ANOTHER video for the second time this week, which I might say, is quite a record for me lately. This new video is of my "This or That?" series that compares two similar products, one usually being a high-end product and the other being a drug store product. In this video, two liquid eyeliner pens battle it out for the title of the best (that I know of) liquid eyeliner! Enjoy the video! And feel free to comment down below and tell me who you thought won! xx



Until next time!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xx

Sunday, May 10, 2015

April 2015 Favorites

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I am BACK from a little hiatus called college. And to celebrate the end to this school year, I have made a brand new monthly favorites YouTube video for the month of April! I hope you enjoy seeing all the goodies I fell in love with in the month of April! Comment below if you notice the little theme I have going on in my favorites x


Until next time! x
-The Sophisticated Shopper

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

New Video: February Ipsy Bag Unbagging 2015!






I hope you all enjoy seeing the goodies I got in my February 2015 Ipsy bag! 

-The Sophisticated Shopper xoxo

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

New Video: January Ipsy Bag Unbagging 2015!




I hope you all enjoy seeing the goodies I received in my January 2015 Ipsy bag! 

-The Sophisticated Shopper xoxo

Keeping Busy

Hello my fellow Sophisticates! I know, I know....I use this excuse far too much but, school just keeps tearing me away from all of you lovely people, my blog, my vlog, and my social life and quite frankly I'm sick of it. So I've decided to put aside more time for me to write more blog posts and making more YouTube videos. You hear that school? I'm not letting you mess with me again! Unfortunately, I will probably have to go back on my decision when testing is happening at school....

Anyways, here is what I have been up to! I have been busy making videos in-between homework and work and posting them to my YouTube channel. Soooo, if you don't follow my YouTube channel, my most recent videos will be the next three posts for you to check out!

Hope y'all enjoy!
-The Sophisticated Shopper xoxo


Sunday, January 4, 2015

"The Devil Wears Prada" Life Lessons

Even though I have seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada time and time again, it never gets old. It allows us "plain Janes" to experience the fun and fabulous world of fashion in the glittering city of NYC. The excitement seen in the film while following Andie Sachs around the city, experiencing all of her fabulous and freak out moments, also provides us, the audience, with some life-changing life lessons. I chose some of my favorite lessons found in the movie for you all to read and enjoy. I hope they bring a smile to each of your faces x



My Favorite The Devil Wears Prada Life Lessons
10) There are MANY shades of blue.
9) If your boss is a bitch, don't let it get to you. They will eventually remember your name.
8) Planes don't fly out during a hurricane.
7) Don't drink the punch!
6) A size 6 is not fat, neither is a size 16.
5) Fashion is not just about clothing, but rather the world around you.
4) It takes a makeover to realize that who you were before the new appearance never needed to change.
3) In order to hcome a storng business woman, it's always good to have connections in every line of work...especially if you need to find an unpublished manuscript of a future Harry Potter novel.
2) If you plan on living in New York, don't plan on eating too much, the food is crazy expensive.
1) At the end of the day, just be yourself. There is no one else you should want to be. After all, you ae unique and amazing in every way.


-The Sophisticated Shopper x