Pretty in Pink - Valentine's Day Edition

Pretty in Pink - Valentine's Day Edition by fashionmavenmommy 

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and i've got pink on the brain!  I honestly have a bit of a love hate relationship with this ultra feminine hue.  At times i want nothing more than to lay in a mountain of fluffy pink feathers and sip pink champagne, other times it just isn't my scene.  Clearly i have issues but that's a topic for another day!  Since i'm currently embracing all things pink, i thought i'd devote this post to some of my current faves in the hopes that perhaps you'll find something special to treat yourself with.  Why wait for your sweetheart right?? I'm all about treating myself... hey, you only live once!

Love this shaggy layered jacket and love the price even more! I'm so obsessed with Kate Spade jewelry!  This watch is insanely cute and can we please talk about how darling these earrings are??? OMG!  Speaking of Kate Spade, while this fragrance smells amazing, it's the bottle that had me completely smitten!  If you follow me on social media than you know i splurged on a new pair of Valentino Rockstuds which i'll tell you more about in an upcoming post but these pink ones are uhhhhh-mazing! Like shoes and bags, i have a thing for expensive lippies.  This one stole my heart!  OMG have you guys seen the new beautyblender bling ring???? I.need.this.stat!  I can't begin to tell you how happy i am that this stunning IT Cosmetics CC+ Ombre Blush is now sold separately!  It's so so soooo spectacular! Wear it as blush or shadow... i mean, why not?!  An envelope clutch is a must in every woman's wardrobe!  This beauty is perfect for date night!

Well, i hope you've had fun parading in this wonderful sea of pink!  You can shop this post below!  Happy Valentine's Day and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Labor Day Deals!!!

There are so many great deals happening this weekend that my head is spinning!  I'm trying hard to control myself but I'm not gonna lie, I'm having a hard time!  I did a little browsing and these are just a few of the awesome deals i found so i thought I'd share them with you!  You can shop this post here!  Happy Shopping! xoxo, Carla - FMM

A Peek Inside My Makeup Bag

As a beauty blogger, I often get asked what products I carry with me at all times.  Well, this is actually a tricky question as I often switch out products!  You see, my makeup bag is actually a bit on the small side and there's a good reason for this!  The bigger the bag, the more stuff I carry, making it so difficult to track anything down!  So, I try and limit myself... yes, this is limiting myself!  So without further ado, let me walk you through my current must haves!

First, here's my super cute Kate Spade makeup bag which i scored at Marshall's for an excellent price!  Woohoo don't you just love finding something you love for practically a steal??  Me too!

Ok so here are some of my lip products... from left to right:  Stila Long Wear Liquid Lip Color in Fiery  (warning, once this gorgeous color indulges your lips... it ain't going anywhere!), NARS lip gloss in Wonder (Love this pretty coral & love the texture even more!), and Bobbi Brown Creamy Color for Lips & Cheeks in Pink Truffle (It's no secret that I'm a huge Bobbi Brown fan, but what i love even more, is multi-tasking products... this one does NOT disappoint!).

Here are the swatches!  The top color is Bobbi Brown, the middle color is NARS, and the color on the bottom is Stila.  I love the range of colors stemming from a classic red, to coral-y orange, to a pretty rose, 'cause you just never know what you're gonna wanna wear!  What do you think?

Next are some of my favorite lipsticks... hey, you gotta have options!

 

 

 From left to right, Chanel Rouge Coco in 18 Rouge Noir (To quote the stunning Rachael Zoe... 'it's my day to night situation'!, MAC in Lady Danger (For when I'm feeling bold), and lastly MAC in Rocker (I snatched this pretty baby when they re-released 'candy yum yum, moxie and rocker'.  Hopefully you can too! It's a limited edition). 


I've actually already blogged about this Lip Paint in Rouge A Levres 61 that i picked up at Inglot during my vacation in Curacao.  I'm so in love with this stunning hue... i find myself reaching for it often.  I love the way it feels on my lips!  It's so silky and smooth... love!

 

Here's a swatch!  You can also see it here and here where I'm wearing it in the 'before' picture.

 

 

The next set of products are great for brightening up the eye area.  Very important after a long day, especially if you want to head out somewhere after work and don't have time to freshen up at home.  The first is NARS the multiple in Copacabana.  This is an awesome highlighter but is also one of those multi-tasking products i love so much because you can wear it on your eyes and lips as well.  This particular color is a bit too light for my lips, however, i have dabbed a bit in the middle of my lips over my lip color for some added dimension!  Clever huh?

 

 

This Bobbi Brown cream shadow in Bone is the perfect color for brightening the eyes.  It's matte and it doesn't crease.  I have dabbed this under my eyes when i don't have concealer at hand!  It's puuuurrrfect for this tired mommy!

 

 

OK so can we please talk about how obsessed I am with this Naturopathica eye serum?  OMG i carry it with me everywhere... did you hear me?  EVERYWHERE!  In fact, i need another one for my nightstand!  I blogged about Naturopathica (my new skincare obsession) recently, and i professed my love for this Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum.  However, at the time, i was in love with the way it felt on my skin, not realizing the brightening effects!  The other day i applied it in front of a mirror and realized that (woohooo), i could wear this and skip my concealer all together!   I may cry when i run out... It's uhhhhh-mazing! 

 

 

 

Here are the swatches... from left to right:  NARS, Bobbi Brown, and Naturopathica.

 

 

 

OK so yes, all these beauty products are essential... however these next two items are always a MUST!  Repeat after me... I solemnly swear to always carry a nail file and a little pill box!  Yes, because have you ever been in a situation where your nail chipped and it's tugging at everything making you want to pull your hair out?  Yes, I know you have... so arm yourself ladies!  I opted for a cute Sally Hansen file.  The pretty pill box was gifted to me by a wonderful friend and I use it to house some headache medicine because... again, mommy of twins (aka twinadoes) hence... headache prevention medicine!

 

 

Here are a few other necessary products i carry with me at all times. From left to right: Melvita Eau Florale de Rose, thank you Birchbox (I splash this on my face to refresh on those scorching hot summer days... it literally saved my life on my flights to/from vacation), Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, thank you again Birchbox (I use this on my lips, cuticles, hands, etc... great stuff), lastly, Bath & Bodyworks antibacterial soap in Fresh Lemon. I LOVE this stuff and as a mommy of 4 year old double trouble, germs just seem to find us! So I like to be armed with this great product... and did I mention it smells incredible??

 

 

Lastly, it's very important to carry around some cute hair ties and headbands, because you never know when you may need to keep your hair out of your face.  However, you still want to look super cute and not frumpy right?  I love these sleek hair ties (I don't remember the brand, but I purchased them at Target), and I'm obsessed with this sparkly headband!  Yes, i know I'm a mom and should have outgrown sparkles by now, but c'mon... can you ever really outgrow sparkly things?  I think not!  I picked it up at Bath Junkie but I've seen similar at Anthropologie!

 

And there you have it, my makeup bag must haves.  Soooo tell me, what's in your makeup bag?

Thank you SO MUCH for reading! 


Don't forget to become an official follower of FMM!  XOXO Carla

 

Seven Years of Wedded Bliss...

So today is our 7th wedding anniversary!  I honestly can't believe it's been SEVEN years!  Where has time gone!  I'm very lucky to have married my best friend!  Together we have the most beautiful twin girls and today, i'm feeling very blessed.  I thought i'd share some pictures of our big day with all of you!  Every bride typically dreams of perfect weather and i honestly could not have picked a better day.  It was sunny, low 80's with a slight breeze... perfection!

The arrival at church.  My sister is in front of me adjusting my veil, my parents are on either side of me and one of my wonderful childhood friends Monica is standing behind me.  I was so overcome with emotion!

These were taken at my parents' house before leaving for church.

 

 

 

 

 

Our venue overlooked the NYC skyline making it perfect for pictures!

 

Dancing with my daddy!  We actually danced to two songs.  The first was "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" which i'd first heard when i was about 12 years old while watching the classic movie Gigi.  I fell in love with this song and knew one day i'd want to dance this with my daddy at my wedding.  The second was "The Way You Look Tonight" by the great Frank Sinatra. I just love that song!

My bridesmaids... pretty in pink!

 

 

My wedding cake by the now famous Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro of Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken.  This cake was a true work of art, and it was sinfully delicious too!

 

 

I love this picture.  We had to be very still for almost a minute in order to get the perfect shot!  It was hard not to laugh!  Ahh it was a beautiful day indeed, everything i imagined and more, though it did go by too fast! 

Dress:  Amsale via Kleinfeld  NY
Shoes:  Kate Spade
Cake: By the Cake Boss himself Buddy Valastro at Carlo's Bakery
Location: Chart House, Weehawken, NJ
Photography by Ernie of Classic Imaging

On a side note, i remember opting to do my own make-up at my wedding because i just couldn't find anyone i loved enough to do it at the time.  The deciding factor was using the money i would have spent on one to buy new makeup for the special day.  One of the products i used that made a lasting impression on me to this day was Nars waterproof mascara.  It was such a smooth formula, no clumping, it was lengthening and definitely waterproof!  Unfortunately, this pefect 'wedding day' mascara is no longer available.  Boohoo! 

Thank you so much for reading and sharing some of my wedding day memories with me!  Let me know your thoughts!  Don't forget to become an official follower of FMM.

I lovingly dedicate this post to my loving husband Pete!  I love you more and more each day...

I spy with my little eye..... KATE SPADE!

The great thing about stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx is that  you can often find wonderful little treasures for a fraction of the price of what they retail for.  The bad thing about those stores is that you can't necessarily go looking for very specific items because you most likely will NOT find them... Murphy's Law!  So the other day, i walked into Marshall's, not really looking for anything specific but just needed a few minutes to myself.   Since the girls were napping, I felt it was a good opportunity to go out for a breather so Pete stayed with the girls and off i went!  As i walked around, something caught my eye at a distance.  I knew exactly what it was and who it was by though it was almost too far to tell for the average eye lol.  Sitting on a shelf, was the prettiest little Kate Spade make up bag in the loveliest shades of green and white.  I began to walk a bit  faster fearing that someone else would spot my new make-up bag!  I quickly snatched it!  The original tag read $60.  The Marshall's tag read $24.99!  SOLD!  Isn't she pretty???