youth without youth

earrings i just love

"hangman we played,

blind man's bluff 'til they stopped the game.

youth without youth,

born without time"

by metric

hear it here

everyone has their own sort of taste when it comes to jewelry.

personally i love things that are subtle but unique!

i'm not the boldest of dressers, i wish i could be and i envy those girls who can rock awesome styles, but since i know that's not me, i try to show my personality through my jewelry.

when i was younger i collected tiffany jewelry because what young girl doesn't love tiffany's?

and of course i still love the little robin egg blue box,

but now i decided i want my jewelry to be less commercial and much more personal.

these are just a few examples of what would really catch my eye

when it comes to earrings. which ever since i got my ears pierced, have been

my favorite piece of jewelry!

i love it when people notice my silly studs or interesting earrings.

its so subtle, yet someone saw the playful aspect (:

just makes me happy.

x

FAVORITE NARS PRODUCTS

NO. 1 BLUSH IN SUPER ORGASM

 Although the name is a bit provocative, its the best blush from NARS for a neutral but slightly on the yellow side of skin tone. If you're on the more yellow side I suggest you try out Orgasm and if you're on the pink side, I suggest Deep Throat. (Yes its like make up orgy up in here).

♥ The color can be described as a peachy pink and it has gold glitter speckled into it.

♥ For all the NARS Cosmetics blushes, the pigments are on the sheer side, but the color still comes through quite nicely, and it gives off a nice soft look, that's not overwhelming.

As I've conveniently described on the photo, it comes in a compact form, has a nice and big full size mirror, and it clicks shut locking the product up nice and safely. 

NO. 2 Lipstick in Dolce Vita

As you can see, I've used a descent amount of this product already. This name is a lot cuter, and a lot less crazy- Dolce Vita translates to "Sweet Life" from Italian to English. I feel like this would be the color you'd get if you mixed a nice brick red with a nice nude shade. Its so versatile and beautiful. You can wear it on so many occasions and I really think its one of those colors that looks good on almost all skin tones. If you're not a big lipstick wearer but want to try out something that's not too bold but still looks like you're wearing lipstick, this is the one to try. 

PS. I also LOVE the texture of this lipstick because it is so smooth and doesn't feel too dry or too sticky, plus it lasts a really descent amount of time on me!

 ♥ This is the "Dolce Vita" baby!

Here's some swatches, I made sure not to filter anything so that you guys can see exactly what the color is up close. Isn't the blush just so iridescent and pretty? I always feel like its made of pixie dust, even if the name is quite the opposite. & Dolce Vita? Its just amazing, look how beautiful it is. 

In these two colors I also own:

♥ NARS Super Orgasm Lip Gloss

(amazing, perfect gloss to wear over peachy tone lipstick & even alone)

&

♥ NARS Dolce Vita Blush

(very gorgeous of a color, but very pigmented-must use with a light hand)

xo,

shannon marie

BLAIR WITHDRAWAL

Since I'm having Gossip Girl Withdrawals...

This post is dedicated to my style icon Blair Waldorf,

whom I grew up reading and watching, 

and is devastated that the age of Gossip Girl is over. 

Here are my favorite outfits from Season 6!

No.1

How can this not be in anyones top favorites? The gorgeous blue, the way it fits Leighton Meester, the entire reason she's wearing, the fact that Chuck Bass is marrying her? That's enough to make it up here! They could not have ended the series with a better dress. However, we mustn't forget to to give praise to Elie Saab for creating this masterpiece! And of course, a special thanks to Jennifer Behr for making this particular "Arielle" headband, and all the other handbands she designed, that Blair has worn over the years. Blair would not be Blair without them.

Dress, Elie Saab-2012-Couture. Headband, Jennifer Behr-Arielle Headband

No. 2

This outfit is from episode seven of season six. I love how it is reminiscent of her own Constance days, but at the same time very grown up and elegant. This one is in my top favorites because I think blair really looks stunning and it reminds me of how proud I am of her and who she has become. Additionally, its an almost all black outfit, bonus points in my book! 

Dress, Almost Certain its McQueen. Shoes, Christian Louboutin. Necklace, Louis Vuiton.

No.3

This outfit is everything I want for my closet. Although I'm constantly wearing black, and the majority of my outfits are black, I would die for this outfit, and I wish all my clothes were similar to it. However the only issue is I don't have a trusty ten digit trust fund like Miss Waldorf does, and to really pull a look like this off, its all about the quality of the clothing. So I'm still trying to find some quality yet affordable pieces! Meanwhile I shall drool over Blair. 

Blouse & Skirt, Moschino. Cardigan, Unknown Source.

No. 4

Although its Gucci and ICB, this outfit reminds me a lot of the new Prabal Gurung for Target line coming to Target this month! More so in the fact that theres bright greens and chartreuse + floral-like prints. Can you guess who's going to be online shopping this month all the way from Taiwan? Anyways, I think Blair looks absolutely stunning in bright colors and shirts with a scarf like tie in the front! Gosh I envy her gorgeous figure. She's perfect, not too skinny, yet definitely stunning.

Top, Gucci. Skirt, ICB. Headband, Unknown Source. Necklace, Unknown Source.

No.5 

Although this is an outfit I highly doubt I'll ever pull off, it is an outfit I love none the less. I love how Blair has so many different looks throughout the show, yet all of them fall together to present her as someone who's daring, elegant, classy, fun, and of course stylish. She wears trends beautifully, and even if its over the top, its never overwhelming. This outfit is such a hard outfit to wear, considering its pastels, pleats, and peplum. The three P's that not everyone can do, yet she does so effortless. ps. the shoes are such a cute touch! Props to Christian Louboutin. 

Shirt, Unknown Source. Skirt, Alice and Olivia. Clutch, Valentino. Shoes, Christian Louboutin.

No. 6

Such gorgeous fall colors. My favorite thing about this entire look is her hair and make up, but I still have to say that I'm very impressed with Jason Wu for being able to turn such a hard to wear color into such a gorgeous dress. However, I can't say I'm surprised that Blair pulled it off so perfectly. The Giada cardigan is definitely a great touch in toning down the outfit and adding even more of the fall motif! Oh and the bag matches so well! I'm pretty sure its a Bulgari, because I recently took a good look at Bulgari bags, because I'm so unfamiliar with them. Props to the stylist of Gossip Girl. xo

Dress, Jason Wu. Cardigan, Giada. Bag, Bulgari.

Thanks for reading!

I'm going to do it.

...

I can't help it....

I mean come on! Its a Gossip Girl Themed Post!!!

here it goes:

YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME (;

XOXO

Shannon Marie

Fashion-Impossible

♥ January Favorites ♥

Hello everyone, I cannot believe how fast January has come and gone! It seems like only yesterday I was watching Sex In The City with my best friend and while waiting for the countdown. The best thing about the end of the month, in my humble opinion, is the awesome monthly favorites blogs and vlogs! So here's mine, and I can't wait to see yours! (:

[Stila Eyeliner in the color Stingray]

This baby has been with me for the past few years, not the same exact one, in fact, for a good majority of 2012 I forgot about him. It wasn't until I bought my Stila palette, and it came with a Stingray, did I fall back in love with him. This eyeliner is such a glorious dark pure black color, something I find very rare. It stays on my eyes for the majority of the day, and that's saying a lot considering my skin type is the kind in which make up mysteriously disappears off my face. The texture of this eyeliner is very creamy when applied and dries firm. I definitely suggest you try this one, if you've been looking to splurge on a nice dark black kohl liner! I like it better then MACs. Buy it HERE for $20. 

[L'Occitane Hand Cream]

If you've been searching for a hand cream that's worth the hype, search no further! This shea butter formula hand cream is not sticky, has a descent smell, and keeps your hand staying nice and hydrated. Personally its not my favorite smell, my favorite being Soap and Glory's hand cream scent, however, the smell does not irritate or bother me. Buy the travel size (1.0 oz) HERE for $10, or splurge for the full size (5.2 oz)  for $28. 

[Burt's Bees Chapstick in Refreshing Pink Grapefruit]

I'm not sure what it is about the scent of grapefruit, but it makes me happy! So when Amarixe on youtube mentioned this in one of her favorites and again in her travel make up bag video, I had to go to my local Target and pick it up! I knew I was going to love it so I bought it in the double pack, and was luckily, not disappointed. The formula is not the most impressive, but it keeps my lips hydrated enough, I much prefer the Elizabeth 8 Hour Stick to this, but this one smells so delicious, I can't help but to keep using it! Plus I'm currently in the humid Taiwan, and not in the dry Southern Californian wind, so my lips aren't quite as dry. Pick it up at your local drugstore for $2.99. 

[Maybelline Pure Stay Powder Foundation]

This is one of my favorite powder foundations, so much so that I hurried to Target right before leaving for Taiwan to make sure I had it for my trip. The color I use for myself is the color nude. This foundation meets up to its name, "Pure Stay" for I haven't had any issues with it not staying on my face. Of course I usually use a thicker layer of moisturizer or a make up primer before applying the powder foundation with my Sephora Mineral Powder Foundation Brush. It is such an affordable price point, yet it does such a great job. The coverage is a medium coverage, so I do still use concealer accordingly, but my favorite aspect of this foundation is how well it covers any flaws and pores on my face. Additionally it does have SPF 15, which is usually a plus, unless you want to be photographed! Pick this up at your local drug store for $7.99.

[Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette]

I have a review on this already here at FashionPrep, so I won't go into details. The color I use the most on this palette is Walk of Shame, aka W.O.S. It is my favorite of the palette, consisting of a light nude pink color, that goes so well with my MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I love this palette and its a favorite this month, because I can do countless make up looks with it, and still keep my make up professional and natural. Buy it here for $27.

[Digital Point Shoot Camera]

Above I showed the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS, which is also the camera I've been vlogging with when I don't want to carry my heavy Canon T3i around town. However, its such an outdated digital camera, that I really just have it in my favorites because I love being able to snap pictures whenever I want. Nothing special about the SD1100, just love point shoots for their handy dandy-ness.

[We Chat App for Smart Phones]

Seeing as I'm overseas for the next few months, having WeChat is a necessity. It allows me to continue texting with my friends, a feature me and my best friend Jamie Sarah definitely take advantage of! What is cool about We Chat is it lets you text, send pictures, and files as usual, and additionally, it doubles as a walkie-talkie sort of tool, in which you can quickly send voice notes to one another. Download this app from Google Play or your Apple App Store!

[NARS Blush in Super Orgasm]

During the earlier Fall/Winter months, I've opted to use more matte dark blushes, since I was getting into that darker mood. However, now that winter has been here for so long, I'm starting to crave sparkle and fun that Spring promises. Therefore I've whipped back out my all time favorite blush, NARS Super Orgasm. I'm pretty sure most of you beauty fanatics out there already know this blush, but for those of you who don't, here's a quick break down. NARS has Orgasm and Super Orgasm. Orgasm I find is a lot more orangey and not very flattering on me, but Super Orgasm, is a peachy pink with much more gold sheen glitters then Orgasm, hence the super! (; Buy it HERE for $28.

[Zookeeper App]

Another tech. favorite! The Zookeeper Game! Its like bejeweled but more intense, cuter, and it turns into a battle with a random player! Check this game out on Google Play or your Apple App Store.

[Tangle Teezer]

When this silly hair brush made its debut on the online world of beauty gurus, I was skeptical. I mean look at it! It looks like a toy! Plus, I didn't think something that plastic looking could do any benefits to my hair. However, when I saw it at my local Sally's Beauty I decided why not try it out for myself. Expecting it to frizz out my hair, I was in utter shock when this brush did quite the opposite and tamed my wild early morning hair! Its such a miracle product, and I can no longer picture life without it! If you don't have one, check it out here!

[Classic Single Knot Elastic Hair Ties]

When these first came into style, I thought they were a silly way to take consumer's money. However after finding out that they promise not to leave that awkward dent/crease in you hair even after having your hair tied up for a long time, I decided to splurge on them. I can't say I can't live without them, but having them around is very convenient  and so they made it to my January Favorites! If you've never tried it out, I would say, if you have the extra dollar to spend on it, why not? However if you don't want to spend that extra dollar to get it, you're not missing out! It does look more chic then your average hair tie when you have it on your arm, but really its still a hair tie, no matter what, its not a fashion statement.

And there you have it, my January Favorites! Can't wait to see everyone else's! (: Hope you guys are all doing well, and please leave a comment below (: If you post a favorites, feel free to send me your link below, I'd love to read it! Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

Shannon Marie