Month: April 2015

Always a Bridesmaid…

Over the weekend I was excited to be a bridesmaid a bridesmaid for the third time. I thought this was a perfect time to show some of the bridesmaid’s dresses that I’ve worn, and talk a little bit about where I found things for the most recent wedding.

In 2012 I was a bridesmaid in my friend Katie’s wedding. She had a gorgeous ceremony at a local church here in NJ and then the reception at a nearby hotel ballroom. My dress was from David’s Bridal, and was floor length. Unfortunately I have no full length photos!

In October 2013 I was a bridesmaid in my friend Alyssa’s wedding. It had the most incredible country vibe – and I love that she wore boots to the reception (and that all of us could wear boots as well!) Her wedding was on a golf course up near Vernon, NJ. The dress was super comfortable, and was originally long. We had them cut to better fit the feel of her wedding – and it was perfect for the weather.

This past weekend I was a bridesmaid in my cousin Michael’s wedding. They had a ceremony in an adorable local church, and the reception at a really enchanting mansion in Bensalem, PA. I forget to get a picture of the back of my hair, but my girl at Blo Out in Hamilton, NJ did such a great job – I loved it! Our dresses were from Bill Levkoff and we picked them up at the Bridal Suite in Hamilton, NJ. [Note – beware of ordering from there!]

I love seeing these photos in progression! I also want to share my accessories for the most recent wedding. The necklace I wore was our bridesmaid’s gift which she picked up from Etsy. It is super cute and I’ve already worn it again! My earrings were simple pearls from Charming Charlie, and I wore bracelets from Bourbon and Bowties that I picked up at a local boutique. (I’m a HUGE Bourbon and Bowties fan!) I found a matching wrap at Nordstrom Rack ($12!) and it was perfect since the day was freezing. I did my own makeup for the day and even got a spray tan. My purse (below) was PERFECT! I picked it up from a seller on bitdazzle, but click here for her etsy store. Her work is fantastic and the purse was reasonable at $38. So many compliments on it – even the photographer loved it! It fit my iPhone 6+ without a problem. I’ve posted some pics below – the purse I purchased had a light pink ribbon. My shoes were Bandolino from Macys – just a dusty rose heel. Nothing fancy.

Where are some go-to places to pick up items for bridesmaids? I was running all around like crazy trying to find things to match.

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IMATS and VIB ROUGE SALE HAUL

I’m so excited to share my IMATS and Sephora VIB Rouge sale haul (and a few products from CVS too)!

Brands:

Becca, Marc Jacobs, Bite Beauty, Nest, Milani, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Model in a Bottle, Esquido Mink Lashes, Z Palette, Tarte, Stila Cosmetics, LA Girl, Buxom, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Josie Maran, Smashbox, Korres

IMATS NYC 2015

Last weekend I decided to head out to IMATS, the International Makeup Artists Trade Show. It is held in various locations throughout the year, and I was able to attend the show in NYC. I wanted to write about my impressions, advice and what I would do differently next time.

I bought my ticket months in advance, and planned everything out – which vendors I wanted to hit, which products I wanted – a day or so before. I packed light, and unfortunately this time I went alone. I had a notebook with the items and the original prices so I could compare, and also kept in mind that anything I could find at Sephora I could pick up with the VIB Rouge sale that started the next day. I took a mid-morning train, attempting to beat the hundreds of people in line at Pier 94. I walked right in, and initially it didn’t seem that bad. However, once I started to head over to the brands I wanted, the lines were LONG. Some were shut down, some were an hour or longer. To avoid this, I walked around to understand the layout, and then headed over to the less crowded lines. I set a low budget for myself, and didn’t overspend because I missed some of the brands I wanted due to the lines. If I stood in the line for Sigma or NYX I would have been there all day and only left with those products. The line for Lime Crime was bad too – and Anastasia was shut down. I wanted to pick up some Ben Nye – but I can find it way cheaper on line, and I’m not in need of any at the moment.

I REALLY wanted to hit Lady Moss, but I couldn’t get a good view of the booth, and didn’t want to wait in line to see what they had.

I was able to get to the following tables:

-Tarte (all mascaras, blushes and lipsticks were $10!- I did snag a pic of their price list!)

-Zpalette

-Model in a Bottle

-Stila

-Esquido Lashes

-One table that sold LA Girl Cosmetics (I can’t remember the name of the stand!)

I made it a bunch of others, but they either didn’t have a decent discount, or were sold out of what I wanted (ahem, MUFE…)

I advise planning ahead and take a friend. If I wasn’t alone I could have waited in the longer lines. I also only stayed a few hours, but should have stayed much longer. Knowing the products you want ahead of time helps too – so you budget for what you want, and bring extra for the fun things you find on the way. Oh and DRESS COMFORTABLE! You are waiting in lines and wearing heels and fancy clothes doesn’t make that any easier. I forgot to take pics during the day – but I did snag a selfie!

My next post will be a haul!! Were any of you at IMATS NYC???

Living Healthy

Over the past few years I knew that I needed to start living a more healthy life. I wasn’t happy with myself, and needed to figure out a way to start myself on a better path. When I left college I was 10-15 pounds heavier than I ever had been in my entire life. And I had lost weight since my junior year when I was even a little healthier. The truth is that I just didn’t know what to do. Now I see what I was doing wrong, but back then I couldn’t figure it out. I over ate, ate things that made my body run poorly and hated to work out.

Ok, so who really likes to work out? I don’t mind it now, but when I was heavier I would joke that the only way I would run was if someone was chasing me. And even then, I’d say there was a marginal chance that would happen. When I turned 25 last fall I made a promise to myself to make this my best year yet. And so far, so good. Shortly after my birthday I joined a kickboxing gym, and fell in love. It is the hardest thing I’ve done in my life, but I have never felt so good and empowered. I’m so thankful I decided to give it a try because I was terrified I couldn’t keep up when I joined the class. Now I feel like I can take on the world.

Unfortunately with the ups, comes the downs. Last summer I was sick constantly and my stomach hurt terribly. After a few months and some tests I found out that I have gastroparesis. Basically I can’t digest properly and have to take medicine multiple times a day to regulate it. I also need to follow a FODMAP diet (I can do a post on my daily eating soon) and I live as gluten free as possible. No, I don’t have celiac, but I feel so great eating gluten free. And it bothers me deeply when someone dismisses a gluten intolerance. I wish those people could live my life for a bit, and see how hard it can be to eat foods with gluten, and feel like crap. I’ve seen how foods go through my body – and I can feel the aftermath often for a day or two. I’m all for eating clean, but I always indulge! And just to mention it – I’ve been out of college since 2011 and have lost 60 pounds. I’m living proof that hard work and dedication pays off!

Thankfully I have a great support system, and everyone takes care to make sure there is something I can eat when we go out. I hate making a big deal about it, but it adds unnecessary pressure to situations. I’d love to connect with others who know what its like to live this way – because while hard, its been the best life style change I’ve made, and I’d like to hear how others have done it as well. I’m going to post more about my diet, work outs and health in the future. But wanted to get the ball rolling!

The healthiest I’ve ever been!

GabGoesGlam

Beauty. Lifestyle. Fashion.