Christmas Eve Outfit

Forever 21 sweater//Rachel Roy skirt//Charlotte Russe Necklace//Forever 21 link bracelet//Cartier bracelet//Target booties

This is what happens when you apply self-tanner right before getting dressed for an event...it (obviously) won't go into full effect for a couple of hours. Oh well...next time!

Hope you're enjoying a fabulous holiday week!

Happy Holidays!

Nordstrom Tomato Soup & Coconut Crusted Fish

My go-to, fairly easy soup recipe has been on heavy rotation this Fall! I found this recipe for Nordstrom's Tomato Basil soup awhile back and absolutely love it. 

The recipe can be found here. I do make a few changes when I make this soup. 1. I do not use any heavy cream. 2. I use a shit load of crushed garlic...usually about 8 cloves per batch. I love that this recipe uses carrots, so it's packed with veggies. After it's ready, I top the soup with a few basil leaves =) 

Coconut crusted cod over a bed of spinach, topped with homemade dijon vinaigrette

Sometimes I run out of ideas for clean dinner ideas, as I'm not the kind who enjoys eating plain meats with plain veggies. I love experimenting with different spices and (healthy) sauces. I came up with this recipe on my own, and I'm impressed by how well it turned out! 

It's pretty easy to prepare. Here's what you'll need:

-White fish (I used cod fillets)

-Spinach

-Shredded coconut

-Almond Flour (I use this in place of flour)

-Cumin

-Curry Powder

-Cayenne Pepper

-1 egg

-Dijon or Hot mustard (with no sugar--finding one with only a few ingredients is tricky!)

-Balsamic vinegar

-Olive oil

First, whisk an egg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix about 1/2 a cup of coconut flour with about 1/8 cup of almond flour, a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, cumin, and curry powder. Dip the fillets (I made two) in the egg, then drench in the coconut mixture. Place in a baking dish, and bake for 15 minutes @ 375 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, a teeny tiny bit of olive oil, and 1/2 a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Once the fish is done, place it on top of a bed of spinach. Top with the Dijon vinaigrette. 

Enjoy!

Szechuan Shrimp & Grilled Eggplant

 

First off, please forgive the iphone quality photo. 

Chinese food is one of my favorite cuisines, so I'm always looking for new (clean) Chinese recipes that don't use a bunch of oil. I came up with this szechuan shrimp recipe on my own, and it was a hit! I used a pound of shrimp, sauteed it with some garlic and szechuan peppers (those spicy, mouth numbing peppers), then added 1.5 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of garlic chili sauce, red peppers, and ginger and continued to sautee for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I broiled some eggplant marinated in low sodium soy sauce, pepper, garlic and a tiny bit of sesame oil for about 15 minutes.

This was a super easy dinner to make, my favorite kind!

...

1. Smashbox Photofinish Primer: After I apply moisturizer, I use this Primer which smoothes everything before I put my foundation on. Quick tip: sometimes I mix the primer with my foundation to create an even more flawless look. 

2. Mac Studio Fix Foundation: I have tried many foundations, but I keep coming back to MAC's Studio Fix Liquid Foundation. Why? I prefer full coverage foundation, and I haven't found a full coverage formula as good as MAC's that doesn't look caky. When I'm taking photos or have an event, I use Makeup Forever's HD Invisible Cover foundation as it doesn't contain any SPF (which can reflect in photos and gives you that ghostly pale look).

3. Mac Prolongwear Concealer: After applying my foundation, I use this concealer in the lightest warm/pink shade (NW 15) under my eyes, on the bridge of my nose, around my mouth, and in between my eyebrows. This serves both uses as a concealer and a highlighter for contouring. 

4. Urban Decay Primer Potion: I use this on my eyelids and right underneath my lower lash line to give my eyes a more awake look, to cover redness, and to set the stage for eyeshadow and eyeliner sans creasing. I used MAC's Painterly Paint Pot in the past, and liked it, however I like that UD's Primer Potion has more of a yellow tone to it which cancels redness. Even on days that I don't wear eyeshadow, I still apply this primer.

5. Makeup Forever Duo Mat Powder: I use this over my foundation and concealer, and yes, I realize it's considered a powder "foundation". When I want a more dramatic look, I'll apply this before putting my concealer/highlighter on. It's so velvety and smooth, and gives a very flawless finish. 

6. Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder: After I apply powder, I dust this over my entire face to set everything. This HD powder is amazing, and hides any pores that may still be showing. 

7. Benefit Hoola Bronzer: I use Hoola with an angled blush brush right under my cheekbones, at the bottom of my chin, under my neck, around the top of my forehead, and at my temples. I also use this to contour my nose with an eyeshadow blending brush. Quick Tip: After years of trying to figure out how to make my nose look less.....long and witchy, I figured out the next best thing over a nose job. I have watched countless videos on "how to make your nose look smaller", but nearly all of those videos show you how to make a wide nose look smaller. Mine is skinny and long. Anyway, I contour my nose like everyone else, focusing at the bottom by adding bronzer right under the tip of my nose to make it appear shorter.  I love that this bronzer doesn't have any orangey-ness to it. It gives the perfect matte, bronzed look. 

8. Bobbi Brown Blush in Peony: This blush is the perfect pink! It gives you a nice glow without being shimmery. The formula is awesome; it applies flawlessly. 

9. Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick: This is the.best.highlighter.ever. It blends perfectly with blush. I hate the look of shimmery white highlighters, and this one is subtle with the prefect amount of shimmer. Words can't describe how amazing it is. You just need to take my word for it and try it!

10. Anastasia Brow Wiz Pencil: Filling in my brows is a must to give the rest of my face a frame. I have naturally dirty blonde eyebrows, and I use this pencil in Medium Ash. Quick Tip: Use a brow pencil that's one shade lighter than your hair color. This gives a soft, less harsh look to your entire face.

11. Stila Kajal Eyeliner in Onyx: I use this liner on my upper lash line as well as my lower lash line to cover redness and make my lashes appear thicker. This Stila liner is the most pigmented, rich black liner I've found to use in my waterline, and the Urban Decay Primer Potion prevents smearing.  

12. Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum: I've been using this for about a year underneath black mascara and LOVE it. It creates a smooth base for mascara, and I have noticed that it does make my lashes look longer. 

13. Diorshow Extase Mascara: I am obsessed with this mascara. It makes my lashes look incredibly full and long. I've used every other Diorshow mascara, and this one takes the cake, by far. 

14. MAC Lipliner in Whirl: This is my Holy Grail lipliner for an everyday look. It matches the color of my lips almost perfectly, which I love. I line almost my entire mouth with it, and then use lipstick and/or lipgloss over it for a polished look.

15. Lorac lipgloss in Haute: This has got to be the most perfect pink lipgloss out there. And I have tried A LOT. I make fun of myself for having a million pink lipglosses sitting in my vanity and piled in my purse. Lorac's lipgloss in "Haute" is great because it's not too nude and color draining, but it's also not a hot pink. Just the perfect healthy looking light pink color.

16. Naked Palette: This palette is perfect for a natural eyeshadow look, or for a bronzed smoky look. I use it almost daily. 

And there you have my everyday makeup products and routine! It was hard not including some of my other favorites, but these are the products that I use every single day. I am very loyal to each of these products, but of course I am open to new suggestions! What are your favorite makeup items?

Fall Wedding Style: Burgundy

Here is my final Fall wedding look for the year. I went with a burgundy dress, as it is my absolute favorite color for Fall and Winter! I thought it was even more appropriate since the wedding took place at a winery. I couldn't sneak a photo during the wedding, so I had my very tired groomsman husband snap a picture at 3 am when we got back from the wedding, hence the lack of shoes in this picture. 

Dress: Rachel Roy (old), similar//Necklace: H&M//Cuff: Forever 21//Link bracelet: J . Crew, similar in a larger link size//Belt: ASOS

The Inspiration

Halloween Hair and Makeup

Although I don't have photos of my entire costume(s), I wanted to share some snaps of my hair and makeup.

First up is my Corpse Bride costume. The whole thing was very last minute (I couldn't decide what I wanted to dress up as, and I didn't want a lame or slutty costume). I found a makeup tutorial on Pixiwoo's Youtube channel and followed the steps from a Corpse Bride makeup tutorial there. I really liked how the makeup turned out!

My second costume was from this past weekend for a friend's 20's themed birthday party. I love experimenting with makeup from different eras, so this one was so much fun! I went with a lighter shade of foundation, all matte, dark eyes and dark, defined lips.

*See that huge blister on my arm? I burned myself with my curling iron. I'm just thankful it wasn't on my face.

Halloween Flashback: Breakfast at Tiffany's

In getting into the spirit of Halloween this year, I thought I'd share last year's Breakfast at Tiffany's Holly Golightly costume. It was super last minute, just like my costume this year, which I will share!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween this year?

Recent Eats

If you haven't tried making zucchini pasta, you should! It's delicious and guilt free! I've been experimenting with all different kinds of zucchini pasta (I use marinara and turkey meatballs most of the time). This scallop "pasta" has become a dinner staple, and it's so easy to make. Cut the zucchini with a mandoline slicer, and then slice it length wise with a knife to make "pasta" strips. Saute with a little coconut oil, pepper, and garlic for 5-7 minutes. In a separate pan, prepare scallops the same way and add whichever seasonings you like. Mix it together and you have an easy, clean dinner. 

OK, I know this looks way less than appetizing. My apologies for the poor presentation. This bacon wrapped salmon tastes SO much better than it looks. 

How to prepare: set oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle tarragon leaves over salmon, then wrap bacon (I used turkey bacon) around each filet and secure with toothpicks (I didn't do this this time around, hence the presentation). Drizzle sugar free maple syrup over each filet and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

I made sushi for the first time recently, and it was very easy and just as good as a sushi restaurant. I purchased fresh "sashimi grade" salmon and tuna from Ranch 99, and already had some nori in my pantry. I made alaska rolls and spicy tuna rolls using fish, rice, nori, and avocado. 

To prepare: spread cooked rice over the nori, then apply the pieces of raw fish and avocado over the rice. Roll the nori and cut into pieces. Next time I'll use brown rice to be more health conscious. =)

Fall Wedding Style: Neon

I decided to go for a fun neon dress for the wedding we attended this past weekend in San Francisco. Neon is no longer only acceptable during the Summer. Pairing neons with dark colors such as black and burgundy is hot for Fall, so I took the opportunity to play around with mixing neon with black accessories.

Dress: A New York ( I bought this dress more than a year ago at Bloomingdales, but couldn't find more from the designer online. Perhaps there's more to the name than "A New York" which is on the label. // Shoes: BCBG // Necklace: Target // Bracelets: Forever 21 and Aqua.

I found this burgundy dress shirt for my husband at Target, and thought it'd go perfectly with the hot pink dress since I love mixing the two colors myself!

The inspiration

Kim Hyuna Style

I know I'm a little late to the Gangnam style party, but I have to share how obsessed I am with Kim Hyuna's outfit(s) in the Gangnam Style and Oppa Style videos. I was am a little iffy on the wildly popular Isabel Marant sneaker sensation, but seeing Ms. Hyuna wear them in the video(s) has warmed me up to the idea a bit. 

If you haven't seen the Oppa Style video, check it out:

I love her fun & opulent style! 

How do you ladies feel about the Isabel Marant sneaker trend?

And just for kicks, my husband (middle) and his friends reenacting the Gangnam Style dance at a recent wedding we attended:

                                               

Fall Wedding Style: Black and Nude

It seems as though this year Fall has become the new "it" season to get married. We have three weddings to attend this month! Starting out with the first this past weekend, I decided to wear a black and nude ensemble with touches of gold. I'm paranoid about wearing all black to weddings, but the nude lining on this dress makes it more fun.

After talking smack to my friends (and other bloggers) about the famous equally loved/hated bubble necklace, I caved and bought one this past week. I wasn't planning on it, but when I saw them at Charlotte Russe for $12.99, I couldn't resist. They also had them in coral and turquoise. I couldn't find a link on their website, but my guess is that they're brand new in stores, so go check it out if you're still wanting one! 

I broke up all the black with a crazy huge gold bow cuff bracelet from H&M and nude heels from BCBG.

{Please excuse the kitty tail in this photo, haha}

Dress: H&M (old)// Necklace: Charlotte Russe// Shoes: BCBG, similar// Clutch: Given to me from my grandmother (vintage)// Bracelet: H&M// Nails: Essie Recessionista

The Inspiration

Elie Saab Fall 2012

Lanvin Fall 2012 RTW

Olivia Palermo

Collette Dinnigan Fall 2012

Zuhair Murad Fall/Winter 2012

Stay tuned for more Fall wedding styling posts!

Color of the Season: Burgundy

My favorite Fall color is Burgundy. I know that many call it oxblood, but that name bothers me. I found these burgundy jeans at Forever 21 a couple weeks ago, and unfortunately I can't find them on the website to share with you. 

For this look I put together for a guest post, I paired the jeans with a simple peplum top from H&M and some black and gold jewels to tie everything together. 

Head over to Devon Rachel's blog to see more photos and details from my guest post!

Shaving Face

 

I know this title is totally cheesy, but I had to do it. 

Apparently I'm a late bloomer to shaving the face. Models have been doing it for years, and Marylin Monroe was known to shave her face.

I was an avid waxer, as I am the hairiest person I know. I have a beard and a mustache (and hairier legs and arms than my husband) when I don't have the hair removed, and I know I owe this to my Jewish heritage.

Anyway, almost every time I had my face waxed (or threaded), I broke out. Herpes lip is not a pretty look, especially right before important events! I think it took a few too many experiences to finally learn that I should stop having my upper lip and sides of my face waxed. {Thankfully my eyebrows don't react negatively to being waxed or threaded.} I thought that if I started waxing my face on my own and immediately applied my own concoctions to limit break outs, it would solve the problem. I've tried using aloe, crushed advil mixed with water, neosporin, and Tend Skin. None have worked for me.

This brings me to shaving my face. I bought a pack of 3 facial one blade razors from amazon, and they are amazing! I'd be a hairy beast without them. I shave all of the hair on my face (except for my eyebrows) and neck with the razor, removing it from the direction it grows to minimize any chances of breakouts.
My face feels so soft afterwards, and I haven't had any breakouts.

Benefits of shaving your face include:

-Exfoliating dead skin cells without overstimulating the skin
-Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
-Minimized pore size
-Lightens acne scars
-Balances skin tone
-Removes blackheads

And the old wives tale about hair growing in thicker and darker when you shave it? Not true.

So, tell me..have you tried shaving your face?

Recent {Clean-ish} Eats

Last night I made this popular on Pinterest "cauliflower crust pizza". The crust only contains cauliflower, an egg, and some oregano. I used light mozzarella cheese from Trader Joes, black olives, and splurged a little on pepperoni. Next time I will definitely be using a cooking spray instead of wax paper to line the baking sheet because the pizza stuck like a leech to the paper! It was messy, but delicious! You can view the recipe here.

This New Orleans Spicy Shrimp dish has become one of my favorite dinners! It's not exactly "clean" but I've cleaned it up the best I can. I modified the recipe and don't use any butter. The Heinz Chili Sauce isn't terrible, but it does have 2g of sugar per serving. Luckily canned/jarred products containing 2g of sugar + is my personal limit. Instead of dipping bread in the delicious sauce as the recipe suggests, I make mashed cauliflower and pour the shrimp over it. SO good! See the recipe here.

This foil baked fish was SO good, and super easy to make. I used cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, red onion, fresh basil, chili flakes and squeezed some lemon over the fish and veggies to bake at 450 for 15 minutes. 

These grilled avocados have become my every day snack. I'm not big on dairy, but this is an exception  (plus I don't use very much cheese for these). See the recipe here. 

What are your favorite healthy recipes right now?

Katie's Bliss Guest Post

My day job consists of {some} blogging, which is amazing and SO much fun! Today I was featured on Katie's Bliss for a special Summer To Fall Fashion series I worked on. Head on over to Katie's blog to check out more photos, and look out for another installment soon!

Photos by Krystal Avedisian

P.S. I am working on re-designing my blog myself, and since I am a total photoshop novice, it may take  awhile! Just FYI in case the layout looks funky for a few days.

P.P.S. I created a Facebook Page for my blog. Come on over and say hi! 

What I Wore to my Husband's High School Reunion

This weekend we attended my husband's 10 year High School Reunion, and I was excited to wear an H&M dress I bought more than a year ago and hadn't worn yet. I first saw Kourtney Kardashian wearing the nude and black color blocked dress at a Beach Bunny swim wear fashion show in NYC, and I ran out to H&M to grab the last one they had.

How I wore it:

Dress: H&M// Shoes: Zara (yes, I'm obsessed with these shoes)//Spike bracelet (not seen): H&M, similar// Earrings: Kendra Scott Danielle Earrings in "Goldstone"//

Weekend Outfit For a Casual Birthday Dinner

Finally taking a stab at doing an outfit post! My husband and I were rushing to leave the house for a casual birthday dinner this past weekend, and I thought I'd get a quick snap of my outfit. I know the lighting is less than ideal here, but I'll get the hang of it!

T-shirt: Zara // Skirt: Express // Shoes: Zara // Necklace: Target // Bracelets: Target (Similar, in silver)

Diet Schmiet: Protein Bars

I used to count calories, but I've learned that a 50 calorie "low fat" cookie doesn't equal healthy. Once I stopped counting calories, and focused on eating clean, I started to feel (and look) so much better.

The biggest change I've made is watching my sugar intake. I rarely eat regular or whole wheat pasta (I am currently reading about health implications of wheat) or bread products. Simply speaking, carbohydrates turn to sugar, which turns into fat. I focus on eating fresh veggies, protein, and occasionally fruit. If I do purchase something pre-made or canned, I try to limit the sugar to 2g.

I used to carry protein bars with me just in case I got hungry, but I recently switched to bringing almonds and dried cranberries in a ziploc to put in my purse while I'm on the go. Think Thin bars were my snack of choice for months, and I thought I was being smart about my choice to eat them if I was in dire need of a snack as I spent a long time reading and comparing ingredients and nutrition facts of all the different options. The front of the package says "0g sugar, 20g protein, gluten free", which sounds amazing. I recently realized that Think Thin bars contain 11g of sugar alcohol...not as bad as sugar, but not ideal.

The majority of energy, protein, and snack bars claim to be "healthy" and "natural", yet they are packed with 100,000 ingredients I can't pronounce and contain lots of sugar and sodium. I have yet to find one that is actually "clean"--Think Thin is the best I've found. 

I thought I'd share some photos I took at Whole Foods of popular protein/snack bars that claim to be healthy...prepare to be disappointed...

Power Bar Performance Energy Protein Bar

Kind Fruit and Nut snack bar

The sodium in these are remarkably lower than most, which is great, and a large portion of the sugar  content is from the fruit.

Luna Chocolate Chunk Bar

Lara Bar (Chocolate Chip Brownie)

Have any of you found a zero/low sugar protein bar? I'd love to know!