Lavendar Sparkle

This Summer you are either drawn to the neon brights or working the pastel classics.  I am much more apt to pick the bright colors, but thought I would tone it down a bit with a cool grayish lavendar and a bit of sparkle for the top coat.  I love the result...  Maybe, just MAYBE I'll try a pair of the pastel floral skinny jeans to match??

Zoya's Kendal and OPI's Nothing But Gold for Me.

Summer "Must-Have" Giveaway!

CONGRATULATIONS, TINA!  YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE SUMMER "MUST-HAVE" GIVEAWAY!! 

I'm so excited to offer my first little giveaway to one lucky Major Baggage follower that includes a few finds on my favorites list this Summer!

Here's a look at the goods!

Target's polka dot notebook trio, Salon Effects polish strips in Mod About You, Revlon's Once Bitten Cheek / Lip balm stain in Sweetheart, Mini watermelon note cards (so cute for a summer BBQ invite!), and a perfect white tank adorned with the Major B logo!  Oh, and YES... the citrus pencil box, too!

 Here's how we go about this:

 - From Tuesday, June 26th to Friday, June 29th, leave a kind comment, hot tip or future posting request below in the "Comments" section of this post.

 - Make sure to leave your name in the comment (especially if you are using the "Anonymous" option).

 - One comment per person, please... or feel free to leave more than one but your name will only be counted once towards the drawing.

 -  Each name will be assigned a number in the order received and all numbers will be entered into a random drawing

 - One lucky winner will be announced on Saturday, June 30th - YAY!

Good luck everyone... And thank you so much for peeking in on the Major Baggage Blog!

IMATS 2012 - Los Angeles

What an amazing day!  I went to IMATS (International Make-Up Artists Trade Show) yesterday in Pasadena and it was heaven on earth.  Being that it was my first time, we got some good advice while waiting in line to enter the show... Check it all out BEFORE you buy anything!  Thank goodness I got that message or I would have gone down eisle #1 and then been all out of cash!  They were make-up brushes as far as the eye could see, color palettes galore, tons of demo's on airbrushing, a Stila Runway show and some absolutely incredible works of art to view!  

Below are some of my favorite highlights:

Deal of the Day!  This limited edition palette from bhcosmetics was a $9 steal!  The quality is fantastic.

Glimmer Body Art was there!  They applied this amazing ombre tribal glitter tattoo in just the perfect spot for a "built in" statement necklace... at least for a few days!

 

 More major finds from IMATS coming in future posts... You KNOW I walked out of there with a mini haul!

Summertime Staple

Summertime Staple by majorbaggage 

Metallic top
$395 - modaoperandi.com

Clu sheer cardigan
$295 - lespommettes.com

Sheer top
$38 - modcloth.com

Vintage style bikini
$75 - matchesfashion.com

Quiksilver baggy shorts
$50 - quiksilver.com

Mystique jeweled sandals
$150 - shopmystique.com

Colorblock sandals
$89 - macys.com

Shopping bag
£245 - nicolefarhi.com

J Crew cross body handbag
$148 - jcrew.com

Kate spade jewelry
$89 - katespade.com

Stella Dot clover jewelry
$49 - stelladot.com

Karen Walker Eyewear tortoise sunglasses
$280 - lagarconne.com

Ray-Ban metal shades
$198 - mytheresa.com

J Crew leather belt
$48 - jcrew.com

Charlotte Russe fedora hat
$13 - charlotterusse.com

Pieces leather belt
$12 - asos.com

Essie nail polish
essie.com

Essie nailpolish
essie.com

Another Pretty Package

If I haven't mentioned it before, I really am a complete sucker for great packaging.  Ribbons, papers, tissue & boxes ~ They all pull together in the most creative way to house the goodies inside.  Because I have a hard time tossing anything that brings me inspiration, I have been holding onto a few boxes that just plain and simple makes me happy!  Of course a few came with amazing gifts inside, but my first impression was blown away by the details surrounding the treasure.

Stella & Dot... It goes without saying that they have the absolute pulse on what a woman wants!  The packaging is gorgeous, clever and completely on trend.  The jewelry is amazing ~ These ladies are just brilliant!

Birchbox... If you have not yet signed up for this monthly service of beauty samples, PLEASE do yourself a favor!!  Above is my latest Summer box centered around the perfect Jet Setter essentials!  The lip and cheek stain is my favorite.  Click HERE for the details on how you can get Birchbox delivered to your door.

Target... Have you BEEN to the $1 section??  So many great little finds like these adorable pencil boxes that now hold all my coupons and collection of bracelets that didn't really work (HERE)

BB Cream = New BFF

A HUGE hug & kiss goes out to my BFF living in Aloha-Land for turning me onto this miracle cream!  If you haven't scoped it out already you must try this latest beauty craze called bb cream (as in beauty balm).  It has been all the rage in Asia and has recently made it to the US.  I went ahead and bought the drugstore brand by Garnier (read about it HERE) to test it out and it is amazing!  Think of a moisturizer, primer and sunscreen all in one, but sooooo much better!  There are so many brands to choose from as Estee Lauder, Clinique, Smashbox all have their variations.  As a back up for when I need more sunscreen coverage, I also bought Dr. Jart's bb cream with SPF 45 (honestly, I like the drugstore brand better).

Below is my before and after pic with Garnier's bb Miracle Cream... I did nothing to alter the pictures... Just used my fingers to apply the cream (in case you were questioning... I know I would!)  It totally smoothed out all my wacky skin tones like no other sheer moisturizer I had tried in the past.  I'm hooked.

Small investment - huge return!

Let me know what you think if you try it.

Father's Day

Even though our paths to the top were different, the goal was always the same.  My dad moved mountains for me!

Here's the agenda for today:

Love the tag line!

Courtesy of The Full Pint

Tiger is struggling... I admit, it's OK with me!

Dodgers need a WIN!  GO BLUE!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Bazooka!

On your next mani / pedi trip go for this super fun, bright orange color from Essie's Poppy-Razi Collection.  Yes, it's a bit on the neon side, but pair this with a neutral outfit (a denim or chambray shirt is a must-have this Summer!) and you are right on trend!!

The whole collection (from left ~ Action, Bazooka, Camera & Lights)

JCrew (above & below)

Take Note!

I made a trip to Target yesterday, or to what many of us call the "100 Dollar Store" since I can never walk out of there with JUST the essentials on my list... This is exactly what happened ~ yet again ~ when I sauntered into the office organization and stationary section of the store... So many treasures!  On this successful trip, I came away with some wonderful notebooks perfect for popping into your handbag, beach bag or keeping next to your bed for jotting down all your "A-HA!" moments, brilliant ideas, passion projects & vacation dreams...

"Looking at the stars always makes me dream" ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Major Must-Have!

Collared necklaces are my new fashion accessory obsession.  They are perfect touches for basic summer weather outfits as a quirky-cute accent to a simple tank or strapless dress.  I of course found one on a trip to Forever 21, but there are so many more looks out there to choose from. 
I think it would look great on you! :)

Forever 21

Etsy.com - Cheap and Chic

Mickey's Girl (bought this one, too!)

Need Supply Co.

Lanvin

ASOS