lancome Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

READER’S CHOICE BEAUTY AWARDS: PART 2

HYear!

My goodness, you guys, I almost feel embarrassed posting Part 2 of this Beauty Awards post almost a year later! But better late than never, right? Part 1 was all about SKINCARE, and Part 2 is going to be all about MAKEUP! I’m definitely not a beauty blogger by any means, and makeup tutorials are not my thing. However, I do love wearing makeup. I feel most like myself when I take the time to put some on, and especially love a good pop of lip color! I come from a family of ladies who know how to rock a bold lip, and so that’s always just been a go-to product for me, and it’s an easy way take your look to the next level.

In the past couple years, I have been trying out some more clean, natural brands and so this list will reflect many new, clean brands that you all have recommended. However, there are still products on here that we all use and love that aren’t in the natural category. Just want to make sure I mention that up front! I am always open to learning about different products, so if you have any favorites that aren’t on this list, please send them my way!

I have linked the ones you recommended here for your convenience and maybe you will find something for yourself or a loved one for the holidays.

Without further ado…here are your Reader’s Choice FAVORITE MAKEUP products!!!

Under Eyes:

Tarte Shape Tape

Smashbox Color Correcting Stick

Face:

Tarte Aquacealer Concealer

Makeup Forever Matte Velvet Skin Foundation

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

Pacifica Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream

Young Living Savvy Minerals Foundation

Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer

Benefit Watts Up! Highlighter

BareMinerals Gen Nude Powder Blush

Flower Beauty Flower Pots Blush

Lips:

MAC Lipstick (Mattes)

MAC Lipstick (Cream)

MAC Cremesheen Glass Lip Gloss

100 Percent Pure Matte Lipstick

Bite Beauty Lipstick

Red Apple Lipstick

Lancome L’Absolu Rouge Lipstick

L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lipstick

Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm

Eyes:

Urban Decay Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette

Rodan + Fields Lash Boost

Make Up Forever Eyeshadow

MAC Paint Pot (Painterly shade as eyeshadow primer)

Benefit Ka-Brow Cream Gel Eyebrow Color

Lancome Definicils Mascara

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara

Stila Liquid Waterprood Eye Liner

Nails:

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish

Color Street Nail Strips

Zoya Nail Polish

JINSoon Nail Polish

OPI Drip Dry Lacquer

Oh em gee!!!! Okay, that was a lot of makeup!!! Thank you SO much for all of your beauty recommendations for Makeup…I appreciate it so very much! I have used many of these on the list, but there are definitely some that I am going to go out and try for SURE! Hope you guys get a chance to try them as well!

Do you love some things on this list? Do you think something needs to be added? I want to know!!! Please leave your comments below!

The Notes Family is getting ready to head down to Maryland for the Thanksgiving holiday. Trying to tie up all the loose ends around here…getting all the blog posts prepped, getting all the invites out for my upcoming health/fitness Challenge Groups, doctor’s appointments, laundry, packing, and all the rest. We are getting excited to see family and friends next week and for all the delicious food! OH! And I scheduled my annual (yes I know) hair appointment with my girl Nikki Cagle for when I’m in town. If you guys have any inspo for what I should do, please send my way!

Happy Sunday!

XO,

Gina

Sweater Weather

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Sweater: Forever 21 (last season) / Top: J. Crew Factory – multiple colors / Denim: Rag & Bone – similar / Boots: Target / Sunglasses: Vintage / Tassel Necklace: Gifted – similar / Heart Necklace: Love, Lori Michelle / Lip: Mix of Kat Von D Homegirl + Lancome All Done Up

On Nico: Top: Genuine Kids from Oshkosh / Pants: GAP Kids / Shoes: Saucony

It’s feeling like fall around here and the fall foliage is in full force. The sun has been shining and it’s been pretty nice for the start of November. Generally the holidays are one of the most fun times of the year, but they can also be really stressful with all the shopping and parties and traveling and more. All the more reason for me to take on the 3 Week Yoga Retreat this month for my Namaste November Challenge Group (which officially started yesterday)! Many of my coaches and challengers will be doing the new kickboxing program…and I WILL be joining them soon…but I thought it was important to give my body a bit of a rest after Hammering + Chiseling for the past two months. I am MORE than excited for 21 days of ZEN if I do say so myself.

My little guys are both on the move now and the playground is more fun than ever with both of them running around, sliding together, walking around holding hands, and more. They get stir crazy at home, so I need to keep getting them out of the house as much as possible before it gets frigid around here and I come running to you all in need of more ideas for indoor activities!

Enjoyed a few much needed movie nights with the hubs over the weekend (we NEVER watch movies these days), but caught up with Dope + Whiplash. Both awesome and I would recommend! Though most of you are probably all, been there done that! Haha.

Hope you are all having a great week so far! I’m off to the polls to get my vote on.

XO,

Gina

Leaves Fall Down

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Floral Wrap Cardigan: Target / Embroidered Tank: Target / Denim: AG Jeans / Fringe Booties: Target (old) – similar / Beaded Bracelets: Guilty Jean / Gold Bangle: Gifted – Engraved with “Today my matron of honor, forever my best friend.”

Things you don’t have time for when you have two children…1) Styling your hair (I somehow managed a blow dry that day, but let me tell you it’s rare, and 2) Ironing your shirt. I have to admit, it didn’t even look wrinkled to me when I left that house, but these photos are proving otherwise! I would say that I am embarrassed, but at the same time the odds of me managing to actually iron it and get out the door for our Friendsgiving event would have been slim to none. So I’m just going to own my un-ironed, wrinkled shirt and chalk it up to motherhood.

Friendsgiving was fantastic with our old Manhattan crew who is slowly moving out of the city (sadface). We met in Jersey and Nico actually had a little playmate this year as our friends have a son as well and they were both old enough to interact this year (and also have extreme meltdowns in tandem…well played boys, well played.) We shared a lovely meal, some wine, games, and conversation as we caught up with each other on life. I think we are going to need to make it a habit to do things like this more often.

The following day was spent out on Staten Island celebrating a cousin’s after-wedding brunch. Congrats cousin!! Much of my close family including my parents and grandmother (who is celebrating a birthday today!) were in town so it was great to be able to see everyone on our turf this time. It was also a lot of fun to catch up with our Staten Island cousins and have them meet the kiddos.

This week is a busy one as we are leaving town next week, so grinding it out and getting things done!

Lastly, I would like to announce the WINNER of the Chalk It Up Giveaway! Drumroll please….ANGELA!

Yes, my very own sister. I promise I picked out of a hat!

CONGRATULATIONS little sis! Thanks for being a loyal reader of p + p and a lover of beautiful chalk designs. Kristyn will be reaching out to you to shortly.

A BIG thank you to everyone who participated!

XO,

Gina

Plaid + (Faux) Fur

(Faux) Chinchilla Fur Jacket: Express (a couple years old, but similar here) / Plaid Button Up: Target (on sale!) / Denim: Rag & Bone / Booties: Target (on sale!) / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar), Stella & Sparkle / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: Lancome Luxe

Call me crazy, but I absolutely adore the mix of plaid & fur right now! To me, it’s a perfect fall or winter look. I was gifted this amazing jacket for Christmas a couple years ago, and I recently scored this bright button up at Target. Mixed the two together, and boom. I all the sudden look a lot more put together than I really am. 😉

I wore this on a little trip to downtown Annapolis when we were visiting family and friends for the holidays. We started at Miss Shirley’s for breakfast. Let me tell you, if you are a Maryland local, and you have not yet been to Miss Shirley’s, you need to go there…like immediately. They have the best southern comfort food you could ever imagine. Proof here. From there, we headed down to walk around the gorgeous harbor, the historical homes, and popped into the amazing consignment shop, Navette. I found this shop through Instagram, ordered from them over the phone, and even met one of their amazing owners for coffee in NYC, yet I still hadn’t visited their store front until this day! I was very excited and delighted to see a bustling shop full of fantastic treasures and happy customers. Unfortunately, due to a toddler naptime meltdown, I had to cut my trip there short, but I didn’t leave without scoring this fabulous Jonathan Adler clutch.

I’m looking forward to returning to Maryland again for Christmas, but until then, I am enjoying the holiday spirit up here in NYC. Our tree is up, and we took Nico to see Santa last weekend. Much to my surprise, there were no tears! Yay! I love New York City at Christmastime. If you missed yesterday’s post about things to do in December, check it out here.

This week I have been working on my holiday cards (which is pretty difficult with a bum thumb), online shopping for gifts, and listening to Christmas music non-stop. Tonight, I am getting out of the house to go to a holiday party with a friend, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Hope you are all enjoying the season!

XO,

Gina

Autumn Yellow

Blouse: H&M – similar / Denim: AG Jeans / Leopard Pumps: Liz Claiborne (clearance!) / Necklace: Coup de Coeur/ Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Tory Burch, Baublebar / Nails: Essie Sexy Divide (amazing price!) / Lip: Lancome All Done Up

It’s definitely feeling like fall over here, which means it’s time for me to break out the darker hues and longer sleeves. Jewel tones are my favorite for fall, and I love this topaz/mustard color yellow for the season. It reminds of the leaves changing colors around me.

What are some of your favorite colors to wear during the autumn season?

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

XO,

Gina

Strawberry Sunshine

On me – Dress: ModCloth / Shoes (1): ALDO / Shoes (2): Carrini via Hautelook / Sunnies: Amazon / Bracelet: Baublebar / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

On Nico – Shirt: Carter’s / Shorts: Quad Seven

I scored this dress on sale from ModCloth at the beginning of August, and I love that it can work both for summer and fall. I dig the retro/vintage feel of the dress in terms of the silhouette as well as the strawberry floral print. It instantly puts me in a good mood! I wore this a couple weeks ago for a family day in the neighborhood, and then changed my shoes for a long walk to the Prospect Park carousel and zoo. As you can tell, Nico was a big fan of the carousel!

I am feeling SO MUCH better this week. Thank you for all your thoughts and well wishes from my last post. It definitely helped! Looking forward to a busy week of catch up, and I’m planning to get outside as much as humanly possible!

XO,

Gina

Summer Sunlight

Dress: Boxing Kitten for Urban Outfitters (old) / Neon Sandals: Dolce Vita – similar / Crossbody Bag: T.J. Maxx / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: Lancome Fuchsia Clutch / Nails: Essie Marshmallow / Toes: Essie Bachelorette Bash

Summer sunlight peeking through the trees as the sun is starting to set. Probably my favorite moment of the day. The magic hour brings me a peaceful calm. It strange how only a few years ago, the sun going down was a symbol of the start of my evening. It meant that it was time to start prepping to get ready for a night on the town with my man or the girls. I’ve always been a night owl, and I lived for summer nights exploring New York City. Dressing up, hair, make-up, the whole sha-bing.

Nowadays, the sunset usually represents quiet for me. Time to reflect on the adventures from the day, give the baby a bath, put him to bed, and then enjoy dinner with my husband and maybe even a glass of wine. This particular evening, however, we were on family vacation which meant Bubbe and Pop Pop were eager to babysit. So after Nico’s bedtime, my husband and I were able to go out on our own little adventure. We started by taking these photos and others in the summer sunlight. We walked around Cape May, and had a delicious romantic dinner for two at Louisa’s. I guess we realized how little we get out after 8pm these days, and so we didn’t want the night to end. We walked around in the moonlight, shared a kiss under the stars (or two), and played video games and skee-ball at the arcade until close. We felt like two teenagers running around on a summer night. Yes, things have changed. Instead of closing down bars, we are closing down arcades at a family beach town. Instead of going to sleep at 4am, I am waking up at 6am.

But I’m okay with that.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

Floral Fit & Flare

I’m tiny, yet curvy (even more so now post baby), so the classic fit & flare has always been a favorite silhouette of mine. I found this Pim & Larkin floral beauty on sale via Piperlime, and I had to snag it for wedding season. Unfortunately, this one is sold out, but they have other gorgeous options as well. I particularly love the two black and white striped fit & flare options you’ll see on this page.

Dress: Pim & Larkin via Piperlime – sold out, but love their other options here / Shoes: Sole Society / Clutch: Express / Shades: ModCloth / Bracelet & Earrings Set: Gifted / Lip: Lancome Fuchsia Clutch (discontinued – Wannabe is similar)

I apologize for falling off the world (wide web) these past few weeks. It’s just that it’s summer time, and I have been having way to much fun enjoying it rather than writing about it. I’ve been taking photos along the way, but I’ve been too busy to bother with editing and uploading. Sorry, not sorry. These were taken back on our trip to Rock Hall, MD. We were on our way to the rehearsal dinner, and we passed a drive-through wildlife refuge. There was no question, we had to turn back around and take a peek. We saw a hawk, baby deer, a few more birds and a gorgeous landscape which turned out to be a beautiful back drop for a photo op as well.

This summer has been epic for road travel. Who would have thought we could handle this many adventures as a family of three? I have to say, Nico is taking these road trips like a champ and he seems to enjoy every new place we take him. I have so much to share from the rest of Rock Hall, Cape May, and Rehoboth, and I promise I will give it my best effort, but I have to warn you we have the North Fork, Deep Creek Lake, and the OBX on the horizon!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am.

XO,

Gina

Red Rain Boots

Rain Boots: Hunter / Leg Warmers: similar / Tribal Leggings: Forever 21 – similar / Coat: Old Navy / Top: Urban Outfitters / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

These photos were taken on our trip to the lake house in New Hampshire on a chilly, rainy day. Instead of swimming or hiking, we spent this day eating Mexican food, browsing the local Wolfeboro shops, playing games, and drinking wine. These boots were a recent gift from the hubby for our 3rd wedding anniversary. Totally picked out on his own, mind you! Perfect timing for rainy season, and it seemed appropriate to share today as the rain is currently falling.

XO,

Gina

Love, Lori Michelle

Aside from the amazing Mother’s Day gift that I received from my husband and son, I also received an incredible mommy necklace made especially for me by Lori of Love, Lori Michelle. She worked with me to custom design the necklace I am wearing in this post, and we chose a heart with an “N” cut out in the corner for my little Nico. Lori is a digital artist and designer whose work with 3D models inspired her to create 3D printed jewelry. Most of her early designs were created as birthday or wedding gifts for friends, and she prides herself on her custom one-of-a-kind designs. Her silver and stainless steel pieces are both beautiful and original, and I’m so happy to be the recipient of such a wonderful gift!

What is 3D printing you ask? Lori describes the printing process here if you’d like to read on.

Custom Necklace: c/o Love, Lori Michelle / Dress: F21 – similar / Sandals: Sam Edelman – red sold out, but many color choices here / Heart Sunnies: Amazon – super sale! / Heart Striped Tote: Ban.do / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Stella and Sparkle / Earrings: ALDO / Lip: Lancome Red Haute / Toes: Essie Lights

On Nico – Oxford Button Up Bodysuit: Baby GAP / Shorts: Crazy 8 / Fedora: Old Navy – similar / Stroller: Uppababy Vista

My 1st Mother’s Day was absolutely everything I could have asked for and more. Nico woke up an hour later than his normal time babbling “Mama Mama” in his crib to awake me from slumber. A whole extra hour to sleep in? That never happens! And saying Mama? First time ever! What better way to wake up on my first Mother’s day huh?

We ate breakfast together at home, and then headed outside as it was a perfect, sunny, beautiful day sans humidity. Naturally the beach was calling our name! Although it wasn’t quite bathing suit and ocean weather, it was a perfect day for walking around Coney Island. It was just before tourist season, so it wasn’t too crowded. We had delicious pizza at the new Grimaldi’s (which is super family friendly by the way), and we took a long walk on the boardwalk and out on the pier. We watched people on the rides, got ice cream cones, and even played a little ski ball. The best part was watching Nico’s face as he saw people the Cyclone for the first time. I’m guessing he was thinking: 1) What is that, and 2) That looks awesome! I love seeing him experience things for the first time, and I admit I even got a little teary.

We are headed off to New Hampshire this morning for the Memorial Day holiday. If you want to follow our adventures, you can catch me on Instagram!

XO,

Gina