Welcome to New York!

So I have officially lived in New York City for one MONTH!! I can honestly say I love being in the city so far! I am sorry I have not posted in a while but this past month has been a whirl wind, and I am really trying to take the city by storm! I come from a very small town so being here and getting around has taken some getting used too but I am getting better everyday (at least I think so!).

Every weekend that I have been here so far I have tried to go and see something new or go somewhere I have never been! That is what this post will be about! How I have spent the last month in the city, and of course it will include some shopping I have done! I have to tell you about this amazing beauty oil I found at Chelsea Market!!

After a long drive (and a huge thank you to my mom and sister) I got all moved into my room at FIT! My room is very cozy and you can see the empire state building right out the window! We spent the weekend getting my room set up and getting a few extra things for my room. I was so sad to say goodbye to them 😦 They are my biggest supporters and being so far away from them is definitely one of the hardest parts! Luckily though I am living with some great girls down here and having each other has been very helpful!!

The first week we mostly just explored! We went to the High Line, Chelsea Market, some thrift stores, and we found the most amazing roof top bar! At the Chelsea Market I found this really nice oil (for hair, face, body, and hand), I was hesitant to buy it at first-but for the next week all I could think about was how soft it made my skin and hair! So of course the next weekend I wandered back and had to buy it!! I am including a picture below so you can see what it looks like! It is made right here in Brooklyn which is pretty cool too!

So far I have also gone to the Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, and SOHO. The Brooklyn Bridge was nice to walk on, but the whole time all I could think about was that time in the Sex and the City Movie where MIranda and Steve decide to meet their lol!! Coney Island was fun-it was a little windy that day but we just walked around and it was still nice to be by the ocean!

Sorry this post is so long-but I am going to include some pictures of my last month in the city! I promise I am going to work on posting more frequently! This past month has just been soo busy but I wouldn’t change a second of it! I have been waiting a very long time to be at this point in my life and I am so thankful for having the opportunity to make my dreams come true!  

My 4 Favorite Beauty Products This Week

The past few weeks I have just been enjoying being home and doing fun summer stuff with my friends and family, but I knew it was time for a beauty post!!

When I returned home from Italy, I had lots of products from KIKO MILANO that I was excited to try as well as my mom had surprised me with a few products when I arrived home (yayy!!).

So I thought today I would share my 4 favorite beauty products that I love right now!

1. Jay Manuel Beauty Skin Perfecter Foundation from HSN. This is a foundation that my mom had found while watching HSN (home shopping network). It is a High Definition foundation. I’m sure whenever you hear “Jay Manuel” you think America’s Next Top Model. Well Jay wanted to be on top and he is currently conquering the beauty industry. This foundation is really cool because it starts out as a powder and then turns into a cream foundation. You just sprinkle it into your hands and rub together until it turns to a cream then apply to your face! 
2. 24K Sally Hershberger Texturizing Paste. This was another product that my mom surprised me with when I got home. This is also from HSN. When I first opened this cream to try it out I was surprised at the consistency. It was really cool, almost like a  play-doh. I used it on my hair and it is amazing! The best part is it brings out highlights and has flecks of gold in the product! I have blonde hair again and it really helps my highlights shine!! Also it adds just the right amount of thickness and holds a long time. I love it that it makes my hair nice and thick and easier to style! 
3. M. ASAM Resveratrol Premium Face and Decolletage Cream. This is the last product purchased from HSN. It is a face and décolletage (or neck) cream. It is tan in color and is best applied right before bed to a clean face and in the morning. I love the way it blends in and it makes the skin soft and I think it really enhances your skin tone. I love any cream that is made for you décolletage. I think the neck is a part of the body that is to often ignored and lotion really should be applied to the neck frequently!  
4. KIKO MILANO RADIANT TOUCH CREAMY STICK HIGHLIGHTER. At one of my few (okay maybe more than few) trips to KIKO MILANO in Italy I purchased this highlighter stick. And I am so happy I did! It was under 10.00 and I loved the color of it when I tried it on my hand. I have been wearing it everyday on my cheek bones, brow bones, and temples to add a subtle glow. I really like it and will be so sad once it is gone! 

I encourage you to try out one (or all) of the products! You will not be disappointed!! Products 1-3 can be purchased on HSN.com and #4 can be purchased from kikocosmetics.com. 

 

ROME

My last weekend in Italy I decided to make a “pilgrimage” to Rome. I almost didn’t go to Rome but after I went it was worth every penny and I am so happy that I did. So of course I also had to do a post about Rome as well! I wanted to share my experience and my pictures. This will be my last post about Italy! Then in three weeks it is off to NEW YORK CITY!!!

Out of the 12 girls I was traveling with only 5 of us decided to go to Rome. We took a speed train and arrived in just three hours (I would recommend this very much!!). We stayed at Hotel Fellini which was just five minutes from the Trevi Fountain. It was a perfect location.

The first day we visited the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and I had my favorite meal in Italy. The Trevi fountain was under construction but still just as beautiful (I can’t imagine how amazing it looks when it has water and everything!). You could still make a wish, though, which I was very happy about because that was on the top of my list of things I wanted to do! I actually ended up making a few wishes (I will be honest I may have thrown in a few dollar coins lol!!).

The Pantheon, and Spanish Steps were both beautiful as well. Everything in Rome has so much history and I know I felt in awe everywhere we went. Rome is also where I had my favorite meal of the WHOLE TRIP! One of the girls I was traveling with knew someone who was able to get us a reservation at a five star restaurant called Marzapane. I thought it was 10 stars!!! It was amazing! We had very delicious white wine (it was 45.00 dollars a bottle but very worth it). To eat I had noodles in beef broth with pork pop corn (a fancy way of saying pork rinds). I would not usually like something like this but it was amazing. Everything was very fresh, and made right in front of you! For dessert I had a peach and ricotta cannoli! I have included pictures of these! If you ever visit Rome you have to go here!

The second day in Rome we visited the Colosseum and the Vatican! The Colosseum was really cool to see and more massive than I thought! The rest of the girls decided to tour the inside, and I opted out of that! So instead I wandered around Rome for the afternoon and found one of the most beautiful spots. I wandered up a hill that lead to some historical sites (don’t worry I would never usually do this but there was so so many people around that I felt safe enough to). I started walking up this hill and as I walked I noticed the stations of the cross were built along the brick wall. I didn’t know where the trail led but eventually I got to the top. And at the top was the most beautiful little church. I had to go in and sit. I went in and sat for quite a while and it was one of the most special moments of my trip. I also lit a candle for a safe return home on my way out! There is something about wandering around Rome and finding new places-it made me so happy!!

In the afternoon before we had to head back to Milan we visited Vatican City. The Vatican was huge, and so pretty. The pictures really do not do it justice at all. We did not get to go inside because we didn’t have time but just being their was so amazing and I was able to get Rosary Beads for my mom!

I honestly can’t decide which Italian city was my favorite but I will tell you Rome is up on the top. It was beautiful, historic, and just amazing. I really am so happy I visited Rome and it made my trip feel complete! I hope you enjoy the pictures!! Ciao for now Italy!!

 

 

Istituto Europeo di Design

I have finally returned home from Italy! I am so so thankful for the experience and for all the places I was able to see during my time in  Italy! It was truly a once in a lifetime experience! I know I posted a lot of pictures traveling but I really was their to study fashion styling so I wanted to do a post on the school I attended as well.

I took a fashion styling course at the Istituto Europeo di Design (or IED for short). College in Italy is a lot different than College in the United States. Our college campuses tend to be large, have many buildings, and offer a wide variety of subjects. This school had three buildings (quite far from each other) and each building just had a series of classrooms. The campus I mostly studied at also had a photography lab. Which I was lucky enough to utilize and learn about!

I will be completely honest the first few weeks of classes was mostly lecture and about various subjects. I took a class in fashion trends, history of fashion, and history of photography. I enjoyed fashion trends and really liked how the teacher taught us a difference between fashion and style. She had a unique perspective in the way she taught this.

The last week of the course was all about styling and fashion shooting. Each student had to create a theme and a mood board to go along with the theme! I chose mix and match and focused on country & city. This is mostly because I live and have grown up in a small town but this year I will be moving to the city! For the project we had to put together our own outfits, and then decide how to shoot them. I did not take the pictures our photography teacher, who is also a professional in the industry, shot the photos. Our models did not show up the day of my shooting so I ended up being my own model lol!! I thought at least I could use the pictures for my blog!

I have included some pictures of the campus, and of my final project! I hope you enjoy! On Sunday I will do my final post on Italy which will be all about Rome!

 

Cinque Terre (AKA HEAVEN ON EARTH)

I had three major places I wanted to visit during my time in Italy

1. Venice

2. Verona

3. Cinque Terre

And I can finally say that I have visited all three now! And I can also say that as I went down the list I kept saying “this is the most beautiful place I have ever been.” I am sticking to my word: Venice is beautiful and unique, Verona is a very cute town, but Cinque Terre now that is a travel spot that should move right up to the top of your list (if it isn’t already)!

My group and I took a train from Milano Centrale to La Spezia train station. Once we got to La Spezia we purchased a 12.00 ticket that would allow us to take the train to/from each village, as well as give us access to any walking paths. I would recommend buying this ticket very much!

Cinque Terre consists of five different villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. They are often referred to as “The Five Lands”, and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We took the train to Vernazza and then from Vernazza you can take a hike to Monterosso-which has a very nice beach spot.

I will not lie the hike was difficult. It took us about an hour and a half and included many, many, many stairs. I was so happy when we turned the last corner and saw the beautiful beach. The hike is very worth it though because you are walking along the coast and the views are breathtaking. Just bring lots of water with you!

Once we got to Monterosso we hit the beach. For 10.00 euro we were each able to purchase a beach chair for the day. We spent the day sitting in the sun and swimming! The water felt wonderful and I even went in twice (which is rare for me!).

After Monterosso we took the train to Manarola. We ate dinner by the water and I had short pasta with pesto. It was very yummy! Manarola was where I was able to get the one picture I wanted to capture during this trip!

Enjoy the pictures from Cinque Terre! Thursday our class is visiting the World Expo, & then on Friday I am off on one last pilgrimage to Rome! A great way to end the trip in my opinion!!

(view from the Hike)

(The cutest old man selling oranges and lemons along the trail)

(once more because it is just so beautiful!)

KIKO MILANO

Hi everyone! Since I have recently done a lot of posts on traveling, I really wanted to do a beauty post!

When I first got to Milan, I heard about KIKO MILANO and within the first week I made a visit to the store. For those of you that don’t know (because I didn’t either) KIKO MILANO is an Italian beauty brand that offers professional make-up products and advanced treatments for your skin. I would compare it to a Sephora, or MAC even. I loved the products I found and got some great purchases on my visit to the store!

When you first walk into the store they have fun music playing and it has a very nice vibe. Like Sephora they have many workers eager to help you find just what you are looking for. Right away I noticed many beauty products including: eyeshadow, lip gloss, foundation, blush, mascara, just to name a few. What I also noticed was how good the prices were. I only bought make-products my first time, but before I leave Milan I am going to go back and get some skin-care products as well because the ones they had looked really nice and were a little different from what you see in America, & it’s always good to try out new products because you never know what you might just find!

The products that I purchased were:

1. KIKO Quick Dry nail polish

2. KIKO Luxurious Lashes Extra Volume Brush Mascara

3. KIKO Eyeshadow in INFINITY

4. KIKO Super Gloss

5. KIKO Essential eau de toilette in Rose & Cherry

I purchased all five items for only 26,00 Euros. Which is under 30.00 dollars in American money. I know sometimes it seems like to get a good beauty product you need to pay a bit more. I really don’t think that is the case with KIKO Milano products though. They seem to be very high quality and are affordable! Although I love Sephora, I am worried once I leave Milan I will miss the KIKO store! That is why before I go home I better stock up on some good products!

I hope everyone is enjoying a blush & a backpack! I am so happy I got to do a beauty post today, and soon I will post about Cinque Terre, a beautiful spot on the coast!

Venice & Verona

This past weekend we planned a nice weekend trip to Venice, and then a day trip to Verona. Both of these were two spots on the top of my list to visit. And after visiting them they both have also become the top 2 places I have ever been. I will start with Venice.

We took a train ride from Milano Centrale to Venezia S. Lucia (it was about 2 hours) and the train was really nice!

The minute I got off the train in Venice I was awestruck by how beautiful it was. The water, the houses, canals, everything was amazing! We stayed in an apartment (that we had booked through booking.com) in San Marco. This spot was very nice. Their was a lot of shops, restaurants, and St. Mark’s Square. We enjoyed nice dinners, afternoon strolls on the cute little streets, and of course a gondola ride! I am traveling with 12 other girls so we split up into 2 groups of six. The gondola ride was so peaceful and I am so happy I got to experience all that Venice has to offer! I decided to include many pictures they were all so nice I could not pick and choose! One night after dinner we grabbed some gelato, and walked around by the water, and music was playing and it was just so ITALY!!

 

Now for Verona. I was so excited to visit Verona because I love the movie Letters to Juliet. I wanted to do the same thing, and delivery my letter to Juliet. And I did!! Verona is seriously the most cutest town I have ever seen. Honestly it is so picture perfect it reminds me of a movie set. It has a bunch of shops, beautiful buildings, and outdoor cafes. We ate lunch outside, visited Juliet’s balcony, delivered my letters (where I made them take 100 pics of me placing them on the wall lol), and we did some shopping!

I really hope to someday visit both places again! A travel tip would be Venice for a week, and then Verona for 2 days!

Check out the pics from Verona, and feel free to comment with any questions, about travel, both locations, where I stayed, and what I ate! This weekend is Cinque Terre, and Florence!!

My First Weekend in Milan, Italy

It has been a very busy weekend with traveling to Milan, getting into our apartment, and then seeing some of the city.

After arriving Friday morning (the flight only took btw 6-7 hours so it was not to bad) our Director picked us up and we headed to Milan from MXP airport.

After a lot of waiting, signing papers, etc. we were on our way to our apartment. My apartment is located a little outside of the city center, I like the apartment a lot though it is very nice and we have a balcony right outside our room!

Friday night we unpacked and then decided to hit the city for a late dinner. We went to a little pizzeria/restaurant and I ordered a regina margherita pizza (which is sauce, mozzarella cheese, and  basil) and it was soooooo yummy!!! Perfect meal for the first night. We finished the night off with a cone of gelato (I have had it everyday so far!)

On Saturday we learned how to use the metro and after a while I finally understand! And we got to go to the city center & see the Duomo! It was beautiful we all took so many pictures. Then we went inside the galleria! I included pics of that as well.

All of us then wanted to eat dinner so we wondered off on some side streets to find a cute restaurant. This is where I really felt like I was in Italy. There was cobblestone streets, colored buildings, and tons of little shops and cafes. We found a restaurant and I had home-made gnocchi and wine.

Saturday night we went out to a place where it is one huge street full of restaurants and bars (I can’t remember the name right now!) It is really close to our apartment so that is a plus! We had a few drinks and I had a cosmo & it was one of the best I ever have drank.

Today we went and visited both schools campuses, ate some fried pizza, and of course had gelato 🙂

I am glad to just be in my apartment tonight as I am very very tired. I want to cook some pasta, relax with a glass of wine, and go to sleep! Tomorrow I have my first day of class! Enjoy the pictures of my first weekend in Milan!

DEAR JULIET

Since I will be staying in Milan I will be in Northern Italy. I have three places that I really want to visit (2 of them are Tuscany and cinque terre) the last one is VERONA! I love the movie Letters to Juliet & since I will be so close to Juliet’s House I am hoping I can make the trip to Verona to see it. That is why I have written my Letter to Juliet! I wanted it to be simple & sweet, and of course full of love!! I made this simple stationery to write my letter on. I really hope I get to visit Verona and drop off my letter. If you have had a chance to visit Verona let me know if you dropped off a letter to Juliet. And if you haven’t don’t worry you can still write a letter and mail it to

Club di Giulietta – Juliet Club

Corso Santa Anastasia 29

37121 Verona – Italy

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep as the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.” ~Romeo & Juliet 

 

A (FAUX) ITALIAN GLOW

So tomorrow is finally the day I leave for Italy! Tomorrow I will be traveling all day (and night actually lol) so I wanted to get one more post in before I leave! And that post is all about how I am heading off to Italy with a little (faux) glow.

This year more than ever I have been really into self tanners. I have reached that point in my life where keeping my skin healthy is most important. I still, though, like to have a nice glow and I have found just the product(s)!

1. Karora Express Bronzing Mousse w/ mitt- First and foremost what I love most about this product is the fact that it contains skin caring botanicals. It helps give you a self-tan but also nourishes your skin with healthy ingredients. This self tanner is also so easy to use. Just dispense a pump (usually about four total for the whole body works well!) and then use the mitt and spread the tanner in on your arms, neck, chest, stomach, and legs (don’t forget to do your back & the back of your legs as well). Then after three hours…. you have a gorgeous exotic tan! The bottle says that you can shower after one hour if you want a little less glow. I have never done that though & find that the glow that it makes is just perfect! You can purchase this product w/mitt @ hsn.com for $29.90.

2. tarte Brazilliance self tanning face towellette- I have tried many tan towels for the face and this is one of the best! I try to use it about once a week or before a special event. With a clean face- all you do is open the towellette and wipe all over your face evenly. Just like the body bronzer it takes a while to develop. What I like to do is put on my face right before bed. Then when I wake up I look like I spent hours in the sun (but the best part is I didn’t lol!).

Don’t get me wrong I love the sun, it is warm and I can’t help but smile with the sun shining on me. But for Italy I have purchased a body lotion with sunscreen in it & a BB cream for my face that has high SPF. I hope to achieve a little glow in Italy but skin safety comes first & when you have products like this you can achieve just as nice of a glow!

See you in Italy!