Collaboration

Black Widow

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Black Cardigan and Red Bow Belt Forever 21 (similar belt here) | Grey and Black Patterned Dress Collective Concepts c/o LE TOTE | Black Patent Pigalle Heels Christian Louboutin (here)  | Wrapped Arrow Full Tilt (here) | Black Legacy Bag JUSTFAB! (here)Another look from my first LE TOTE box. I put my subscription on pause for awhile, but this first box makes me question why I ever did that in the first place. It’s like getting back together with your ex and appreciating the positive changes. This box was a big step up from the last one I had and it might be because LE TOTE partnered up with more brands. This patterned dress, by Collective Concepts, was great to wear for work and I really liked how the print reminded me of a spider web. I guess it could also look like concrete rocks, but I added a pop of red, which gave me the inspiration for the title Black Widow. 

So far I have shared 4 out of the 5 items from my first box on my blog, and the last piece (a bracelet) should be featured for my outfit post next week. For my next few posts, I’ll be attempting to do my first make-up/beauty review and I’ll be sharing details from a recent tasting I did at Godiva that I attended last week. It was a delicious experience, and I can’t wait to share all the eye-candy with you.

Hope you are having a great week and until next time,
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Stripes and Spikes

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Striped Zip Front Moto Jacket Sanctuary c/o LE TOTE (On sale here) | Pink Statement Necklace Forever 21 (similar here) | Skinny Jeans 7 For All Mankind (similar here) | Pink Spiked Adina Loafers Sam Edelman (here) | Black Legacy Satchel JUSTFAB (here) | Rose Gold Watch Marc by Marc Jacobs (here)  I’ve been trying out LE TOTE again as part of a collaboration and so far I ave been really impressed my first box. If you aren’t familiar, LE TOTE is a clothing and jewelry subscription service where for $49 a month, you get to try 3 pieces of clothing and 2 pieces of jewelry. They also have just a jewelry box, where you get 3 pieces of jewelry for $19. There is no limit to the number of boxes you get per month, but you do have to return a box before you get your next one. You can purchase an item you love by keeping it and sending back the rest, and they’ll process the payment with the card on file. You can like a number of items as potential items to be sent to you, and also fill out a style quiz so your stylist knows what to send you.
 I feel like my stylist was on point with this jacket. I love the stripes and at first glance I thought it had a lot of structure. It has the edge of a classic moto jacket, but it is soft and comfortable like a hoodie. I mixed the navy up with some light pink accents to soften up the look slightly (despite the spikes on the loafers.) This piece was very fun and I would have loved to have it for a 4th of July outfit as well. Luckily, I can always request for an item to be resent to me. You can buy items you try at a discount from LE TOTE, but right now the jacket is currently on sale at Bloomingdale’s. I’d grab the jacket and sign up for LE TOTE to discover and try other on trend items.
Hope you are having a great week so far and until next time,
Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Lace Shorts

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Denim Jacket Heritage 1981 (similar here) | White Cut-Out Shoulder Top Alice + Olivia (Similar here) | Black lace Shorts Olive & Oak rented c/o LE TOTE (similar here) | Spiked Gold Chain Necklace rented c/o LE TOTE | Gold Flats Christian Louboutin | Black Legacy Handbag JUSTFAB!(here) | Le Rouge Carmin Escape 306 Givenchy (here)Hello Monday!
I had a spontaneous, fun weekend that I feel went by a little too fast. I went to the movies on Friday night with Armando to watch The Fluffy Movie, and we were dying from laughter. I love to listen to comedians on Pandora, and Gabriel Iglesias is one of my favorites because he keeps his comedy real.
The kick-off rally for Mini Takes the States 2014 was also this weekend on Saturday in San Francisco and Armando wanted to attend at the last minute. He owns and loves his Mini Cooper S Clubman, and I think it is such a fun car. We registered and had a blast at the rally kick-off party. We decided to attend the first leg of the coast-to-coast road trip by traveling to Sacramento. We woke up and headed to Golden Gate Field where there were hundreds of Mini Coopers parked in straight lines. I shared a few of snaps from the yesterday on Instagram, and even saw Tony Hawk jump over a few moving Mini Coopers before heading out.We went through the winding roads of Napa and at one point there were about 20 Mini Coopers in a row.
After we made our pit stop in Sacremento and were heading back, Armando was very excited and decided we’ll be participating in two years when they do this again. Everyone was very friendly and I can’t wait to to head out on the next road trip and see more of the country. 
Speaking of road trips, this outfit would be perfect for one. It was hot going through Napa/Sacramento, and it would have been great had I worn some shorts and chiffon blouse. The shorts and necklace are borrowed courtesy of LE TOTE from my first box. It seems I am not the only blogger in the Bay Area that has recently rocked a pair of black lace shorts. I love how similar black shorts were styled by +Bethann Wagner of BethAnimalPrint and +Carlina Harris of Allergic to Vanilla. Both looks would be perfect for a road trip and are easy to dress up with a classic black bag.
Hope you enjoyed some sun this last weekend and until next time,

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Getting Intimate with ThirdLove

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

This post was sponsored by ThirdLove. All opinions expressed are my own.
When I blog about clothes, I focus on what is on the outside. I don’t talk about underwear; much less share it on my blog. This post is going to be slightly revealing (ha!), but I do own a lot of underwear and find it to be as addicting as shopping for clothes. This is not at all surprising since the first part of getting ready in the morning for me is selecting my underwear and I am probably not alone in believing it sets the foundation for the rest one’s outfit.  
I will admit that most, if not all, of my panties are from Victoria’s Secret. I grew up buying from American Eagle, Target and at one point from Macy’s, but I developed my mom’s custom of shopping at Victoria’s Secret for bras and panties, especially during their Semi-Annual Sale. So of course, when I discovered ThirdLove a couple of weeks ago, I was a little skeptical from buying underwear there at first. My introduction to them was at a party hosted by LE TOTE and one of ThirdLove’s Reps showed me how to make a rose with one of their panties. I downloaded the app, and began browsing their items and I was blown away with how cute their items were!
It had been awhile since I had a fitting, so before I started throwing things into my cart, I decided to use the app to help me measure myself. I wore a non-padded bra and a camisole over it before I proceeded to take some photos to help me measure my bust. My apartment does not have great mirrors, so I had Armando move our $5 target mirror to the kitchen since that is where we have the best light, and had him hold the mirror while I took my photos. (I initially tried having him take my photos, but I found this to be extremely challenging – for once I had to take my own photos!) It was very comical at first listening to the instructions, but I was really surprised at the end with how accurate the measuring feature of the app was! The site offers 1/2 cup sizes, which was another reason I wanted to measure myself in case I fell into one of those.
Once I confirmed my size, I proceeded to shop through the app. It was a struggle picking out one bra since you could customize the color of the trim of most of their styles, but I stuck to my choice of this ivory lace balconet bra and matching lace bikini. Both pieces are unlike anything I currently owned, and I liked how dainty they looked. I always pick black, so I was a little daring going with the ivory set.The description on the app also sold me convincing me every woman needs to own french-style lace bra and although I liked the ivory lace with the black trim, I couldn’t resist the all ivory lace.  
The items arrived in a white box,  individually wrapped in plastic bags, and with blue tissue paper and a dust bag. I would prefer each item not being wrapped in plastic from a sustainable point of view. I tried on the set and loved how soft the material felt. I felt the bra could also do its job of providing support despite looking delicate. I definitely was impressed with the quality. Their price point is pretty comparable to department stores with the balconet bra running at $64 and these panties being $25. Other bras from ThirdLove start at $45 while panties start at $10. Signing up for email updates also provides discount codes good for a weekend on a certain collection.  Overall, my experience shopping on the app was great and I am looking into trying out on of their t-shirt bras for everyday use.
You can shop ThirdLove lingerie through their website or by downloading the app. Signing up gives you $10 for your first purchase, but you can get $20 on your first bra purchase if you use my referral link here.
Thanks for checking out my review and until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

This post was sponsored by ThirdLove. All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Wonders of STEAMCREAM

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by STEAMCREAM. All views and opinions are my own.

When I returned from my trip to Japan, I had a cute package waiting in my apartment from the lovely people at STEAMCREAM. When I saw the tin, I thought the Japanese Plum (Ume) and Bush Wabler (Uguisu) decoration was adorable! The name of the tin is ‘Ume Ni Uguisu’ meaning ‘a great match’ and I feel this is a really great match for me thanks to my love of the Japanese culture.

This was also a great match for me because I also was in need of some new lotion. I say I needed lotion, but STEAMCREAM is really a multi-purpose cream and I’ve been using it on my hands, legs, and face. The natural and vegan ingredients include: Oatmeal infusion, Orange Flower Water, Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, and Cocoa Butter.And, to make it even better, STEAMCREAM is freshly handmade in England in a completely reusable tin. 

The product, and ingredients, are cruelty-free and the packaging is environmentally responsible with its minimal aluminum design. This is definitely important to me as I want to be sustainable and it is important for me for things to be reusable. The art work on the tins are limited edition, which makes it exciting when thinking of what tin to get next! It makes a great collectible once it is used up thanks to its unique artwork to store jewelry or use to store office supplies (which I am excited to do!)

I’ve definitely fallen in love with the hydrating and softening effect of STEAMCREAM on my skin. There is no greasy feel or residue when it is applied. I’m still not sure how I feel about the light scent the cream has, but I think it is great that it isn’t overwhelming since I like to apply perfume everyday. The tin is also small enough to be carried everywhere, even on a carry-on (at 2.6 oz.) I know I’ll be taking it with me on m next trip Japan and not be worried about it opening up and making a mess in my bag. I can also take a few extra with me and they would make great gifts, or omiyage, for a host or friend.

STEAMCREAM is also only $20, which to me is very reasonable considering the product is handmade, eco-friendly, and uses natural ingredients. And if you are on the fence about trying it, you should now that free shipping is offered worldwide. I am hooked and if you are ready to try the wonders of STEAMCREAM you can shop from their site here. I loved the art for the Ume Ni Uguisu tin, but what will you choose? And what will you store in it when you have used it? Let me know if you’ve tried it or plan on trying it too! 
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Crown Brush HD Set With Mirror and Tweezers

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

This post is sponsored by Crown Brush. All opinions expressed are my own.

When I go to Makeup stores, which is a pretty rare occurrence, I admit I do admire brushes and various types there are. I’ve seen other people use different brushes for applying powder foundation or for eye shadow but that’s as far as my knowledge goes as to what you can do with them. I think one of my favorite thing when it comes to seeing brushes is touching the bristles and comparing how soft they are to one another and that was one of the first things I did when I received this Brush Set with Tweezers c/o Crown Brush.

When it comes to makeup, I am not an expert. I certainly cannot tell the difference between brushes and what each one is good for, so it might come as a surprise that for my first Beauty post that I decided to share my take on Crown Brush’s HD Cosmetic Brush Set. But this seems to have been designed for someone like me in mind since each brush is labeled so you know what to do with it. The only item not labeled, but easily recognized, is the pair of tweezers that also comes with this set. The other Pro of this set for me is that it comes in a travel size case that can actually fit in most of my purses and could have easily joined me during my recent trip to Japan. And most importantly for me, the brushes are cruelty free and Vegan Friendly.

I used the Pro Powder brush to apply my Marc Jacobs powder foundation and felt it did a great job spreading it without needed to dip it back in for more product. I have not been able to experiment with the other brushes yet, but I did try out the tweezers. They felt very sturdy and I consider their quality to be like Tweezerman tweezers. I think it is a major plus that the set comes with a pair since I don’t feel it is common with other brush sets. I washed the brush since it looked dirty after the first use and I am not sure how frequently that needs to be done, but it looked good as new afterwards.

Overall, I liked the set and I am excited to see what I can do with the other brushes. Apparently they not only work with powders but also with creams and liquids. I may just need to start watching beauty tutorials on Youtube for inspiration- Let me know if you have any recommendations on a great tutorial.

If you are interested in trying out  the Crown Brush HD Cosmetic Brush Set or giving it as a gift you can find it on their site on sale for $27.95 here: http://bit.ly/19fuEGV. It comes in white/blue , purple, orange and now in red!  Hopefully you enjoyed my first Beauty product review and look forward to more.   
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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