The Resurrection of Chasing Beauty

Instagram Mini Moments from the past six months.

I bet, you thought you'd never hear from me again. That possibly, I dropped off the planet, and completely abandoned this blog?  Well, it has been a while, but Chasing Beauty has never been far from my mind. Although I haven't been active here, I've still been interacting with all of my bloggy friends. You see,  a little app called Instagram has completely reignited my love for blogging, and reminded me of the community that I had been missing!   For the past few months now, I've been quietly plotting my return, and a total reboot of Chasing Beauty! Version 2.0 isn't quite ready yet, and probably won't be until Summer, but I wanted to let you all know that it's coming!  I also wanted to keep you posted on where you find me in the meantime. 

Recently, I teamed up with Jamie (of glamlatte.com) and Mel (of modanistajunkie.com), otherwise known as The Wear To Go Girls. In case you are just hearing about WTGG for the first time, Jamie and Mel have created a really fun website, to find out where to go shop, eat, drink, get pampered, socialize and what to wear to go! They are featuring weekly hair and makeup "how to's," and guess who's doing the makeup tutorials? 

ME!!! 

Check out my Individual false lash tutorial HERE, and keep checking back for more hair and makeup tips!

You can also follow me on:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram: on the actual app my user is @chasingbeauty

I'll be posting here too, just not as frequently as I had before, but stay tuned. There's exciting things to come!

xoxo,

Bren

Halloween Time

If you follow my twitter, then you already know that I didn't get to do anything Halloween-y this past weekend. Instead of costume parties and trick-or-treating with my nephews, I was doing laundry, packing and catching the red-eye. But, don't feel too sorry for me...I'm in NYC!!! As excited as I am to be in the city that I love, it was a little sad missing all of the festivities. I didn't even realize how much it bothered me, until I was sitting on the tarmac getting ready to take off. Fortunately, I had a day off last week and took full advantage by doing one of my favorite Halloween activities...Disneyland!!! With pumpkin spice lattes in tow, my friend and I hit all of the attractions that get revised just for the holiday season.

Main Street was extra special, all decked out in fall colors, with a giant Mickey shaped pumpkin.

Whenever I need a little dose of the Magic Kingdom, I can always count on my friend Tree, to roam the park with me.

I love when the Haunted Mansion turns into The Nightmare Before Christmas!

The past couple of years there's been a freaky ghost that follows you through Space Mountain! For some reason, this added element actually makes the ride seem faster!

 

Throughout the Halloween season, all of the characters dress up in costumes. So cute!

I usually instigate a few more cheesy pictures before the day is over.

Lipstick colors:  Tree wearing MAC-Girl On The Town  Me wearing Kate Spade-The Perfect Red

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Now I'm Really Twirling

I mentioned here, that I've been completely taken with Twirl. So, as quickly as my sample ran out, I marched myself into the nearest Kate Spade store to purchase a real bottle. Along with my new favorite scent, a couple of other things made it into my bag! :D

 

First of all, I'm dying for the pink and red packaging! I know I've said before, that pink and red is my favorite color combo, but add gold to the mix and I'm extra happy! I couldn't wait to give myself a little spritz, and upon opening the box, I saw this.

So fun!

 

I bought the smaller size because I normally don't wear a lot of fragrance, but now wish I would've gone big! I love it that much!

 

Something happened to me this year, as I've become increasingly addicted to cocktail rings. Once I laid eyes on this little pretty, there was no way that I was leaving it behind! 

 

I couldn't escape the store without trying on "the perfect red" lipstick, and to see if it truly was perfect. And, guess what...it was!

The retro gold case makes putting on lipstick so much more glamorous! I can't wait to pull this out of my vintage black clutch!

Kate Spade got it right, with the exact blue/orange ratio that meets in the middle. This "perfect red" is universally flattering on every skin tone!

If you're at all apprehensive about wearing red lipstick, this is the one to try!

Inspiration: Fall Makeup-Chanel Ad

The second  I saw this ad for Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara, I was mesmerized! After spending the Summer in bright corals and bronze tones, this pink and grey combo looks so fresh. I'm loving the meticulous liner, lashes and brows, and the absence of any shine or shimmer. It's matte, but matte done right! The rose colored blush and barely there, pale pink lip compliments this polished eye perfectly. I love that you can see the precision used in the application. Flawless!

When I picked up the newest issue of Allure, lo and behold, Blake Livey is on the cover wearing a very similar version of this look.

So pretty!

How will you be changing up your makeup look for Fall?

A Storybook Wedding

 This past Sunday I attended my cousin's wedding, (the one I've been dress shopping for) and it was one of the most gorgeous weddings I've ever witnessed!  The big event took place in Malibu, but not on the beach like you would expect. Instead, they chose the private winery, Saddlerock Ranch, in Malibu canyon.

Surrounded by rolling hills, in the middle of vineyards, with breathtaking views of the valley, my cousin Jason and his beautiful bride Michelle exchanged vows high upon a hilltop. The sentiments spoken by the two of them, were so heartfelt and emotional, that many of us present were fighting back tears. 

 After rings were exchanged, and the ceremony was sealed with a kiss, Jason and Michelle were finally pronounced husband and wife!

Here is the happy couple, being announced as Mr. & Mrs. for the very first time, and ready to get the party started.

The first dance.

Jason and Michelle had been together for 10 years when they got engaged. (They met when they were in high school) It's hard to tell from this picture, but each table was marked by year.  To find your table, you had to find the corresponding year, (Year 1, 2, 3, 4, etc), which included a photo of them from that year they were dating. It was such a cute way to personalize the table numbers.

The cake was pretty, and looked delicious, but I was too full from the food, that I passed on the dessert. What was I thinking?!

Instead of a long table for the entire bridal party, J & M opted for a sweetheart table.

There were lots of family photos taken, but they were left to the professionals. It's hard to remember to take pictures when there's so much going on, and you're touching up the bride's makeup in between it all. I did manage to get one photo of my Dad and I. :)

I can't say enough good things about the location for the wedding/reception. It was pretty spectacular! You literally felt like you were on top of the world.

 As the sun went down, everything started to glow. Here's the view from our table.

It was a long day for me, and I knew it would be. ( I was up at 5am to be ready to start makeup by 7, for a 4pm wedding!) In preparation, I made sure I had plenty of Diet Pepsi on hand, and at about twilight, cracked open this bad boy.

Classy, right?! Well, at least I poured it into a pilsner glass.

I texted this pic to my friend who swears by Rockstar's, and is always trying to talk me into them. She knew that I was desperate.

Even though it was long, and I was tired (when am I not?), it was truly a magical day, and one that I will never forget. 

One can only hope, to find that kind of love someday!

**I apologize for the changing photo quality. Several cameras contributed to this post. ;)

Back to School Beauty

When I was at Rite Aid, getting my weekly ice cream cone (it's a Summertime thing), I couldn't help but notice all of the back to school stuff. I remember being so excited for the new school year to start, and getting all of my supplies in order. Of course, there were new clothes, notebooks filled with college ruled paper,  and plenty of No. 2 pencils. But the best shopping of all, was for back to school beauty products! I'm amazed at how many of my favorites from years ago, are still around. Some of them I still use!

Here are the products I'm feeling especially nostalgic about:

Neutrogena Original Facial Bar

My routine was so simple back then. Wash and moisturize. The smell of this bar immediately takes me back to high school.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

So basic, and was perfect for my young skin. I don't remember buying many full sizes bottles though. They would always include a trial size in the Gift with Purchase, and I LOVED the GWP! :) 

Maybelline Great Lash

The classic pink and green tube is still with me today.

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss in Black Honey

When I first started wearing this, it was packaged in a pot, and I was in the 7th grade. Now Clinique makes all sorts of black honey items, including nail polish. But my favorite, is still this gorgeous, sheer berry gloss. I carry this, and the Almost Lipstick version in my kit everyday.

Nivea Creamy Conditioning Oil

This stuff was the best! A cross between a lotion and an oil, it moisturized and gave a slight sheen to the skin. I haven't seen it in stores in a really long time, so it appears it's no longer available. :(

Love's Baby Soft

Scents truly do trigger memories, and  this was the very first fragrance that I ever became attached to.  Love's Baby Soft reminds me of mornings spent primping for school, reading Teen and Seventeen magazines, and my first crush. I still love how innocent and girly it smells. Is it weird that I kind want a bottle?

What products were your favorites when you were young?

 

Girl's Night Out-fit

This weekend, one of my bff's is putting another candle on her birthday cake. We're planning a fab girl's night out, which requires a Girl's Night Out-fit!  Here's what I'm thinking...

Tee - Alexander Wang

Skirt - Anthropologie

Clutch - L.A.M.B.

Shoes - Forever 21

Necklace - Forever 21

Midnight Ring - Banana Republic

Lion's Head Ring - Banana Republic

Link Bracelet - Ralph Lauren

Watch - Michael Kors

Crystal Bracelet - Banana Republic

I just love my new lion ring! 

  These F21 platform mary janes are the exact shape of the Miu Miu Sparrow shoes that I was lusting over in the Spring, and yes they're missing the sparrows, but they were $25!

I still like my MK watch, but I'm starting to feel like it's the Tiffany heart bracelet of '09-'10. Everyone has it! Maybe it's time to shake things up with a new tank watch, or one with a classic leather band?

And here's the big question...What color should I paint my nails?! Right now I'm wearing a bright pink. If I leave them, then I'll probably do my makeup like this...

(good makeup day, but horrible hair day)

What do you think? I'm totally open to suggestions.