Work out state of mind.

Yes!!! I am back to my work out mode. I neglected my body for such a long time that it's begging me to do something with it. I have a gym membership, I have a treadmill at home, and yet I'm always to lazy to do anything. Well, not anymore!!! Starting yesterday, I went back to my work out sessions. The days when I get home early I go to the gym (Mon, Wed, Sat); and days that I get home late (Tue, Thur, Fri), I'm using my treadmill. I do 30 minutes of cardio, which includes 1-2 mile run and the rest fast walking or walking with incline. Then I do crunches/arm exercises/leg exercises. Cardio part I do every workout, but the other stuff, I do selectively.
Since, I'm back to work out mode, I need to get some new work out clothes. I used to wear just sweat pants and some t-shirt that's old and ugly, but this time I think I will look into something more sporty and a little sexy. My number one reason is because it gives your body more support than just a loose t-shirt, and number two reason - it makes working out a little more fun. Dressing up for the gym!!! lol
Here are some of the things I found and thought they were cute. All of them are from Aerie F.I.T. collection. Victoria's secret has good feminine sports wear as well.


I hope you like my picks!
TTFN!!! Olya

God is love. To all the people who died from terrorism.

Outfit of the day.

Hi guys!
Today, I really wasn't feeling like doing this post, but since I dressed up and everything it would have been a waste. The reason why I wasn't feeling like doing this, is because nothing was making me happy today. It was was one of those days when, I was lazy and boring. At the end of the day we went out to dinner and that's why I was dressed up. Otherwise, leggings and t-shirt all day long. But I think that it's still better than PJs all day.. lol.
Anyway, here is my going out outfit from today. My boots didn't really match the outfit, but it's starting to get warm and I wore these anly few times this winter. Plus it rained all day today.

Earth Hour. Turn It Off!

Tonight will be the Earth hour. If you do not know what earth hour is you can read about it here. I did a post on The Earth Hour last year, it's here. I think it's a great idea, so I will be doing it myself as well. All you need to do is turn off your lights for one hour from 8:30 pm till 9:30 pm tonight, Saturday, March 27th.

Tutorial: How to wash your make up brushes.

Since I did a brush review, I decided to do a tutorial on how I clean my brushes. Hopefully, you guys will find it useful.
Let's start!!!
These are my usual dirty brushes, that I use every single day: powder brush, complexion brush, 2 eye shadow brushes, and 2 concealer brushes.

To clean my brushes I use: Olive oil, daily brush cleaner (used only to clean my brushes in between make up applications at the end of every night), brush shampoo or Johnson's baby shampoo (both are used for deep cleaning the brushes once a week).

I use olive oil for brushes such as foundation, concealer, gel eyeliner, and cream/liuid eyeshadow brushes. The oil breaks the bonds of any product that is in your brushes and they come out super clean. So, I put a little amount of olive oil on a sheet of a paper towel and just twirl my brushes in it in a circular motion. Sometimes, I do back and forth motions. You have to be careful though, not to damage the brush. After I clean them with oil, I use brush shampoo to wash out the grease.

I just put a little amount of brush shampoo on a paper tower sheet and do the same circular motions to get rid of the grease. Repeat as many times as needed until your brushes are clean.

Then, just rinse them in water. Be sure that the water does not get to this point (arrows) where the metal meets with the handle. That spot has a weak point where metal can start to erode from water, which will slowly damage your brush.

*And a little tip*

Sometimes, when I do not have the special brush shampoo, I use the Johnson's baby shampoo, which work as well as the brush shampoo. I even prefer baby shampoo, when I wash my kabuki brushes. Plus it leave a very nice smell. So, that's my savings trick. I buy a bottle of baby shampoo for $4.50 and it lasts me FOREVER!!!

ELF STUDIO BRUSHES.

Ok, so I am finally doing a review on the ELF Studio brushes. I did not get them all at once, because I was not sure of the quality, but now I have all the ones that I wanted. And I love them. My favorite one is the Powder brush. I don't know how I lived without it. It is perfect for the Bare Minerals that I use and I found it 100% better than the brushes that are in the Bare Minerals starter kit. I also purchased ELF brush daily cleaner and brush shampoo, which I also like.


The very first brush is my favorite one - The powder brush, then we have complexion brush, foundation brush, eyeshadow brush, concealer brush, and a small angled brush (eyeliner brush).
All of these brushes are amazing. Each one of them is $3. But I got some of them for $1.50 when ELF had 50% off on Studio products. I recomend buyig them if you want to get brushes, but do not want to spend a lot. They are worth every penny you spend on them.


The daily cleaner I use everyday, after I finish applying my make up.
Shampoo, I use once every week, when I deep wash my brushes. Sometimes, I deep wash them twice a week. That's if I feel like I used them a lot and have more time on my hands. The shampoo and cleaner are also $3 each.

Friday - at work:)

Hi guys!!! How is your Friday going? Mine is slow. Not too many patients are here today. They said it's going to snow, but so far all I see is sunshine. I hope it will stay this way.
Today, I'm wearing my black dress with my new polka dot tights, and boots.
Cannot wait to get paid and go home. It's been a long week!

XOXO, Olya

Friends with benefits

Today's outfit. Faux leather jacket H&M, T-shirt American Eagle, jeans Abercrombie.

Metro Chic kind of a day:)

Today, I woke up early for my morning class and got there on time for once. The class was super boring and I almost fell asleep, which never happens to me. Well, I guess, today is a different kind of a day, a day where I feel like being alone with myself, and could care less about the stuff that I will care about tomorrow. My friend said that it's a sign of depression. Um, what? I'm not depressed, just feeling a little under weather and in some serious need for coffee:) So, to cheer myself up and make this day go by faster, I painted my nails in Metro Chic (my favorite) and will go grab a salad for lunch. I might do an outfit of the day later on. We shall see.

Enjoy your day, guys!

TTFN, Olya:)

Day Twenty One.

DaY 21. *In My Mailbox*
Today I didn't get mail because it's Sunday. However, yesterday's mail box was full of goodies. I got my bills and all the april issues of magazines that I subscribe to: Vogue, Veranda, Seventeen, Teen Vogue.
Seventeen magazines comes to my house under a different name, because I dont actually subscribe to this magazine (not seventeen anymore), but teen vogue I order every year, just because I love the size of it and I have like over 50 issues of it. It's my collection. It looks cool in the corner of my room. lol.

The classic trench

Hello guys! as I promissed I'm posting an outfit picture. I went on a date with my boyfriend and we snapped few photos for the Ate. I wore my new trench coat from Banana Republic, dress from Madewell, clutch from Jimmy Choo for H&M, and shoes from Aldo.

Happy Friday:)

Choco, choco-late, choco, choco- late! CHO-CO-LA-TE!!!!

March - women in history month.

So, in March we celebrate women's day on March 8th. In America, however, there is no such a thing like women's day. Even though this month is considered as the women in history month. You can read more on that here.
My boyfriend is more of the old school type of a guy, so I got flowers and chocolates on March 8th. Honestly, I will celebrate/ consider as a holiday any day that I can get flowers on. So, I'm up for March 8th to be truly international holiday (as it claims to be).

St. Patrick's, going out with the girls.

For St. Patricks day I went out with the girls in this ^^^. I decided to post this picture because I feel like I'm never on my blog. I need to do more of those outdoor and the outfit of the day pictures. I will try, I promise. All I need to do is get a photographer and look cute.
So, probably, starting next week, at least once a week I will have one picture of me in some outfit that I put together for that day.
TTFN, Olya:)

Day 17

Day 17. *NEW*

This is what I came home with tonight:)

I'm on my spring break and all I do is shopping!!! It's getting out of control:)

And I say to myself: it's ok, Olya, you didnt shop for a long time, it's ok.

But really, it's not ok. I need to save that money!!!

Tina Tarantino for Sephora.

This shadow is in baby sparkle. And yes, there is a lot of sparkle in it. I still need to try it out on me, so I'm just waiting for the perfect weather and outfit to go with it. It seems very nice, however, not worth $19. I guess packaging itself is worth a lot.
If you don't know who Tarina is, she is a famous jewelry designer. And in my opinion, if you make jewelry, please stick to that and do not try to make - make up. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but her stuff is very overpriced and is not that special. The collection is way over hyped. Oh, and all the packaging is in pink. And I'm not a big fan of pink. It just looks tacky.
I hope this post is not turning into a hate Tarina's collection post. But that's just my opinion.
I guess I need to get myself into a "sparkle state of mind". lol
TTFN, guys!

Kate Moss for Alexander McQeen Fall/Winter 2006

TAG - 40 Beauty Questions.

SKINCARE
-How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice. In the morning and at Night, right before I go to sleep. I hate to do it though. However, the feeling afterwards is woth it:)
-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo) I have very strange skin. One day it's oily, then it's dry , then it's normal, so I would say combination/oily.
-What is your current facial wash? Christine Valmy Blemish soap along with Shishedo toner.
-Do you exfoliate?Yes! I love to scrub my face. I use the Epicuren Apricot scrub. It does wonders for my skin. I would love to exfoliate every day, however, I follow the directions and try to do it no more than 3 times a week.
-What brand do you use? Hm... I guess I just answered that. Epicuren.
-What moisturizer do you use? I use 2 different moisturizers. The one in the morning is called Valnel by Christine Valmy and the one at night is called Special cream #11, also by Christine Valmy.
-Do you have freckles?Yes - very littly though. Almost invisible.
-Do you use eye cream?Yes and No, because I almost always forget to use it. It's the one by Clinique.
-Do you or did you have acne prone skin? I still have problems with my skin. I go for facials now and then, but it's all hormonal.
-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? No, I feel like it would dry my skin out.

MAKE-UP
-What foundation do you use? I used to use Clinique Almost Makeup foundation, which was more like a tinted moisturizer. Now I use Bare Minerals. And recently I bought the Revlon PhotoReady. I would really like to try the NARS Sheer Glow.
-How about concealer? Bare Minerals.
-Do you know your undertone color?I would say I am neutral-pink combined with yellow.
-What do you think of fake eyelashes?I love them on others but still don't know how to apply them on myself:(
-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?Yes! It dries out and has bacteria, very bad for your eyes. Just get rid of it!
-What brand of mascara do you use? I love Lancome Virtuose in Black, Boxom in Blackest Black, and Loreal Voluminous with curled brush.
-Sephora or MAC? Both. I can't find everything in MAC or Sephora. So I combine those two. It really depends on what I'm looking for. Eyeshadow/lipsticks/lipgloss/eyeliner - MAC, Foundation/mascara/beauty tools - Sephora.
-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?No. I'm no pro.
-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?Fingers! And brushes.
-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?Yes - Bare Minerals one and MAC paint pot.
-For the face?Sometimes - Smashbox Photofinish.
-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? Shale satin by MAC!!!
-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? I usually use pencil (MAC has the best ones) and I also like to use gel eyeliners.
-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?Never!!! I do it with mascara wand almost every day. I think my lashes are growing at a strange angles, so this happens a lot.
-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?I like the idea of them but for some reason, they are always the last thing I would go for.
-Do you use mineral makeup? Yes!!! I like it a lot!!!
-What is your favorite lipstick?I love my MAC "pretty please" lipstick. My favorite of all times! And now I like the ELF runway pink lipstick. It's nice too.
-How about lipgloss? Korres #11. I absolutely love it!
-What is your favorite blush to use? I don't really use blush. I'm trying it out for the first time this spring. So, we shall see.
-Do you buy your makeup on ebay? No, never. I like to see it in my hands before I buy it.
-Do you like drugstore makeup?Yes, not everything, but somethings are really nice.
-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) No, I do not think we have one near me. Otherwise, I would be there:)
-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? Yes and No. My life goals are a little far away from that. However, if I had more time, I would take one!
-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?No, I'm usually good. I hate to put on make up in a rush. So, I never do.
-Name a makeup crime that you hate? Silver shimmery eyeshadow for a day time!!!!! And thin eyebrows.
-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?I like neutrals but cannot say no to colorful gamma either.
-Which celebrity always has great make up? Kim Kardashian!
-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?Mascara.
-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?Yes, I do it all the time.
-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?I look alright. But I prefer to use make up. It just gives me a feeling of being put together and organized.
-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? MAC for High quality and ELF for best price!
-What do you think of Makeup? I love make up!!! It opens a whole new person in me every time I experiment with colors and shades. Good for relaxation too:)

Long, long post on ELF products!

Ok, my power was out again. Just to clarify things to you guys, I live on the east coast and we have been hit with rain and wind storms this weekend. That means: no power, no heat, no warm food, no internet, and lots of prayers for those damn trees not to land on your house or your car... Anyway, it's been stressful and I could not blog my posts on time.

With that said, lets go staright to the haul!!! Fun!!!
So even though, we've had a storm, our loyal mailman still brought us mail and I got my ELF order. BTW, I placed this order on Thursday at 2 am and recieved it on Saturday. Super fast! In this order I used my 50% off studio products coupon. I believe it's good till Monday, March 15th 11:59 pm. And the code is :STUDIOSAVE.

This is the entire package. Looks messy, but everything arrived in good condition.

From top: eyeshadow quad in Brownstone, nail polish in Dark Navy, lipgloss in Fanatic, ELF studio eyeshadow brush ( really good one), and on the left botom is the studio eyeshadow in Wild Wheat.

From the left: lipgloss in Love It, ELF eyeshadow brush ( good one), 2 eyeshadow duos in Berry Mix and Blueberry, nail polish in Plum, and eyeshadow quad in Ivy (love all 4 colors!).

From left: Wild Wheat, Coffee Bean, and Pebble Studio eyeshadows. The first 2 are very glittery, the third one is almost matte.

Clockwise: Mocha Swirl and Butter Pecan duos, and elf mineral eyeshadow in Mysterious(almost matte with a little bit of shimmer).

ELF Studio bronzer in Golden. I really like it. It's very similar to the Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights bronzer that I have. However, the price difference is HUGE!!!

Bronzer/Blush in "Blushed/Bronzed". The blush is almost the same as NARS orgasm blush. And this bronzer is super dark as well as super shiny. I like it for the summer.

Ok, so this is the elf studio concealer. I do not like it very much. I wish it was creamier. It does cover the spots but it's not easy. So, I will not be repurchasing this.

Two awsome lipsticks. Left: Nicely nude. Right: Runway Pink. I like both of them, but prefer Runway Pink. It has more of a nude look on me.

ELF facial whip, which can be used on lips, eyes, and cheeks. I love the way this thing smells!!! It smells like lemonade!!! Oh, so good!!! I used it on my lips and cheeks. Works pretty well. For the picture I used more than needed just so you could see the color.

So, that's my haul on the make up. I really like elf products mostly because of their price, which is super nice for the quality you get! Who would think that $1 to $5 can give you so much quality?!! It's so sweet! Therefore, Thank you, ELF!!!

Yay!!! My electricity is back!!! I could finally charge my laptop and phone:)
Huge ELF haul is coming up!!!

DAY 12

*LINE UP*

These are the new charms for my Pandora bracelet that I got myself for Christmas.

Guess which ones are my favorite? Hint: there are 2 of them:)

EYE CANDY...

Little eye candy for the day. All images are from US Vogue for March 2010. These are only few from that issue that I adore... sigh:)
Have a nice Friday!!!
XOXO, Olya

Day ELEVEN

Day eleven. *StAcK*
a stack of dirty dishes at Applebees:)

Museum Of Modern Art @ NYC

Last Sunday I went to MOMA. It was something completely different and that's why I liked it. I enjoyed every single floor ( there was 5). At the end my feet hurt, but I was ok, because that was expexted.
The images are not good at all, because we weren't allowed to use flash, but in my memory I remember the original look. If you guys are into modern art, let me know who's your favorite artist? I regret not taking notes, I do not know more than half of the artist for these paintings.