For example, if I’m wearing something colorful, polka dotted, or sparkly, I’ll usually go with Kate Spade ‘Twirl’. If I’m wearing something extremely feminine, I lean toward Nanette Lepore. And if I’m wearing neutral, classic colors, I’ll generally wear Miss Dior Cherie L’eau. These are the perfumes that currently reside next to my sink in our bathroom.

In the past, I’ve worn Juicy Couture, Chanel Chance (both of these remind me of high school – but maybe that’s just me), Givenchy ‘Absolutely Irresistible’ (which I LOVED but it’s so hard to find in stores!), and many more…

My point is that although I’ve tried a lot of perfumes over the years, I’ve never really had a ‘signature scent’… Until now! I think I’ve finally found it!

Boyfriend and I went shopping the other day because he was out of “Smell Good” (that’s what he calls cologne) and I was in the mood for something new as well. We’ve never shopped for Smell Good together so it was really interesting for both of us to see what the other person preferred on ourselves and each other. In fact, it was really helpful. I highly recommend dragging the man in your life (or guy friend) along on your next perfume shopping trip.

I swear we were at Nordstrom for over an hour. You really have to put some perfume on and walk around and then come back to it in order to really tell if you like a certain scent on yourself (or another person).

Buuuuuuuuut, after what seemed like endless conversations with the fragrance experts about the notes in each scent (blah, blah, blah), we finally made our purchases. I bought Marc Jacobs ‘Lola’ and so far I (and Boyfriend) absolutely love it. And Boyfriend bought Burberry ‘Touch’ for Men. It’s yummy.

I was looking for something a little different – something not everyone else had. But I also wanted something age-appropriate, sweet, and floral (but not TOO floral).

What’s your signature scent of the moment? Do you have a favorite perfume for women or cologne for men? Do certain perfumes remind you of people from your past? Or a specific time in your life?

I’m such a sucker for shiny things (seriously, it’s a little ridiculous). So naturally, I’m loving seeing metallic shoes popping up all over the place for spring 2012. Being a very versatile trend, metallic shoes compliment both neutral and bright outfits, making them easy to incorporate into your existing wardrobe. Below are a few of my favorite pairs I’ve seen for sale so far this season, as well as a few photos I pulled from Pinterest as inspiration for how to wear them.

1. Charlotte Russe Cutout Heel ($45.50)
2. Boutique 9 Silver Pumps ($120)
3. Steven by Steve Madden pumps ($139.99)
4. Ivanka Trump Bronze Pumps ($124.99)
5. Melissa Oxford in Gold ($42)

One of the (many) things I love about being a beauty and style blogger is getting the opportunity to meet so many amazing people that I wouldn’t necessarily have met otherwise. Meeting Taylor Lucas of Lucas Salon last Saturday is a great example.

Fewer than 10 hours after arriving home from Israel, I decided to do the daunting task of starting to get caught up on email. I receive a lot of emails about my blog – most of them crap (random, unrelated, asking for favors, etc.). So it’s always nice when sifting though to see something that catches my eye.

I was excited to see an email from Taylor Lucas of Lucas Salon, offering to do my hair. The salon is new to Portland but she has another salon by the same name that resides in Los Angeles. Eager to check out a new local business, I was intrigued. Plus, I’ve been super broke and lazy lately so I hadn’t gotten my hair done since my complimentary cut and color from Estillo Salon, so of course I said yes.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the salon was located in Downtown Portland, less than a five minute drive from my apartment. Plus, it’s super gorgeous. It reminds me of the perfect studio apartment you WISH you had. High ceilings, huge windows, brick walls, wood floors, natural light, spacious floor plan. Simply beautiful.

About the cut and color…

I had a fairly specific vision in my head of what I wanted my hair to look like. I pictured a honey blonde color with long, cascading layers, a la Blake Lively. Taylor NAILED it with total grace and ease. It was obvious she had tons of experience, so this was easy for her. I absolutely LOVE the way my hair turned out!

You can see the cut pretty well in this photo where we didn’t use a flash…

And the color is more accurate in this photo…

But what really made the experience was talking to Taylor herself! Seriously, she is SUCH a doll. And not only that, but she has tons of experience doing hair in Los Angeles and New York on photo shoots and movie sets. But even after all that, she’s the least pretentious person I’ve ever met. Seriously, a genuine doll and someone I would totally hang out with outside of the salon. I literally didn’t want to leave, I just wanted to stay and hang out and talk to her. (Sorry if that sounds creepy!)

So if you live in the Portland area and are looking for a new hair dresser, I highly, highly, highly recommend Taylor from Lucas Salon. If you visit this salon you’ll get more than just a great new hair ‘do. (Do people still say ‘do?) You’ll experience something different and totally refreshing: character and warmth that most salons these days are truly lacking.

You can find prices and an address for Lucas Salon on the Lucas Salon website.

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Disclosure: I was given complimentary services by Lucas Salon, but the review and opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own. And I plan to return to the salon and PAY for my services next time, because Taylor is that good!

One of this spring’s most wearable trends is cat-eye sunglasses. Some of us may be lucky enough to have the opportunity to raid our grandmothers closets and stumble upon the perfect pair of vintage cat eyes from the 50′s, which is totally the cat’s meow… But the rest of us will just have to shop.

Below are a some pairs to get you inspired (in case the lovely picture of me trying on a pair in Target – above – didn’t do it for you!) Happy Thursday, lovelies!

Metal Tip Cat-Eye Sunglasses ($16):

House of Harlow Chelsea Sunglasses ($138):

Contessa Cat Eye Sunglasses ($14):

Marc Jacobs Cat Eye Sunglasses ($275):

Which are your favorites? Do tell…

Happy Valentines Day, everyone! I’m excited to announce that today my blog, myself, and my Valentine/ photographer/ boyfriend are featured along with two other blogger/photographer couples in the the iPad publication, The Daily, in an article called ‘The Picture of Love’! The article is a ‘he says’ ‘she says’ type of thing about our blogs and our relationships – just in time for the most romantic day of the year, Valentines Day!

I was so excited to do the interview and I want to specifically thank my wonderful sorority sister Taylor Jewell for getting the reporter in touch with me. Taylor is a fashion photographer working in NYC and taking photos for Vogue’s blog and The Daily’s blog! Check out her work. She’s amazing!

Because The Daily publication is iPad only (I think) I’ve posted some screen shots of the article below for you to read from if you’re interested (clicking on them should make them bigger and easier to read).

Update: I found a link to the full article so you can read it on your computer! Check it out here.

Also, feel free to download The Daily and see for yourself on your iPad – the first two weeks for your subscription are free. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful Valentines Day, everyone! Don’t forget to tell a lover, friend and/or family member how much you love them today.

But in this post, I’d like to tell you about the aspect of my trip that is most related to one of the usual topics of this blog – beauty products. As you know, I was stressing out like a mad woman about what to pack, clothing wise. But I didn’t really talk about the makeup I brought, which was, ironically, probably the thing I packed the most smartly. (Is that even a word? Told you I was sleep deprived…)

Keep in mind that we did some hiking, swimming, and weren’t always near a “clean” bathroom on this trip. So the beauty products I brought had to be low-maintenance and last through the day and into the evening with minimal touchups. So, with that said…

I relied on the following low-maintenance beauty products:

1. bareMinerals MATTE SPF 15 Foundation ($28): I’ve blogged about this stuff time and time again, because it really is the best. So I’ll say it again – perfect for somewhat oily skin, sun protection, and overall coverage – Bare Minerals Matte foundation can’t be beat.

2. NARS blush in ‘Orgasm’ ($28): Despite the racy name (or maybe because of it), ‘Oragam’ blush really is the perfect shade of pink to give all skin tones a natural looking flush.

3. bareMinerals Faux Tan Self Tanner ($22): You probably think I’m a little ridiculous for bringing sunless tanner to the dessert, but Faux Tan really is a lifesaver for a pale girl like myself (who has given up tanning in leu of a cancer-less life). This kind, I’ve found, to be the most natural-looking.

4. Covergirl LashBlast Waterproof Mascara ($8.99): Smudge-proof and totally saved my life through naps on the bus and the plane. Bonus: It makes your lashes look way longer than fuller than they actually are.

5. NARS Bronzer in ‘Laguna’ ($34): Because girl needs a great bronzer. ‘Laguana’ is great for lighter-skinned ladies, like myself.

6. Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20, Healthy Blush 20 ($8.99): It moisturizes and adds a slight pop of color. Pretty much the perfect combination.

7. Bobby Brown Blotting Papers ($20): When you’re on the go, it’s easy to get shiny skin. I keep these in my handbag at all times, just in case.

8. Bare Minerals Mineral Viel ($20): Also great for absorbing oil and creating a matte finish, Mineral Viel is the best way to set your makeup.

And I know this isn’t accessible to all travelers, but covering myself in genuine mud from the Dead Sea is one of the best gifts I gave my skin while I was away! (You can buy some here.) No joke. My skin was soft as a baby’s bum after this stuff. Plus, how bomb do we look here?

So tell me… Which are your favorite beauty products to travel with?

I’ve been gravitating toward more delicate rings as of late, taking a break from my usual collection of chunky jewelry. I have a dainty two-tone ring that I wear every day on my right ring finger. It was my grandmother’s wedding band from the 1970′s and I haven’t taken it off since she gave it to me two years ago.

The lovely thing about this sort of ring is that it’s both beautiful enough to be worn alone, but thin enough that it can be stacked with other rings.

Here are some other pretty, dainty and delicate rings that I have my eye on, should I decide to do some stacking. Which are your favorites?

1. Birthstone Ring ($265)
2. Gold Cubic Zirconia Ring Set ($64)
3. Egg Ring ($920)
4. Yellow Gold & Pave Diamond Love Ring ($860)
5. Diamond Stacker Rings ($158 each)
6. Carved Stacker Rings ($286)

Anyone who knows me knows that I can’t pass up a good maxi dress – but in the case of this one, especially, I fell in love the moment I first laid eyes on it. I loved the (fairly) conservative neckline and (completely) conservative hemline, mixed with small cutouts on the sides. Don’t get me wrong – cutouts can be done well, but more often than not they are done very, very badly. They have ruined many a pretty dress by making it, well, trashy.

But personally, I felt this one was just right. I think the key to a tastefully crafted cutout dress is keeping the rest of the dress conservative and the slits on the small minimal. So when all else fails – they can be easily hidden with a jacket and only revealed in the right setting.

Outfit details: Dress from my Hawaii trip, Target leather jacket, Fendi bag, H&M necklace, Nordstrom booties

But if maxi dresses just aren’t your thing, here is another example of a dress with tastefully done cutouts: CAMEO URBAN BEAT DRESS IN WILLOW GRAY ($127):

What do you think? Would you wear a dress with cutouts?

What do you think? Is the trend too 80′s or is this a look you’re embracing? How do you wear neon?

Here’s a peak into my closet and at my handbag “collection.” I recently did a little bit of a handbag purge. I’d accumulated quite a few bags through the years – some nice, some not so nice. And although I’m good at going through my clothes every six months or so and donating to GoodWill, I’ve never been good at letting go of bags (no matter how ratty and used they became). However, after this purge, I narrowed down my bags down to those without holes in them (no joke – I’d had some of them since middle school!), those that I’ve worn in the past year, and those that have sentimental value.

In looking at my collection I realize that the only thing it’s really lacking is, well, color. (That’s not to say that I wouldn’t love to add some more designer bags to my collection, but on my budget, that’s not gonna happen any time soon.) So after thinking about this a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that my next bag is going to be in a bright, standout color. Here are a few of my ideas, but I haven’t decided yet.

Rebecca Minkoff Fling (on sale for $209.99):

Eggplant for Every Occasion Bag ($57.99):

Rebecca Minkoff Ostrege Embossed Covet ($450):

What is your next handbag purchase going to be?