Jewelry: My Obsession!

It's one of my most proud obsessions to be exact! I find so much importance in jewelry when it comes to accessorizing. I have absolutely no problem in dropping a bit extra if I just have that gut feeling when I see a piece. I've grown so personally attached with my ever-expanding collection. My favorite pieces are usually on the modern and sometimes edgy side to play off my simple outfits. This is dedicated to my love for jewelry and a peek into my own collection.

My new mirrored jewelry box that I received for Christmas from my sister's boyfriend Nat. Thanks Nat!  He actually saw this mentioned on my site from my holiday wishlist post. I guess blogging is good for something! I just really needed a jewelry box because my rings were all over the place and this one's just a step up on the pretty scale.

The damage. I'm not into earrings so you won't be seeing those here. Rings are my favorite, followed by a tie between bracelets and necklaces. My necklaces are strung onto another holder. The top of the jewelry box holds my favorite rings, the middle drawer has my bracelets (the ones that aren't overly chunky), and the bottom drawer is for rings that I like but don't reach for as often. 

Traveling With Jewels

I always get paranoid when I'm going on a trip of any length because while jewelry staples are fun, I believe having options is even better. I would definitely consider purchasing a jewelry case for your traveling needs. They not only help to organize but also keep certain pieces separate from each other to avoid scratching, tangling, etc. 

For a short trip, I would use this Lauren Merkin Jewelry Case. It's small enough to tuck away but you can still pack a lot into it. It has soft, zippered compartments.

Bracelets: Made Her Think, Gorjana

Three different sized bracelet cuffs. 

My new obsession is my Lauren Wolf Stingray Baby Cuff. 

I always want a mix of rings for stacking, at least one bar ring, and a fierce cocktail ring. 

For a longer trip, I'd use this Gorjana Thompson Jewelry Wallet. The size of this jewelry wallet allows me to pick out a good mix to stuff in its various pockets.

This is what the wallet looks like opened up. 

This photo makes me really happy for some reason.

It has room for a couple of my favorite bangles: Giles & Brother, Low Luv 

Necklaces: Made Her Think and Rachel Leigh. Ring: Pamela Love

Rings: Chris Habana, Giles & Brother, Made Her Think

More rings: Elizabeth and James times two, Species by the Thousands.

Ring: Elizabeth and James, Cuff: Made Her Think

Hope you enjoyed some of my collection! I'm sure by now you have a good idea of my style and favorite brands. Do you have any jewelry obsessions or go-to pieces?

My 5 Daily Essentials

I was recently tagged by Ms. Pink of The Pink and Blue Blog in her "5 Daily Essentials" post (check out her site for a daily dose of visual stimulation to get your day going). I could go different routes with this one but I'll stick with the basics since these really are my daily essentials.  Runner ups include: my MacBook/the internetz, a good handbag, pretty nail polish, fierce jewelry and the list goes on.

1. Breakfast
I can't start my day without eating something or it will just add on to my morning grouchiness. Most of the time it's cereal or oatmeal. On the weekends I like more breakfasty breakfasts like pancakes and scrambled eggs.

2. Coffee or Tea
...in this polar bear mug that's from Sea World, except I didn't get it from Sea World - I cheated and got it from the Orlando Airport on my way home from Disney World. I just wanted it because it had a polar bear on it. Anyways, I really do feel like something's missing in my system if I don't have my morning cup of coffee. Not the best thing to admit but it's true!

3. iPhone
Also known as my new best friend. It's really amazing and after struggling with a phone that was totally malfunctioning left and right, I am so grateful (and very entertained)! I've had it for less than a week and I am already totally in love. Like my Lisa Frank Hip Hop Bears wallpaper?

4. A Good Lip Product (or two or three)
If you open up any one of my purses, you will find multiple lip balms/glosses/sticks floating around. My favorites rotate but it's always an essential. Sometimes a good lip product is all you need to complete a look.

5. Hand Sanitizer
Germs freak me out majorly so here's another necessary purse item that gives me mental relief (of course after washing my hands). Plus, I live in a dirty city with dirty subways and dirty people coughing all over me. My favorites are from Bath and Body Works because they put out limited edition scents that I get sucked into buying. They are small but last a while, hence why I still have ones from Halloween and Christmas.

I choose to tag:

Danielle of Sleepyneuf

Ria Michelle of Ria Michelle

Emilie of Plum For Polly

Lesley of Dear Lord the Cheese

Kirsten of Studs and Pearls

(but I honestly won't care if you do this or not!)

IFB Evolving Influence Conference - Will You Be There?

Tomorrow I will be attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers' Evolving Influence Conference at Milk Studios. I'm very excited to be going a second time around. This was a spur of the moment decision because I was on the wait list. A few days later, a ticket opened up for me, so I just bit the bullet. Plus, I'd rather be at this than at work for the day so hey! Hopefully I will not wake up too late and miss the first two panels like I did last year. Of course, I'll do some livetweeting while I'm there (from my new pretty iPhone)!

Ode to My Blackberry

I am all about new beginnings, gadgets included. This post is dedicated to saying PEACE OUT to my Blackberry and hello to my new iPhone. Since I love staying connected and being entertained by electronics, I hope for a smooth and fun transition. Below are some of my favorite photos that I took with my Blackberry within the last year or so. Bad lighting and fuzziness ahead!

my new camera strap!

Goodbye refurbished & broken Blackberry. I hate you!

Love, Amanda

mandabear in the New York Daily News!

Wow, I'm so excited to be in today's NY Daily News! I literally rolled out of bed and went straight to the corner deli to buy it, sporting my pajamas, bed head and pink eyeglasses.

The article is about New Yorkers who love, appreciate and follow fashion but aren't attending NY Fashion Week. It puts that thought into perspective that you don't have to work directly in fashion to make it a part of your life and let your voice be heard on the subject. I am nothing but a normal girl with an extremely normal job who loves to write about my personal take on clothing and accessories (along with beauty and food of course). Therefore I do feel this sums me up pretty well, complete with the photo of me "tweeting at work".

You can read the article by clicking on the images to open up larger versions (OR you could read it online now right here). My feature is on the bottom of the first page and it follows through to the second page. Enjoy!

Let's Talk About Cosmetics!

SPRING NAILS

It's a great time of year for nail polish lovers because spring collections are starting to pop up from my favorite brands. I feel that for spring, the colors are so much more playful and creative. That said, I always end up being a top nail polish customer come spring and summer! 

The Sephora OPI polish is part of the new Glee line and this shade, Mash Up, seemed the most unique to me out of the whole collection. After picking this up, I went home to read more information about it on the Sephora website and found out that this color was inspired by none other than the rapper's delight himself, Will Schuester. Really, Sephora? Really? Oh, and just to add onto my rant, the fabulous Brittany S. Pierce did not get a shade inspired by her. Just sayin'.

At first when I saw the China Glaze Anchors Away collection online, I was very interested. The thing with collections in general is that you first see everything as a whole looking great, but when you start to pull the shades apart, you realize you have something similar or the color is just not that special at all.  That ended up being the case with me and Anchors Away...but I still saw something promising in these two shades, First Mate and Pelican Gray.

d.j.v. beautenizer VOLUME LASH

When it comes to mascaras, I stick to my CoverGirl LashBlast and I'm good to go. I rarely change up my mascaras but this happened to fall into my lap right when I was running out. d.j.v. beautenizer makes that crazy Fiberwig mascara that forms smudge-free "tubes" around your lashes. I've tried it and didn't care for it. There wasn't enough volume there and the "tubes" just flattened my lashes down.  I received this new Volume Lash version from d.j.v. beautenizer and despite the formula being a bit more wet than I'm used to at first, I think it's a great mascara. It dries fast and removes normally at the end of the day with a makeup remover wipe. Most importantly, it holds a curl. It's really dark and as always, any mascara that doesn't smudge on me is a real trooper in my book.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

I change up my makeup routine a lot but lately I have been LA-ZY.  I'm talking waking up late, no time for fuss (or even breakfast at times), yet I still take a few minutes to attempt to look somewhat presentable. I have been returning to these products time and time again because they are extremely reliable and quick.

I've had all of the above products for months now and the only new addition is the MAC Chromagraphic pencil which is perfect for brightening the lower lash line and making you look like you got zzz's. It helps a lot and it takes two seconds to apply. 

Benefit Sugarbomb is such an amazing blush! It's lightly pigmented and provides a healthy dose of sheen which wakes up my entire face. Winter's a perfect excuse to not have an all matte face. It's light enough to build up if you need to. Added bonus: it smells like candy!

I'm picky with lip stuffs, but Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter soothes and has a tint that isn't overwhelming. I have the Lip Butter Lifesaver Roll and there's one floating around in each of my random purses. Despite the annoying part about it being somewhat unsanitary because of the pot, I still love these. Once again, quick to apply and delivers.

I never believed in Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes because if you have a couple, you have them all. They always repeat colors! While I would love to tote around my Urban Decay Naked Palette (the best of the best), it's more for home. I received the Vegan Palette a few months ago from We Heart This to test and review and I return to this one way more than I thought I would. It's perfect for travel too. Here's a great review at We Heart This if you are interested in learning more about the palette.

[Disclosure: Two of the above mentioned products were sent to me or a related party for consideration. My thoughts and opinions are my own.]

What products do you keep returning to? What do you think about the new spring nail lines?