This post is long over due (about 2 months!), but when I first saw that these shoes were going to be released as part of Nike's Women's City Collection, I knew I had to get my hands on these! In honor of Nike's Air Max day, which happens every year on March 26th, the world renowned sneaker company launched a Spring 2016 collection based off of 5 international cities: New York, Paris, Shanghai, London, and Tokyo. You can learn more about the inspiration behind the collection, as well as take a peek at the other cities' designs here.



I instantly fell in love with the "Tokyo" design that was launched within the collection. First of all, the overall aesthetic of the shoe is so simple yet chic. I'm a huge fan of the strong contrast that the navy blue Japanese "waves" brings to the shoe against the light blush pink color.

As for the actual functionality and comfortability of the shoe, this sneaker has earned two big thumbs up from me! The shoe itself wears more like a pull on/slip on shoe. The construction of the shoe is reminiscent of a sock, whereas there isn't really a "tongue" to the shoe. With that being said, the laces on this particular style of shoe doesn't really serve too much of a purpose other than for looks.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with my purchase and can see myself wearing these throughout the rest of the summer!

What's your current favorite sneaker?

The final result! I really like the color because it's a natural nude that doesn't end up washing the color out of my hands out, making them appear gray. If you stop with two coats, its more a brown-nude, but after applying the third coat, it's more of a pinky-brown color. Personally, I like the color the polish gives off after three coats. It's a beautifully neutral color that helps enhance your nails in the most understated way!

What're your favorite neutral toned polishes?

I'm back at it! One of my New Years Resolutions for this year was to find a creative outlet where I can express myself. I had also been wanting to brush up on my photography, editing, and writing skills. Of course, restarting my blog seemed like the best course of action! After weeks of debating and much help from my sister, I was ready to begin this blogging journey!

What better way to start than by talking about some of my most loved and used beauty products?!

Here are my top 10 most used products:

1. Lancome Juicy Tubes
True to it's name, the Lancome Juicy Tubes are one of the most moisturizing glosses I've ever tried! They're the perfect lip gloss for the no-fuss days where you want just a tint of color on your lips. The Juicy Tubes comes with a tube lip applicator which makes application a breeze. The color I have pictured above is called "Magic Spell." It's a beautiful deep magenta color infused with tiny flecks of gold shimmer. Overall, these sheer glosses give your lips a pretty tint, are highly moisturizing, and extremely easy to apply, making it the perfect everyday lippie!

2. New York Color Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder
A cult favorite. The NYC bronzer definitely gives you a bang for you buck! Many people have raved about this product, and some even claim it to be a dupe for Benefit's popular "Hoola Bronzer," while being only a fraction of the price! This bronzer gives a pretty glow, while also adding a bit of warmth to my face. I own the shade "Sunny," and it's the perfect shade for my fair yellow-toned skin.

3. Nars Orgasm Blush
Another famous favorite! This is one of my first ever Sephora purchases back in my early high school days, after watching a Michelle Phan makeup tutorial on YouTube. After seeing how beautifully the color turned out on her, I was instantly hooked!
The texture of the powdered blush is silky and easy to blend. According to Sephora's website, the color "Orgasm" can be described as a "peachy pink with shimmer." I've tried many blushes over the years, but I always tend to gravitate back to this particular products.

4. Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder
This is hands down my favorite setting powder! Before purchasing the loose powder, I owned the pressed version, as I used to travel to and from my university to my hometown during the weekends. The Light Reflecting Powder does a great job of controlling shine, not to mention it's essentially weightless on your skin. The first time I put it on, I couldn't even tell there was product on my face! If you're debating between the loose or pressed version, there's a couple of factors to take into consideration. If you're an avid traveler, I would recommend purchasing the pressed powder, as it's a slimmer and more compact. It's also less messy, since you wouldn't need to pour the powder out to use it. However looking at the product from a financial standpoint, both products are the same exact price, and you would be getting more product with the loose powder (.35 oz) versus the pressed powder (.24 oz).

5. MAC Fix+
This product was recommended by an old friend of mine. I was a bit skeptic about this product at first, and thus I decided to go with travel size for my trial run. This turned out to be a mist I gravitate towards during my "heavier" makeup days. I've noticed that helps my makeup look less cakey. Although I haven't personally tried this method yet, I heard spraying your brushes with this mist before applying eye shadows help the colors to show up more vibrantly!

6. Benefit Porefessional
This product was gifted to me by my lovely boyfriend! This primer helps to reduce the appearance of pores and makes your foundation last all day. I like to use this primer primarily on my cheeks, as that tends to be the spot where my pores are most noticeable. Whatever is left on my fingertips, I like to spread throughout my t-zone to help control shine!

7. Maybelline Lash Sensational
Maybelline makes the best drug store mascaras! Before trying the "Lash Sensational" mascara, their "The Falsies" mascara used to be my favorite. What drove me to try out a different product in their line was actually the packaging! (Admit it, we've all fallen victim to chic packaging at one point or another!) I purchased the product in the color the "Blackest Black." I really like the bristles on this mascara want. The top of the brush is curved, while the bottom is flat making it easy to separate any stubborn lashes.

8. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 
This is another great Maybelline product. I own this concealer in the shade "Sand," and it matches my skin tone perfectly! I primarily use this product for my under eye circles and to cover the redness around my nose area. This concealer comes with a doe foot applicator that helps make application a breeze.

9. e.l.f. Eyebrow Kit
As you can see in my photo, I've already hit pan on this product. This is also another great value product. I like how this product comes with a wax, as well as a colored setting powder. When applying this product, I like to first dip my angled eyeliner brush with the wax then coat it with the setting powder. The wax helps keep the hairs in place, while the powder helps to color in any sparse areas. I currently own this kit in the shade "Medium," and it compliments my dark brown hair beautifully!

10. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner
I became obsessed, after seeing how crisp and sharp my sister was able to do the wings on her eyeliner! I knew I had to have this! I own this eyeliner in the color "Trooper," the darkest color. I prefer liquid eyeliners with brush tips, as it allows for more accurate control. Depending on how hard (or soft) you press on the pen, you can create different widths on your lines. Another great thing about this eyeliner is that you never have to worry about the brush on this becoming jagged and frayed.



And there we have it! These are the beauty products that I used most often. After typing this post, I definitely saw a couple of trends emerge! I tend to favor makeup products that don't require too much time and effort to work with, since I typically only like to spend about 10 minutes applying makeup before heading out the door to work. I also like to try out the beloved beauty classics or "cult favorites." (Hey, if something's good, I want in on it! :P )

What are your most used products?! Do you have any favorites I should try?! Let me know in the comments below!