Raw Minerals

Let me be blunt: I hate foundation, nay despise foundation. There is not a single thing I like about it. I've worn it once and I felt like my pores were suffocating, my face felt heavy and my skin felt caked up. And whenever I see women wearing foundation it is so obvious. Their skin coloring is off, they have a line at their chin, and the foundation wrinkles up.

I happen to love my freckles and would never want to cover those babies up. I prefer when my skin glows naturally so my daily routine is a dab of concealer if needed, moisturizer, and often a brush of bronzer. For special occasions, I'll go crazy and use my tinted moisturizer.

So when I received an email from the folks over at Raw Minerals to test and review the Discovery Kit, I was skeptical. But they were all about being natural, so I gave it a shot.

After 2 weeks of using the Discovery Kit, consisting of the Active Mineral Foundation, the Mineral Glow (a bronzing powder) and the Active Veil with SPF 18, my opinion on foundation and skin care has changed. Using the high quality brushes that accompany kit, the process was quick and easy, and I felt like in the end my skin still looked like my skin. My coloring was more even but my freckles were still visible. You choose your color of foundation; I chose medium, and it seemed to match my skin really well. No lines around the chin for me! The bronzing powder was great too, offering a sun-kissed look that still looked natural.

The verdict is in, and I love my new Raw Minerals Discovery Kit. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to broaden my skin care regimen and test Raw Minerals out. And thanks to my friends at Raw Minerals, readers of Poor & Stylish can now test out Raw Minerals too for special price. Using this link you can get the Discovery Kit, normally $180, for just $90, plus free shipping. Or enter DISCOVERY50 when checking out.

Enjoy!

Love, m

OPI Ink - Suede

My lovely roommate from this summer in New York just happened to work in the beauty department of a popular magazine. Lucky for me, she passed along this beautiful nail polish.

It's a fun purple/navy shade matted shade. The texture is flat, and almost rough, without any shine. I really can't put into words how much I adore the matted texture.

And speaking of polish, am I the only one who thinks the OPI and Essie polish sites are fun to play around on? You can apply their colors to your virtual hand and check out their new collections. In the past few years my love and appreciation for nail polish has grown exponentially. I love that something so inexpensive can have such an impact on your look.

Love, m

Twisted Scarf

I really, really, really want this scarf.

It's $25 from Mod Cloth and also comes in a gray and white version!

Love m

New York City Report

Hey y'all---

I'm back from the Big Apple and while I'm excited to get back to my friends at school, I miss the city like crazy. I know I wasn't able to post as often as promised, but here is my catch up report.

First off, I had 2 internships and worked my butt off Monday - Friday 9-6pm. My first job was working at a PR agency. There I made copies, ran for coffee, answered phones, and trekked across the city lugging boxes. But it was great because it presented me with the opportunity to work at fashion week in September (cross your fingers for me!) and gave me a sneak peek into the PR industry.

My second job is working was as a marketing intern for a popular wedding magazine. I was able to work with video and online content a lot, which I see as the future of magazines. The office was amazing, my boss was lovely, and I don't think it could have gotten any better. I could definitely see myself working there in the future.

But of course, a summer in New York is never just work. There was a lot of shopping to be done, happy hours to visit, and picnics to be had in Central Park. Here are some pictures of all the fun.

Basically lots of clothes, food, friends, sights, and tourist attractions.

New York City, or "skyscraper national park," as Kurt Vonnegut has said, is really and truly, without a doubt, the best city in the world. I would encourage anyone who wants to take a chance, have an amazing summer, work like crazy, and experience the best city in the world to apply to every single internship possible. I cannot even count how many internships I emailed a resume to. Some didn't fit me 100%, some were way out my reach, and some didn't interest me completely, but it was worth the effort to have my choice of 2 internships.

Though I was broke, tired, and had dirty feet from walking around all day, I would do it all over again in a second.

Love, m

PS: I love, love, love frozen yogurt!

Daily Reads

Some people have the habit of reading the Times every morning on the way to work. Others need to read the WSJ while sipping their orange juice at breakfast.

Instead of newspapers, here are a few blogs that I truly love and read every day.

1. The Sartorialist

There is no better site for style inspiration. Can't decide what to wear in the morning? Check out The Sart for dozens of new ideas.

2. A Cup of Jo

All of the random and lovely musings of Glamour writer Joanna Goddard. I love this blog. I want to be her best friend and roommate.

3. Teen Fashionista

Casey is a college student, magazine editor in the making, and just a fun and relatable girl.

4. What I Wore

This picture says enough for this blog. Jessica is too cute for words. I want her closet and job!

5. Ed 2010

Ed 2010 is the go-to website for everything magazines. From editors' emails, to internship listings (this is where I found my internships!) and salary reports, if you want to work in magazines, check out this site!

Hope you enjoy my favorite blogs....

Love, m

I've Found Home: New York City

Hello Readers-- (all 2 of you)

I know I said I was moving to New York this summer. Check.
I know I said I would post more often. Not check.

So here it goes.
While I am unable to disclose too many details about my 2 internships, I can confirm that, yes, they are both in the fashion/magazine/lifestyle/business field. Even better, I can also reveal that I have been working with a ton of online content, and can truly say that I am learning something new everyday. I already feel that in my 2 weeks alone of interning, I've learned more about different topics than I've learned in previous semesters at school.


Despite my signing of crazy confidentiality agreements, I have no commitment to hide my personal life.
New York City is just as amazing as I hoped it would be. I love my job, my neighborhood, my roommates, my apartment, and the hustle and bustle of the intricate subway system. I was so happy to be stopped by 2 tourists last night as I strolled through Gramercy. They were in need of directions and wanted to hear my opinion on the safety of their possible trip walking to the Brooklyn Bridge. Just the 2 of them. A 3 hour walk. Around midnight. Uhhhh... duh. Not a good idea.

Unfortunately, a series of previously arranged commitments required me to leave Manhattan for the midwest this past weekend, and thus, I have not had much of an opportunity to shop. Being broke doesn't help much either.

However, this weekend a friend and I have made tentative plans to head over to Beacon's Closet and Buffalo Exchange. Perusing through the leftovers of the Upper East side is not for everyone, but for me, it is heaven. I love the hunt of bargain shopping, and I am praying that the consignment selection improves with location. I've not had much luck in the designer label department while digging through thrift store junk in South Carolina nor Texas.


My -oh so adorable- little neighborhood is home to the Housing Works consignment shop. Shop in the store or bid online for amazing finds like the pictured (below) green Nanette Lepore dress. Score!

Another great hidden gem is Vintage Thrift shop just a block away from my place. Rated #1 thrift store in NYC by Zagat 4 years in a row, the shop is just too cute.

Give me a little more time to shop, walk around, meet and mingle, and I promise to update all of my stories soon.

Love, m

Hello New York!

I'm taking the day to pack my life away into 2 medium sized suitcases. After a few loads of laundry, the true test of exactly how much I can cram away for 2 months will arise.
Get ready New York, cause here I come!



Until then, how true is this t-shirt?


Only $14.99 at ICantAffordtoLoveNY.com


Love m

Return of the blog

I was so close to shutting the blog down. With a crazy semester of classes, a job requiring literally hours and and hours away at the office, and time to sleep in between, there is no place, money, or time for me to go shopping. Gone are the days of freshmen year where I had hours and hours of free time to sit back and go shopping online finding the deals.

But I've decided to keep the blog open in order to chronicle my experiences this summer as I pack up my 2 heavy suitcases and move to New York City!!!
I have 2 internships lined up, I'm living in an amazing NYU dorm with friends, and know several other people who will also be in the city for the summer.

Hence, the blog is now back and better than ever.
I leave June 14th for the city, so until then I'll be posting my packing adventures. After that it will be on the job reports, budget finds in the city, and just my life in New York and my experiences working in the fashion and magazine industry.

In order to stretch my tiny college student budget for a summer in New York I have been budget shopping to the extreme. Seriously, at the level I'm doing it, it could be an Olympic sport.

Strolling the aisles of Wal-Mart for shampoo and gel inserts for the many blocks in heels, I decided to walk through the shoe aisle and was pleasantly surprised. Here are my findings via my iPhone camera.

Studded Gladiator Sandals - $17

Elastic banded Sandals w/ cork wedge - $17

Gladiator sandals in a rainbow of colors - $10

I definitely noticed a huge improvement in shoe department. I was actually going to buy the last pair of gladiators in the basic black, but like always, they were out of my giant size 11.





Many more updates to come!



Love, m

Dollar Value Menu

Look at this awesome stuff I found on Elle's website.
Since when has Elle been pushing Target, Walmart, or Wet Seal?
Who cares? I love it all.
Click on the picture to head to Elle's site for a zoomed in version.

love m

Denim Skirt Day

It is Friday night and while I should be out with friends my killer head ache has kept me inside where it is dark and quiet. Instead of wasting the night away, I went on a hunt for the perfect denim skirt for summer. If I move to New York for a few months this summer, there is no way I can physically pack enough stylish outfits to wear one day only. So I've been looking for basics that I can dress up or down in different ways for fresh looks.

Here are some of the skirts I've found:
Denim Skirt Day - by poorandstylish on Polyvore.com

Top left: ninewest
Middle right: asos
Bottom left: fred flare


I really have my heart set on the denim skirt from Anthropologie though. I guess I'll have to wait until it goes on sale from $128.



love m