Nothing makes me more envious than watching makeup tutorials and not being able to mimic what they are doing! I wish I had the ability to do amazing makeup without having to think about what to do next. After watching about a million makeup tutorial’s I began to take note on some things I was doing wrong. I noticed a huge difference in my makeup once I followed the tutorial steps and not my own routine. They are all quick and easy fixes that can help your makeup look fierce! I feel the need to share these beauty hacks with everyone since they helped me tremendously! Here are some common makeup mistakes that we have all made at one time!

 

Foundation-

DO: apply moisturizer and primer before foundation.

DON’T: apply foundation to bare skin

 

Concealer-

DO: use a concealer that is 1-2 shades lighter than your foundation

DON’T: conceal under eye circles without using a corrector first

 

Powder-

DO: set foundation with a setting powder

DON’T: use foundation powder to set makeup

 

Contour-

DO: use a taupe matte bronzer

DON’T: use a warmed tone bronzer

 

Highlight-

DO: highlight high points of cheeks, nose and cupids bow

DON’T: highlight apples of cheeks if you have large pores

 

Blush- 

DO: apply blush on apple of cheeks and blend upward

DON’T: blend blush below the apple of the cheek

 

Eyes- 

DO: use a primer on lids for shadow, use a warm toned crease color

DON’T: apply shadow to bare lids or use shimmer in the crease

 

Eyeliner-

DO: use a pencil or gel for natural definition, blend eyeliner into a subtle cat eye and blend bottom lash line

DON’T- use a harsh liquid liner, drag eyeliner and leave a harsh line

 

Lashes-

DO: curl lashes before applying mascara and use falsies with a thin band

DON’T: curl lashes after applying mascara and use falsies with a thick band

 

Lip Liner-

DO: outline your lips using small strokes

DON’T: drag the liner in one harsh line

I have recently started to experiment with makeup and I have become obsessed with wearing lipstick lately. I am not big into doing a full face of makeup but I find that putting on lipstick just adds an extra little pop. I prefer the liquid mattes over the glossy lipstick and have come across some amazing brands that I want to share with you! I am going to share with you a few of my favorites and also ones that are on my list to try out next! (Click on the pictures above the descriptions to check out their websites!)

 

 

Colourpop is an inexpensive line with amazing products! My first liquid mattes were from Colourpop and I wear them almost daily. My two favorites are TRAP and MIDI (which are pictured above!), they are my go-to picks! TRAP is nude with more of a purple undertone while MIDI is nude with a pink undertone. While you may have to reapply throughout the day, for less than $10 each I don’t mind taking a few extra trips to the bathroom to touch up my lips! (Available only through Colourpop’s website)

Kylie Cosmetics is another great brand for liquid mattes. Kylie’s lip kits come with both the matte lipstick and lip liner but they are about $26 for the pair. Her formula is long lasting and doesn’t dry out but can be a pain to take off at night! (But you also don’t need to reapply throughout the day/night so I can live with having to scrub it off!) The one I am obsessed with is LOVE BITE, which is an dark purple shade. It is a amazing winter color! I have a few more shades of Kylie’s but I still go with my Colourpop’s for everyday wear! (Available only through Kylie Cosmetic’s website)

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills is a brand that I have been dying to try! I hear amazing things about their liquid mattes but I find their color variety to be more unique and hard to wear daily. They are around $20 each and I don’t have the heart to buy one online without seeing the color in person. I have asked people’s opinion on ABH and a lot of people swear by the formula! I have been told that the price is worth it! (In store at Sephora and Ulta or online at ABH’s website) 

 

Milani is a brand that I was told to try because you can buy them at any drugstore and they are only about $9! I heard that the quality is amazing for a drugstore matte and they have more of those everyday colors. I have my eye on either ADORABLE or PRECIOUS which are both soft pinky nude tones. After reading all of the amazing reviews I will probably make Milani my next new purchase! (Available at Walmart and Target or online at Milani’s website)

 

Here are a few other brands to try out! I do not personally own any of these but hear amazing things about them!

• DOSE of colors
• NYX Lingerie (cheap brand, not the best quality but a good starter brand!)
• Morphe (cheap brand, another not great quality)
• Too Faced Melted Matte Lipsticks
• HUDA Beauty
• Smashbox
• Jeffree Star (very vibrant and unique colors!)
• Maybelline Vivid Matte
• MAC
• Kat Von D
• Louboutin (for $90 a lipstick, owning one is my ultimate goal)

 

Attention all high school girls! Prom season is officially in full swing and that means TT New York has already been super busy with prom shoppers! You may be thinking that it is too early to go out and purchase your prom dress, but now is the perfect time! One of the things I love about TT New York is that they have exclusive rights to their designers, which means you won’t find their designs at any other dress shop! TT New York also does event tracking for all the Buffalo, Rochester, Canadian and other surrounding schools! What does event tracking mean? It means that they keep track of every dress sold to each school and guarantee not to double sell the same dress! Shop early and lock in your dress for your school!

Happy 2017 fashionistas! As our 2017 prom season quickly approaches, we have noticed an old trend making a comeback! Floral prints are back in style and we have to admit, they are gorgeous! The patterns are a mix of both old and new with a fun twist that I think everyone will love! This year we are stepping out of the box and getting a lot of unique and unusual styles in! If you love diversity and standing out in a crowd, then one of these floral dresses may be perfect for you! Here are some of the 2017 styles we will be getting in that have that unique floral pattern! DON’T FORGET!! TT New York does Prom Tracking which ensures you will be the only one at your prom in your dress! You won’t ever have to worry about being duplicated when shopping with us! Happy New Year and happy shopping! Xoxo

 

I am so excited that Christmas and New Years Eve are right around the corner! There are always so many parties to go to, and I am always dressed to impress thanks to my job! TT New York in the Boulevard Mall just received a brand new shipment of holiday cocktail dresses and I bought three of them! There are so many perks to buying from TT New York, but mainly I love that no other dress boutique carries our selection! I like Express don’t get me wrong, but I hate nothing more than running into someone in the same dress at the same function. That is the biggest buzz kill of them all! TT New York’s cocktail dresses are so versatile that you can wear them more than once no matter what occasion comes up! I am going to share with you some of the new arrivals that are now in stock at our Boulevard Mall location! Hurry on in and try them on before they all sell out!

 

Most people tend to forget that it is courteous to bring a hostess gift when attending an occasion at someone’s house. No matter if it is for the holidays or just an informal dinner, it is always nice to bring a ‘thank you’ gift for the hostess! I always have a few ‘go-to’ gifts that I bring when I attend a gathering with my friends. (They are always a big hit and I’ll list them below for you!) You can find great hostess gifts at places like Homegoods and Target that anyone will love! I like making mine more personal but no one will turn down a box of chocolates or liquor either! Happy Holidays Fashionistas!

• A bottle of wine or a 24 case of beer is always a great gift! Wine/beer is not expensive and is something that can be served during the party or the hostess can save it for them self! I always bring two bottles when I attend a gathering at someone else’s house, one for myself and one for the hostess to keep!
• Homemade cookies, bread, or dessert is another great idea! Receiving something homemade is always more meaningful than buying a plate of cookies from your local grocery store. Plus it gives you a good excuse to spend the day in the kitchen! (My signature is chicken wing dip, it is always a hit!)
• If your hostess loves to burn candles while having guests over, than a candle is always a fantastic gift idea too! You can find Yankee Candle’s at Homegoods for $9.99- $12.99 and they burn forever! Maybe buy scents that smell like the holiday you’re celebrating or your friends favorite scent. (If you are attending a party around Christmas, I love gifting pine or cranberry scented candles!)
• One of my favorite little DIY hostess gifts for the winter is a mason jar filled with hot chocolate mix! You take a mason jar and fill it half up with hot chocolate mix and then fill the other half up with marshmallows! I always attach a mini bottle of Bailey’s to mine because who doesn’t love a little spiked hot coco!?

I can not believe December is already here! It feels like just yesterday I was excited about the first day of summer and now I’m already planning out my New Years Eve plans! Buffalo has a lot of things going on for New Years so if you are still undecided like I am, then you should absolutely read this blog! I did a bunch of research and came up with these 6 places where you can ring in 2017!

1. Big Ditch Brewing Company- for only $65 you will receive 4 drink tickets, food stations and hand passed appetizers, Karaoke in the Beer Hall, a DJ all night, party favors and a free photo booth! Big Ditch is an amazing up and coming place that is sure to become a staple for New Years celebrations!
2. Tonawanda Castle- tickets can price from $45-130 tickets and are also available for couples! You can get either a cash bar and dinner for general admission or a buffet dinner plus open bar for VIP. The Tonawanda Castle is beautiful and the rooms can be rented out as well so you wouldn’t have to worry about driving home later!
3. Surrender- If you are looking for more of a club feel with music you can dance all night long to than Surrender is a great place to go! It is an 18+ event with $20 tickets for under 21 and $15 for 21+. Doors open at 9pm and there will be drink specials all night!
4. Statler City’s Ice Ball- The Ice Ball is the hottest NYE party in Buffalo! Not only does it give you an excuse to put on a tuxedo and evening gown, but all of the perks are amazing. You will get 5 hours of open bar, food galore, a champagne toast at midnight, sit down dining, free parking, free coat check and so much more! You can also reserve a room at the Statler to spend the night in, and they are spectacular. Tickets are a little more expensive, but for what you’ll be getting it is well worth it!
5. Salvatore’s Masquerade Ball- For $135 per person you can attend the Masquerade Ball in the Grande Bellamore Ballroom with open bar, hor d’oeuvres, dinner and live music. If you don’t want to spend that much money money, you can attend the Venetian Ballroom Gala for $115 per person! You will still receive an open bar, hor d’oeuvres, dinner and live music but for a little cheaper! Salvatores also offers a 4 course dinner special at their Italian Garden’s Restaurant for $60 per person!
6. Classic’s V- If you are looking for something different for NYE than try Classic’s V! They will be having internationally inspired dinner stations, elaborate desserts and specialty drinks for $95 per person from 8pm- 1am! I hear amazing things about their food so I am sure they will not disappoint!

If you did not want to go anywhere overly fancy, pretty much any bar will be having a New Years Celebration!  You can decide to wing it and walk up and down Allen, Elmwood or Chippewa and easily be able to find a place to mingle for the night! No matter what you decided to do, make sure you have a happy and safe night!

The holidays are right around the corner and that means I will be partaking in my annual White Elephant Gift Exchange with my friends! If you have never heard about White Elephant, then buckle up, I am about to introduce you to the greatest thing ever! Every year my friends and I get together to celebrate Christmas, or as we call it Friendsmas, and we always exchange gifts! Instead of doing Secret Santa we started to do the White Elephant Gift Exchange a few years ago and now it is what we look forward to every year! It is such a laughing so hard you have tears rolling down your face kind of fun time. I will break down the rules to you in this blog to better explain this amazing game!

RULES:

1. Each friend brings one wrapped gift to contribute to the game. It could be a gag gift or something your friends could actually get use out of! I have had friends bring cook books, liquor, sports memorabilia, gift cards and then the occasional inappropriate ones too. We always have a $25 spending limit so everything is equal at the end!
2. Lets say you have ten friends partaking, you would put ten scrap pieces of paper with numbers 1-10 into a bowl and have each person pick a number. Whoever gets number one will pick a gift first and number ten will be picking last.
3. My friends and I then sit around a dinning room table or on the floor in numerical order (based off the numbers we picked from the hat) with all the wrapped gifts in the center. It is easier to do it that way so you won’t forget who goes next!
4. Whoever picked number one from the bowl picks the first gift and unwraps it in front of everyone!
5. Once it is second person’s turn, they can either choose to pick a wrapped gift from the middle of steal the first person’s gift! Then the first person has to pick a wrapped gift from the middle and opens it to show everyone. Then it will become the third person’s turn! The first person is unable to steal a gift because there is no one before them to steal from, but don’t worry they will have a chance at the end!
6. Keep going down the line of friends, and whoever turn is next can always steal an already opened gift or take a brand new one from the pile! Important rule: once you have chosen to pick from the pile and open the new gift, you can not change your mind and steal a previously opened gift! The newly opened gift is yours unless someone else steals that gift away from you! 
7. After the last person has finished their turn, the first person gets a chance to swap the gift he or she is holding for an opened gift! Once they have chosen to steal or keep their current gift the game is over!

There are several versions to the game but my friends and I stick with the basic rules which are listed above. I listed another rule that some people play with the keep the game going longer if you want a little more competition added!

• Anyone who gets their gift stolen can either choose to pick a brand new one from the pile or can steal someone else’s gift, but can not steal back theirs. This rotation can only go on for three turns, and then it must move onto the next person in rotation. You can limit it to two turns if you wish to keep it shorter.
  • Example) If it is the sixth person’s turn and they steal the third person’s gift and then the third person steals the fourth person’s gift, once the fourth person chooses to steal or pick a new gift the play is then dead. Then the seventh person, who is next in rotation, would then proceed to either pick a gift from the middle or steal a gift and so on.

Fall has to be one of my favorite seasons because there are just so many different activities to do! Now is the time to go out and enjoy the nice weather before winter hits! Here is a list of some of my favorite things to do during the fall and I highly recommend giving some of them a try yourself!

• Apple, Pumpkin and Pear Picking at Blackman’s Homestead in Lockport
• Buy Fresh Apple Cider
• Corn Maze
• Frightworld, Haunted Catacombs  
• Carve Pumpkins
• Wine Trails
• Visit Local Breweries and try their Seasonal Beers
• Bake a Pumpkin and Apple Pie
• Visit Ellicottville 
• Visit Becker Farms, Great Pumpkin Farm andPumpkinville 
• Grill Corn on the Cob
• Walk around Delaware Park and see the leaves change color
• Haunted Hayride during dusk

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! If you want to learn how to say “I love you” in multiple languages, then keep scrolling down! Below I have translated those famous words into 48 different languages from all over the world. Shock your significant other by learning a new way to tell them how much you love them! xoxo, fashionistas.

English- I love you

French- Je t’aime

Spanish- Te amo

Irish- Graim thu

Scottish- Tha gaol agam ort

Welsh- Rwy’n dy garu di

Portuguese- Eu te amo

Dutch- Ik hou van jou

German- Ich liebe dich

Italian- Ti amo

Maltese- Inhobbok

Czech- Mliuji te

Stovenian- Ljubim te

Slovak- Lubim Ta

Croatian- Volim te

Hungarian- Szeretlek

Romanian- Te iubesc

Bulgarian- Obicam te

Serbian- Volim te

Albania- Te dua

Greek- S’agapo

Turkish- Seni seviyorum

Estonian- Ma armastan sind

Belarusian- Ja ciabe kakhaju

Ukranian- Ya tebe kohayu

Polish- Kocham Cie

Lithuianian- As tave myliu

Latvain- Es tevi milu

Norweigan- Jeg elsker deg

Danish- Jeg elsker dig

Swedish- Jag alskar dig

Finish- Mina rakastan sinua

Icelandic- Eg elska pig

Georgian- Mikvarhar

Inuit- Nagligivagit

Russian- Ya tebya liubliu

Mandarin- Wo ai ni

Japanese- Aishiteru

Thai- Phom rak khun

Indonesian- Saya cinta kamu

Korean- Sarang hae

Vietnamese- Anh yeu em

Bengali- Ami tomake bhalobashi

Hindi- Main tumse pyar karta/i hoon

Hebrew- Ani ohev otach

Persian- Duset daram

Brazilian/Portuguese- Amo te

Afrikaans- ek het jou lief