Mystic Tan vs. Versa Spa Spray Tanning

Dress: Free People Hankerchief Hem Lace Dress

We've gotten several questions as of late about spray tanning, so I thought I'd share what I know since I am all about some faux sunshine! The two types I'm most familiar with are Mystic Tan and VersaSpa, which are both booths that you stand in while a machine sprays you. In these photos, I have a Mystic tan. I definitely prefer Mystic over Versa because I think the finish is more even. Whenever I've gotten sprayed in a Versa booth, I've always noticed the formula on my skin, which looks like tiny little freckle-like dots. However, the color that Versa deposits is a little more brown than Mystic, which is slightly more red. Both Mystic and Versa offer three shades to choose from... a light, a medium and dark. In these photos, my tan is the lightest shade. I always choose the instant color formula as opposed to the clear because I like immediate results. While these two options are fine, airbrush tanning delivers better results. Spray tans tends to be a little cheaper, though. When going in to get a spray tan, it's best to go right after you've taken a shower, have shaved, and exfoliated. Right before you step into the booth, you'll want to use a generous amount of the barrier lotion all over your hands and feet, to keep those places from getting too much color. I usually put it on my face as well. With the Mystic, you can pretty much get dressed and go immediately after you're sprayed. With the Versa, you may need to wait a few minutes so that the formula dries before getting dressed. With spray tans, you don't have to "rinse off" several hours later like you do when you get an airbrush tan. If you choose the instant color option over the clear, you see your tan develop more quickly. The clear one will take several hours before you see any color. Your tan should last several days. Hope this is helpful!

x, Mary

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Lancôme Vernis In Love Nails

Booties: Gucci

I love hot pink nails in the summer. A shade that I'm particularly feeling at the moment is Rose Pitimini, part of Lancôme's latest Vernis In Love Collection. This shade of bright pink has a little more sophistication to it than most of the others I've seen as of late. This is the first time I've ever used Lancôme polish, and I really like it! It dries pretty quickly and doesn't seem to be susceptible to annoying smudges or dings. Thirty minutes after painting my nails, I dug through the bottom of my purse to get my keys, and my nails still looked good! We should expect all expect this from a nail polish.

 x, Mary

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Foundation Brush Love

It can be so tempting at times to want to cut corners with brushes… they’re expensive… you have to take care of them… there are so many of them... and the list goes on. When it comes to foundation, however, we have a necessity: the foundation brush. We’ve found that it really makes a difference because it allows you to apply your foundation so that the finish is perfectly even all over. You really can’t achieve an airbrushed looking finish by applying it with your finger. You’ll often find that the makeup looks thicker in some areas than others when you do... not good! Right now, we’re both using Estee Lauder’s brush, $34, which is a good, solid brush. In case you've never used one of these before, they are very user friendly. Just start with a small amount of foundation on the brush tip and then brush it on and blend in. Really simple. Another brush we've tried is MAC's 130 Short Duo Fibre Brush which is also a great one for about the same price. The head of this one is a little smaller than the Estee Lauder brush. A smaller head can double as a concealer brush around the eye area, which is a nice plus. This is one of those things that is just a matter of preference. It's good to test different brushes out on yourself if your unsure about what size to get. As for Chanel's Foundation Brush, $45, we have heard amazing things and can't wait to try this one. The tip of this brush has a more pointed shape than our Estee Lauder brushes which would make it more ideal to use around the nose and eye area. A good foundation brush will actually save you money in the long run because it prevents you from using more foundation than you need. We both take a few seconds to clean ours after every application with a brush cleaning spray. Soap and water is honestly fine too.

 x, Mary & Lindsey

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Met Gala Hair Inspiration

Punk fashion was major at this year's Costume Institute Gala, and we are loving soo many looks of the night. Aside from the rock-worthy fashion we must comment on some of our fave hair trends of the evening, which were amazing. From faux hawks to dye jobs to streaks to edgy pixie cuts, the stars definitely played up the theme. We loved so many of the wild looks, but we must point out Sarah Jessica Parker as a fave. She went all out with a beautiful golden mohawk headdress designed by Philip Treacy. Majestic. The swirly fishtail braid looks really cute with it. We also loved her custom designed Christian Louboutin boots!

 From head to toe, SJP knocked it out of the park. We loved the headdress, the gown, and the plaid boots. Hats off to her - she pulls it off like a pro! Another 'do we liked was Anne Hathaway's. She looks amazing as a platinum blonde (we wonder why she hasn't done this before!). Definitely another favorite.

A little less risky, but still beautiful were the colored streaks seen in Lily Collins', Diane Kruger's, and Ivanka Trump's, among others. Also loving Collins' makeup here.

We are still loving the pixie cuts that are popping up all over Hollywood these days, and we certainly think they look great on these two lovely ladies, but we are undecided about the way that Miley Cyrus and Ginnifer Goodwin styled theirs for the event. 

They both still get an A for effort in our books... It is the Met Gala, afterall!!

Red carpet photos via Washington Post, Just Jared

x, Lindsey

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Free People Raw Tulle Skirt + Moto Boots

Quick post on a frilly little tutu I got that I'm loving. It’s Free People’s Raw Tulle Skirt, $98, which I am wearing in Shell. I first saw this skirt on FreePeople.com and immediately fell for it. I love how girly this piece is – makes me feel pretty to wear! However, it’s a little trickier to wear than I thought it would be. Because of the volume of the skirt, I tend to stick to form fitting pieces underneath, like this cream cotton slip, which is also by Free People. Because I love contrast, my black moto boots seemed a natural choice to put with such an ultra-feminine skirt.  I also like this skirt over denim cut-offs and a crop top. On Freepeople.com, the skirt appears to only be available in Black now, but I saw that several other sites still offer the Shell. 

Bracelets (Right): Chan Luu, Tai / Watch: Michael Kors / Rings (Left to Right): Elizabeth & James, David Yurman

Happy Thursday!
x, Lindsey

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Over The Counter Solution For A Clear Face & Body

We’ve gotten messages from some of you as of late about what to use to get rid of back breakouts. This is a very good question considering summer is around the corner, and there’s nothing more annoying than having to cover that up when you want to wear something backless or be poolside. First of all, the best thing to do is to try to prevent breakouts in the first place by using exfoliating body wash regularly and also, hitting the shower immediately after working out. If you do break out, however, PanOxyl, which is about $10, might be a good option for you. We both really like it because it always seems to get rid of the problem. It’s basically a non-prescription acne-fighting body wash. It has 10% Benzoyl Peroxide, which is the highest you can get in a product without having a prescription. Obviously nothing fancy about it. It looks and smells kind of medicinal, but it does work. You can also use it on your face. Luckily, we are usually in the clear, but we always have PanOxyl on hand just in case. Definitely worth trying if you haven’t before. Happy Friday!
x, Lindsey & Mary

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To Prime, Or Not To Prime

Mary's Eyes: Lancôme Primer & Mascara / Lips: Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick in Lingerie Pink

I've stepped outside my normal eye makeup routine and have been experimenting with eyelash primer as of late. In the photo above I am wearing a coat of Lancôme Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base underneath two swipes of Lancôme Definicils High Definition Mascara. The Cils Booster boasts to make any Lancôme mascara look more dramatic. I tried this lash primer, along with Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum. Of the two, I think the Lancôme one makes a much more noticeable difference. I love Diorshow Mascara, so I had high hopes for the primer, but I wasn't very impressed with its brush (which is different than the regular Diorshow). Plus, the formula seemed sort of dry. I feel like the Lancôme primer, on the other hand, really does give my lashes some oomph. I like the effect. I can see it. However, for me, I think the result is too dramatic for day. The false-lash appearance is kind of fun though. On a side note... I noticed that the Lancôme primer with works best with the Definicils mascara (it didn't work as well when I tried it with another brand of mascara I have). The Cils Booster and the Definicils do seem to be made for each other.

Happy Wednesday
x, Mary

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Bye, Bye, Ombré

Lindsey's Pants: Free People / Sweater: Zara / Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Since we started the blog last winter, this may be the first post where my hair is markedly different... No more ombré. I made the decision several months back to grow it out, and I'm finally back to my natural color, which as you can see in the above photo is brown with a hint of auburn. This is kind of a big deal for me, because I love being adventurous with my hair... Before going ombré three years ago (yes, before ombré became big), I had bleached blonde hair with blunt cut bangs... before that, I had long, dark espresso colored strands. So after years of highlighting, lowlighting, and bleaching (& don't even get me started on the heat tools), my hair was looking rather fried and in desperate need of some tender loving care. So that's why I've decided to go back to my natural brown roots. Not only that, I'm laying off of the heat tools as much as I can... (Hello Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray!.. more about that in another post). This is kind of a little experiment to see just how much healthier my hair can be if I banish these color and heat evils out of my life for a while. So far, though, I'm embracing going au natural even though it was tough to break free from my adventurous hair side. I'll keep you posted on my progress!
 x,Lindsey

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