What I Am Wearing: NYE

This New Year's Eve will be the first time in forever (literally, I have never celebrated NYE) that I will be out and about. We have a wedding at a very nice venue to celebrate the new year. While I don't have a photo of my dress of choice (a classic LBD with crystal studded straps and an open back) which I will share it after the event, I do have a precursor with my favorite accessory...shoes! 

I scored these black suede Sam Edelman pumps for far less than they are being advertised now. My goal to myself this past year was for every shoe purchase to get rid of 2 pairs (trust me, I have over 40 pairs of shoes). 

They are currently on sale at Dillard's here. 

I hope everyone has a very happy and safe holiday. 

XOXO, 

Obsessions

The littlest things make me happy, and I wanted to share a few of my latest obsessions from my Instagram feed. Follow all that is happening at A Duchess & A Blog in real time at @theduchess1317.

I am so in love with our family dog, Louis. He looks like he should be in an LL Bean catalog.

I am SO crushing over this tartan ruffle top from Devon Baer which I scored off of eBay.

It has adorable brown suede pads on the elbows and it just screams "holiday season" to me.

I also received a $20 off $20 coupon from Tuckernuck and ordered this adorable monogrammed Lucite tray. I cannot wait to figure out what I am going to set on it. And this set of 4 Lilly Pulitzer napkins was regifted to me by a thoughtful coworker who new I would be obsessed. I cannot wait for my next hosting opportunity in 2017 where I can use them.

Lastly, I cannot stop my obsession with Tokidoki toys. My toy obsession is sprinked all throughout my blog. Will hit the nail on the head with two Unicornos and two Cactus pets to add to my collection this Christmas. I need more shelves!

XOXO,

Lately: Holiday Edition

I have been having a wonderful time this holiday season with family and friends.

Last weekend I had a holiday outing with coworkers from our unit. We went out to a German restaurant and bar downtown where they sell beer by the liter. Though dark, the beer is frothy, smooth, and almost has a chocolate consistency to it. The food was delicious. Will ordered Pork Schnitzels and Spätzle's.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is fantastic. The waitresses and waiters are dressed in traditional German attire. There is always live music, chanting and dancing. It is not uncommon for every few minutes groups of people to stand on the table and sing or pound their glasses on the table.

I wore my Lisi Lerch earrings and an Elizabeth McKay top which I found on deep discount on Poshmark. Seriously, the deals on brand names on this gently used clothing site are dangerous. However, I love that you can sell your own items to use as credits.

My dear Aunt from San Francisco came and added to my Tokidoki and Kidrobot toy collection with this delicious eight inch Lord Strange Dunny.

For those who do not have an appreciation for art toys, it might be hard to appreciate this Dunny.

You can read about my obsession with toys all throughout my blog. Here is a little intro to Lord Strange for those who don't know him:

"...Brandt Peters and Kidrobot present Lord Strange, the ringleader of the sold out The 13 series! Lord Strange is the shady eccentric responsible for opening the 13th Dimension that unleashed the creatures of The 13 series! After a long and mysterious disappearance, Lord Strange has returned to Infernal Manor as an 8” Dunny." 

I love how he looks on my self against my aqua wall.

Will and I had our very first Christmas together and it was wonderful. We had it by candlelight (suggested by him!) and it was magical, though I turned on lights for the photo. This is the first time that either of us had cooked a Christmas ham, and the getting the glaze right was an experience. While the ham did happen to come with glaze, Will accidentally poured two cups of water into the mix instead of two tablespoons. I looked up an impromptu recipe for glaze and then I changed it to my discretion.

For our mustard brown sugar glaze:

1 cup of brown sugar

3 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard

Add stadium mustard to taste

The family pitty bull watched hungrily from the family room.

We made a fire and hung our needlepoint stockings with care (which I previously posted about and you can find here).

I love how our names printed on the stockings turned out. We will cherish these for years to come.

I have also been enjoying my secret Santa gift from the exchange at work, including a Protein Shaker filled with candy, Aveda cleansing oil, and an adorable snowman chocolate melt.

What have you been up to this holiday season?

XOXO,

Sassy Accessories

Below are some of my favorite accessories this season, many of which are on major sale right now, especially the Ferragamo Veras on Bluefly. For any men who might happen to be reading this, these are some fabulous gifts for the woman in your life...timeless and classy, or sassy just like her. 

Sassy Accessories by aduchessandablog 

XOXO, 

Sephora Beauty Haul

I had a recent trip to Sephora, mostly because I needed a refill on my mascara but also because I love walking the mall during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. I ended up walking out with quite the haul which was not my intention at all.

 I apparently had done most of my shopping at Sephora over the course of the year rather than Ulta which meant that I was bumped up from a Beauty Insider to VIB Status. This means that in 2017 I will get a free $45 makeover, free shipping and 10 percent off my next order, and extra discounts when Beauty Insiders get little or no discounts at all. Honestly, it might be worth it to do most shopping at Sephora because when you reach 100 points at Ulta you receive a lousy $3.50 off your order. 

I am so excited to share with you some of the new products I tried and some of my tried and true old timers. 

Philosophy Microdelivery Detoxifying Face Mask 

I found a travel size option of this in line after in search of the perfect travel mask to tackle blackheads. This duo is absolutely fabulous. While the charcoal is being activated by step two of the mask, your face has a wonderful tingling sensation similar to pop rocksin your pores. My skin was so soft after, and while my pores were not completely clear, the "black" appearance of clogged pores, especially in dilated areas on my cheeks and side of my nose, were diminished. 

Sephora Rogue Gel Lip Liner

I have been using this lip liner for a while. It glides on easily and sticks for a number of hours, provided that you don't wipe your mouth during a meal. For the price,  it is a great buy and comes in a variety of colors. My favorite is Creme de la Creme 04. 

Better Than Sexy Waterproof Mascara

Hands down, the BEST mascara. And it is waterproof. I have tried every mascara you can purchase from Ulta and Sephora, drugstore and high end. This is the mascara that lets you layer and layer without clumping. I swear by this. Better than Diorshow or Benefit even.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

This is the second free trial of NARA Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, and I love it. It has long wear without patching and fades evenly. I have had many compliments every time i wear it. 

 Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer

Too Faced makeup has remained a cult favorite for me. The cost is offset by both the quality and how long lasting the products are. I usually get six months out of their liquid products and more for shadows, blushes and bronzers. This is going to be a new product for me and I have not actually used it as of yet, but I have heard great things and there is 2.5 times as much primer than in the Urban Decay options. I cannot wait to report back. Hopefully this will get me through more 12 hour shifts without anything sliding or smudging off  

Lastly, while the ESTéE Lauder Starter Set is not what is exactly pictured above, I could not find this option online. I think it might only be available in stores. I am a firm believer in starting to take care of your skin early. The Estee Lauder Night Repair is something I have been using for years now, and I swear it has kept my skin youthful through a dry work environment and many Northeastern winters. Not to toot my own horn, but I have received countless compliments on the radiance of my skin since I have started using this product. Rather than spending a fortune on the 1 oz jar of this product alone, this set includes a 1 oz jar, a night eye cream and also a face restoration pot. I would recommend this to anyone, especially as a stocking stuffer.


XOXO,

Lately

So excited to share this week's lately post with you all!

I have mentioned before that I have an obsession with Tokidoki art toys, in particular unicornos, mermicornos, and cactus pups. I saw these cactus pup macarons on Instagram this week and fell in deep love with these sweet treats.

I would love to find a way to make these with my own Babycakes cake pop maker, which I also wanted to mention as one of my favorite ideas for a Christmas gift for her!

This makes not only cake pops, but also mini donuts, dipping balls, and plenty of other appetizers that you can read about the in the Babycakes cookbook. I highly recommend this as a stocking stuff in addition to the gift, because there are so many ideas the book accompanies that I would have never thought of.

Who else received the Lilly Pulitzer catalot this past week with a stunning sample of Lilly Pulitzer wrapping paper?! It made me excited for next summer already. Lilly has been hitting the nail on the head with prints lately. I definitely had to exercise self control not to purchase anything in the catalog, but did use the wrapping paper for my sister's birthday gift!

I recently discovered Poshmark, a  website similar to eBay that allows you to sell your gently used

clothing for a fraction of the price. I have some of my own items listed as well, and have already sold a few! I love that you can use money from items that you sell to purchase other items. I have also found that many of the items listed on Poshmark are actually NWT (new with tags!). Within 24 hours of discovering the Poshmark app I scored these 2 Devon Baer silk tops and this ruffled Elizabeth McKay top. I grew up with a mother who believed in the magic of garage sales and thrift stores, and I have maintained that mentality. This site is essentially that...but allows me the luxury of sitting on my couch while rummaging! I highly encourage you to check it out.

You can view my Poshmark listings here. I currently only have accessory listings, I have not had a chance to comb through my closet as of yet.

Additionally, driving to work in complete whiteouts is what the beginning of my next six months is looking like.

Finally, Will surprised me the other night with pizza and The Secret Life of Pets.

Probably the best movie I have seen this year aside from St. Vincent with Bill Murray.

What is new lately with you?

XOXO,

Best in Beauty 2016 (And Where to Find Them!)

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep love for cosmetics. Maybe it is my love for art and anything that involves me being able to be in control and create an image or foundation that I have in my head, but I absolutely love getting up for the day and creating a set "look" that I have in mind. I have a job that requires me to wear scrubs on the daily, so being able to play with makeup and stud earrings really makes me excited. I am sharing my tried and true favorite beauty products of 2016, though some of these products I have been using for years now.

Another thing I have learned over the last few years is that some brands of cosmetics come with a price, and often that price is directly related to the quality that you will get from that product. After 12 hour shifts, sweating, tears and stress, I have learned that products that run in the upper teens to low 20s price range really do the job, and stay put for 14 hours plus. That is why these beauty products are truly what I believe to be some of the best on the market!

Best in Beauty 2016 by aduchessandablog featuring a tarte eyeliner

Christian Dior thickening mascara
macys.com

This mascara is tried and true...really the only mascara that allows me to layer as much or as little as I would like without clumping. Also, this stuff does not budge after working for 12 hours. A winner, though a little pricey. This mascara also seems to last forever, which is a huge perk for the price tag.

Stila lipstick
macys.com

I tried Stila's Stay All Day liquid lipstick this year and fell in love. I want it in alllll the colors. Not only do I get a ton of compliments, but this liquid lipstick actually leaves my lips looking and feeling smoother than when I put it on, even if my lips are chapped. It also stays on after eating a lunch for me.

Too Faced Cosmetics cheek bronzer
macys.com

My absolute favorite bronzer. I actually received a sample of this a few years ago with the Sephora beauty rewards and have been using it to contour ever since. I use this underneath my cheekbones, my temples, on both sides of my nose, under my chin and on my jawline and top my cheeks off with Too Faced blush.

Tarte eyeliner
macys.com

This is my runner up eyeliner (my favorite is the Tarte Long Wear liquid eyeliner which is below). I swear this creamy formula stays on all day and also looks beautiful blended on underneath the eyes. The only reason it is a runner up is because you need a brush to apply it, and sometimes I like the quick application of a liquid eyeliner that has a brush already in the product.

Urban Decay palette eyeshadow
macys.com

This is my go to shadow palette. With a perfect mix of mattes and shimmery shadows, nudes and greys all the way to the blackest of blacks, this shadow truly is for everyone. I tend to like this palette better than the other Naked assortments because I think it gives more depth than just a bunch of shimmery nude shadows.

Revlon spf foundation
$17 - thehut.com

This is the drugstore foundation I have used since 8th grade...and I will never again use anything else. This is one of my cult favorites that, if ever discontinued, I will honestly not know what to do! I always put this on as my base and then use a Physician's Formula powder foundation on top to wick away grease and shine throughout the day.

Tarte long wear eyeliner
macys.com

The eyeliner that I love. Pros: This comes with the hardiest liquid eyeliner that allows a ton of control. The fine point brush lets you create super fine wings and layer on without putting on more than you wanted (and, this is so hard to get off that having to reapply is a mess!) Luckily, the hardiness of this eyeliner means that the waterproof is no lie. It also comes with a black eyeliner crayon at the other end. I think this might win for my favorite discovered product of the year.

Too Faced Cosmetics concealer
toofaced.com

Hands down, the best concelear that there ever was. This has even covered up cystic breakouts for me, and will cover up even the darkest of blemishes with appropriate layering techniques.

Eye makeup
toofaced.com

I use this before going out to weddings, date nights, or any kind of outing where I really want my eyeshadow to stay down. This keeps your shadow from creasing for at least 10 hours, even in hot weather!

What are your favorite products of the year? I would love to know!

XOXO,

My Favorite Trending Things

I am so excited to share with you some of my favorite things which are all the rage right now.

(Also, be sure to "Like" this blog on Facebook and never miss a post by clicking here.)

1. Classy by Derek Blasberg is a quick and easy read which would honestly be great for a hostess gift. It encompasses everything that a classy lady should know, be, and resemble in this modern day world. His sense of humor and the colorful photos just make this book. I would recommend it to anyone older than the age of 16! (Perks: it is a very visually appealing book and would make a great coffee table accessory.) 

2. I know I have posted about them multiple times, but I just can't get over how adorable these tassel earrings by Lisi Lerch are. I can't stop admiring how stunning they are. The glass beads flowing as you move with the free hanging tassels makes these an eye-catching earring. I have been a fan of stud earrings for a while as they are easier on the ear and not so overwhelming, but this is a statement piece that would be worn for years to come. 

3. I know Gilmore Girls has been all over the news lately with the release of the last season. Regardless of how the last season ends (which I don't know yet, so don't spoil it!) I am really enjoying this show so far. It is one of those easy to watch shows, sin the gore and unpleasant suspense that seems to accompany a lot of the shows mobbing television of shows that leave you walking away feeling good. 

4. I haven't found this candle anywhere but at TJ Maxx so far, but I want to eat it and all of my guests have agreed completely. Buy it while you can! 

XOXO,