The Little Red Dress

Holy sh!t. This past weekend was LIT. I don't even know how my brain has the capacity to function to the fullest it is right now. Thank you to everyone that reached out and wished me a happy birthday!!

Last week was the perfect way to ring in my 29th. Next up on my radar (besides celebrating more Aqua birthdays & NYFW) is Valentine's Day.

I'm definitely going to take advantage of the three day weekend and dress up each day (weather permitting) and treat myself to a few amazing sit-down meals in the city.

Of course, I went back to Express to see what caught my eye. Besides these gorgeous pink slacks (hella affordable compared to these) I found this fit and flare dress.

The color is spot on for the 14th and could still be re-worn for a few other things I have coming up: baby showers, bridal parties, boozy brunches.

Dress: Express  Coat: Marc New York (Under $120 & warm!)   Tights: Calvin Klein  Boots: Sam Edelman (save with this version)  Purse: Rebecca Minkoff (& under $90!!)  Lipstick: Raspberry Blush via Pixi

Since we're talking date night, I wanted the dress be the main focal point (the fit is amazing on my frame) and keep everything else black. And of course, black tights because it is still too cold to be without them. Temps are slated to be under 10 degrees all weekend long so make sure you invest in some fleece tights before then.

Don't forget to visit last week's post on the other two dresses I'm wearing this weekend.

What are you wearing for Valentine's (or Galentine's) Day? Let me know in the comments down below.

Created in collaboration with Express and Shopstyle.

Photos by Victor Cerejo.

Shop the look:

Aquarius Rising

29 and still flawless. That's how I'm rolling today and for the next year.

Eight years ago, friends and I waited rather impatiently for midnight. On that blustery cold night we huddled around a cupcake dimly lit by a scrawny bodega candle, I made a wish and blew out my candle. We then proceeded to hit up the infamous Studio B where I could proudly display my of-age ID. It feels like yesterday but that could be because my birthday wish remains the same throughout the years: to experience unadulterated happiness and create memories with those closest to me.

This year, I'll wish for the same and keep the gang nearby as the celebrations go into the night (snow or no snow).

I'm so excited for the sweet ride life has given me and can't wait to share the journey. But before I kick off the birthday extravaganza this weekend I wanted to share two suitable dresses (both from Express) for anyone born in the month of love or looking for style ideas come Valentine's Day.

The little black Express dress never fails for a night out on the town. I love the details on this textured dress and the floral applique at the bottom of the dress so cute. (I shot these looks during office hours and this look was the department's favorite).

I paired this with my favorite suede over-the-knee boots and a fur vest.

Shop the look:

Another favorite for the weekend (and Valentine's Day) is this Express floral fit and flare dress. This is a bit more snug than the other dress so I recommend you size up. As for styling, I went for my favorite mustard clutch and a few statement baubles.

Shop the look:

Created in collaboration with Express and Shopstyle.

Photos by Briana Balducci.

Eye Brightening Favorites:

How's the new year going so far? I'm still wishing we were on holiday break. I spent a good chunk of my time visiting relatives, touching base with friends in town, and probably too much time indulging in Champagne. ‘Tis the season right? The best part about the holiday weekend had to be my social media detox and sleeping in almost every single day.

Now that I’m back and feeling focused it’s time to start making moves. Usually, I mention my resolutions at the start of the year but I’ll share that a little later after thinking it through. I will, however, give you a peep of what’s going to be on there -  sleep more.

Last month, I was seriously lacking on the sleep, which comes with the territory of blogging and being a social media manager. And that lack of sleep definitely showed in my dark under-eye circles. Not a good look when out at events or early morning meetings.

To look more fresh-eyed on little sleep, I use a couple of things: VII Code under-eye patches, eye cream, white eyeliner and concealer. It seriously makes a difference even when I slept three hours.

In full disclosure, I did receive the product for free from VII Code, but being the skincare junkie that I am – I actually have scoped this out (& bought) on Amazon. It’s that good you guys. Indulge if you can.

When it comes to under-eye patches, there are quite a few on the market, but right now I love VII Code’s. Compared to other eye patches on the market this is more of an 8-hour overnight eye mask. VII Code recommends leaving the eye mask on for the 8-hours so your skin can help absorb the ecological plant oxygen extracts (which is an all natural herbal formula). Each eye patch comes equipped all the essential vitamins, antioxidants, proteins, peptides and essential fatty acids.

After prepping your skin for the night (see how I prep mine here) apply the patches on with the gel side on your skin. There’s no label but apply the thicker side on the outside of my eyes and the thinner side towards my inner eye/nose, as shown in the photo below.

Upon waking up, I remove the patches and my eyes look revitalized and de-puffed from the get-go. VII Code recommends using them 2-3x a week, but I’ve been using them once 1x a week for that fresh-faced look. During NYFW I may go up to 2-3x a week.

Generally, after using these patches I don’t need much additional help in the eye area but for those incredibly early mornings I dab on eye cream (loving this K-Beauty find right now), apply white eyeliner to the inside of my lower lash line, and gently pat on concealer (highly recommend this one from NARS) with my BeautyBlender.

For those of you looking to expand your eye care, VII Code is offering $5 off a three-box set with code RCS5-3HEX9L-Z9DYAM. The three-box set is a great starting point for those looking into a deep eye treatment.

Are there any new beauty or skincare habits you’ll be getting into this year?

Photos by Victor Cerejo.