Plum Love & August Beauty Faves

Happy Friday everyone. Sorry this is going up pretty late at night, but it seems to be the only time I get to blog. After a long day of work I ran a ton of errands and packed my bags for 2 weeks of New York! I couldn't let a Friday go by without doing my usual Nail Files link up with Vicki and Tara, but along with that I will also be doing my Beauty Favorites monthly link up! Here are my nails for this week, they are kinda messy because I did them in a hurry between packing and running around. I used Sally Hansen Plum Luck and used Sinful Colors Queen of Beauty for my 2 accent nails {I wanted to change it up a bit from the usual one accent nail}.

Next up is a monthly link up that I started up last month because I was doing beauty product reviews just about every month and decided it would be fun to link up with other fabulous ladies and get some ideas for cool products! If you want to join in on the fun all you need to do is grab the button {on the sidebar to the right}, write up a post of your favorite {even the products you don't recommend} and link up! If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate on getting in touch!! So that all being said, here are my August Beauty Favorites! 

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First up is one of my favorite new shadow colors that I got in a giveaway grab bag! I have used it a couple times already and it is perfect to wear as an everyday color by using a little bit on the lid, or even pumping it up with some sparkle for the night time! I have been only using a few colors from MAC and I absolutely love the pigment from this color and it has very little fallout which is awesome!! This shadow is one of the velvet ones in Mulch. 

Up next is yet another shadow that I absolutely love which I also received from the giveaway grab bag I won. It is L'Oreal Paris Infallible eye shadow in Iced Latte, this shadow does not disappoint with the shimmer. I definitely found myself digging in a little to get some more color from it, but I absolutely love it on my lids. I can wear this alone or on top of another shadow for added shimmer! 

Next is {shocker} another item I received from the giveaway bag is my new favorite beauty product. I had been exclusive with Maybelline Great Lashes for years and years now, but when I got this bad boy I had to try it out and I use it every. single. day!! It never ever clumps and it lengthens my lashes to infinity and beyond!! This mascara is made by L'Oreal Paris and it's the Voluminous Million Lashes in black. If you are on the hunt for new mascara and don't know what to get, try this one!! I never used to wear mascara everyday, only for special occasions, but now I can't go a day without it. 

Next is a lip treatment I got free as a birthday gift from Sephora. It's the Sugar lip treatment with SPF! I love this because it is so compact and feels so great on your lips! If you haven't signed up for a Sephora beauty insider card, I highly recommend doing so!!

My final product is one that I use just about everyday. It's TRESemme tres two spray. I never really liked any products in my hair because I have thick hair and didn't want to feel weighed down even more, but this stuff is great because it doesn't create any crispy pieces of hair, just soft and touchable hair. It helps reduce frizz and keep my hair where I want it all day. I also love the budget friendly price tag on it!

Well I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite products for August and can't wait to read yours!! All you have to do is write a post with your favorites, include the button {pretty please with a cherry on top?}, and link up below!! 

I'm off to sit in a car for 12 hours with my family to NYC and not kill each other!

Peace out girl scouts!

Waking Up In Vegas

Hey kiddos!! I'm finally back from my trip in Vegas and I hope I have kept you busy and entertained while I was gone and my bloggy friends filled in, Jenn, Ali, & Kate!! They were such great guest posters and can't wait to have them fill in again for me. So my trip was awesome {short, but got a lot in}. I got back to Chicago at 9pm on my birthday {yesterday} and my awesome friend was waiting to pick me up with a yummy chocolate cake {I didn't get a pic because I was so hungry I ate it almost immediately}. I got home, showered and semi-unpacked. I was so tired from all the travel that I went to bed quickly after. I unfortunately wasn't smart enough to take the day off today and had to go into work, man voice and all. Well I know a lot of you want to hear all about my trip and obviously see pictures, so this post is gonna do that. Let's start at the beginning, I left from Chicago Saturday afternoon and the flight was long, but bearable and we arrived in Vegas at about 2:30pm. After finally getting to our hotel and checking in, we went up to our rooms. As soon as we walked in, I was floored with how incredible the hotel looked {we stayed at the MGM Grand, btw}. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw a little part of the room, but here are some more pictures of the lobby/room.

**Warning: Picture Overload!!!**

Panorama of the lobby

Beds w/ pretty colors

minibar/TV/dresser area

Bathroom

Pretty artwork in the bathroom

View from the room {10th floor/west wing}

After we got all acquainted with our rooms and played with the automatic shades for 30 minutes, we decided to explore the hotel {which by the way is HUGE, literally everything you possibly need in one place}. We then decided we were starved and went across the street to Hooters to have some wings. Then we walked the strip down to the Cosmopolitan hotel and checked out the huge chandelier and the bar inside of it. We hung out there for a couple hours just getting drinks and chatting with our awesome bartender!

Really hard to capture the beauty of this

Me looking like a dufus against the crystals

First drink in Vegas, Peach Bellini

Our first full day in Vegas was Sunday and since we went to bed so early the night before {I know lame right?!} we woke up bright and early to head down to catch some rays out by the pool. Now the MGM Grand has about 4 different pools and a lazy river!! Since we got out there early {earlier than the bars even opened} we just lounged out poolside and kept hydrated by drinking plenty of H20 {that Vegas sun is NO joke!!!} When the bars did open we opted for some yummy strawberry daiquiri's and headed to the lazy river. By the time it was noon, we were as tan as possible and it was getting way too hot out to bear. After the pool, we showered and headed out to walk more of the strip. 

Bikini

Poolside lounging

'Walking the strip' outfit

Glass blown chandeliers at Bellagio

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Me posing in front of the Bellagio fountains

Of course, Caesar's Palace had tons of Hangover stuff

In front of the replica Trevi Fountain

Chocolate chip gelato, yum!

That night we decided to go and see the much raved about Thunder from Down Under. If you don't know what this is, google it & book a trip to Vegas to watch these hunks. I was beyond excited for this because I am a sucker for accents and hot guys!!! The girlfriend I went with is married and still had such a blast!! The show is pretty similar to Magic Mike, surprisingly. I didn't expect them to be interactive with the crowd and the dancing was awesome, as were their rock hard bodies. I think I had the biggest smile from beginning to end and afterwards they allowed everyone to line up and take pictures with the hunks, well I definitely jumped at this chance {even if you had to pay $20, whatevs}. I had a favorite hunk from the group and I got lucky enough to sit on his lap during the picture, he even was talking to me and I told him it was my birthday Wednesday and he gave me a kiss on the cheek, I just about died right then and there!!!! They were all scrumptious and so nice to sit there and pose with all the girls. If these pictures don't make you want to run to a show, I don't know what will.

Excalibur Hotel & Casino

Waiting patiently to go in!

Smiling ear to ear, these guys are GORGEOUS!!

Alright, clean up the drool girls. Moving on to the next day, we decided to sleep in a bit, gamble and head over to Fremont Street. My friend told me it was a great place to people watch and listen to some cover bands & gamble. The Fremont St. Experience did not disappoint. There were plenty of people to watch, food to eat, music to listen to, and gambling to do. I actually won the most money while we gambled there and the tables are much cheaper than on the strip! We ate dinner at a restaurant there and all ordered some Chicago-style deep dish pizza, let's just say, it does NOT compare to the real deal. When it got dark out, they have a great light show on the canopy which is usually a tribute to a singer/band. The two we saw were Bon Jovi & Queen, it was awesome and they even had a little tribute to remember Neil Armstrong. 

Outfit for the day

Entrance to the Fremont St. Experience

Awesome people watching

This restaurant is keeping our Cardiologists in business!!

If you look closely, you can see a guy in scrubs. That is the waiter, dressed as a doctor!

The next day was our last and final full day in Vegas and we decided to do some more sightseeing and souvenir shopping. That night we decided to go to Buca di Beppo, which we have all eaten at in Chicago and love. The food is great and it is all served family style so there is plenty of food. The waitress even got the staff to sing happy birthday to me {with a candelabra, weird I know}. We ate yummy Italian food and had chocolate chip cannoli's for dessert!!

Statue of Liberty made completely from Jelly Beans

Me posing outside New York New York

Outfit of the night

After coming back to the hotel, it was right about midnight and we decided to go to the hotel bar, Zuri and have some birthday shots!! 

Hotel bar, Zuri

Buttery Nipple shot!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Our final morning in Vegas was spent mostly packing and while getting ready a surprise knock came on my room door and in comes room service with a beautiful cake that my girlfriend had ordered for me!! She is the sweetest and the cake tasted and looked amazing! I am so thankful that I got to go to Vegas with her and spend my birthday in Sin City. 

Amazing chocolate mousse cake with edible white chocolate!!

Final outfit in Vegas, ready to check out.

So even though we didn't party like complete rockstars, I had the time of my life in Vegas. I have been fortunate enough to spend two birthdays in Vegas and neither time disappointed. I won money playing Roulette & penny slots, drank with my girlfriends, saw some Thunder from Down Under, and got to eat some pretty amazing food all in Sin City. So I'll leave you with this, the Golden Rule of Vegas {even though I didn't follow it, bloggers don't have to oblige by it}.

Ok, so if you made it through all the talking and pictures, you are a super champ and I love you forever!! I hope you had fun and felt like you came along with me to Vegas!! If you get the chance to go to Vegas, GO!! It can get pricey, but save up and limit yourself spending wise because things can get very expensive {add at least $10-20 to everything}. 

Have you ever been to Vegas?
If not, what's keeping you?!?

Have fun reading and comment below lovelies!!