Irina Likes - Holiday Giveaways -

The great thing about this time of the year is presents. 

The bad thing about this time of the year is that most of us in New York become pale as ghosts. 

So to solve this dilemma, I am giving away a full size Stila One Step Bronzer.

This is a skin tone illuminating bronzing serum. 

It will give you a gorgouse bronze glow while acting as a serum to prep your skin.

To win this bronzer, please follow the rules below:

Step 1: Sign up to follow this blog either through BlogLovin or Email

Step 2: Follow me on Twitter @IrinaK

Step 3: Leave a comment down below telling me your favorite bronzer.

This giveaway is open internationally and a winner will be chosen random. 

One entry per day.

I will tweet the winner on December 18, 2012.

Good Luck!

Irina Likes - Music -

DJ Chus & David Herrero - Rumba Magic

This song is a great latin house song. It takes a bit for it to get started (1:30 mins), but well worth the wait. If you are impatient feel free to skip forward. It makes you want to shake those hips all over the room. 

What are you listening to?

Irina Likes - Nails -

Duri # 544 - Mystic Elements

This is a deep reddish-brown color with gold shimmer. This is a great fall/winter shade.

I had to take a picture with the sun because the nails just shine so well. 

What color are you wearing?

Irina Likes - Financier -

The great thing about working in the Financial District is that there are about 4 different Financier locations that I can stop by to get an after-work treat. 

I was craving pumpkin so I picked up the Pumpkin Tart as well as a Chai Latte. 

It was delicious and hit the spot. I really liked the whipped cream sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. The Chai Latte is made with Mighty Leaf Tea which is a favorite of mine.

What treat have you had lately?

Irina Likes - Makeup -

I have been searching for an all matte palette for a bit and was excited to see this one on sale at Hautelook.com. 

NYX Matte Smokey Look Palette in One Night in Morocco. 

This palette comes with 4 neutral lip colors in the bottom slide-out compartment. 

It has an eye primer and 8 matte shadows.

I am excited to try out an all matte look and enjoy using matte shadows.

What palettes are you liking?

Irina Likes - Apple Pancakes -

This gorgeous pile of carby goodness was exactly what I was craving for breakfast. I cheat and use a box pancake mix mainly because I know that it will always come out like tasty pancakes. 

After making the batter, I shredded an apple and mixed that into the batter. This addition made the pancakes more fluffy and juicy. I was so pleasantly surprised that I ate 6 pancakes. 

What new recipes have you tried?

Irina Likes - Makeup Haul -

I stopped by Lot Less to pick up some cute gift wrapping paper and I spotted this Lip Liner set by Rimmel.

Rimmel Vinyl Jelly Gloss Lip Liners

#4 - Sorbet - Dusty Rose

#1 - Moreish - Baby Pink

I have never seen this product before but was curious about it. I really like the colors. The formula has a very jelly smooth consistency. Probably will be a great lip liner for opaque lip gloss or maybe as an all over color. 

On a recent trip to Target I saw the Holiday Elf products out and I had to get a few. 

Elf Hypershine Lip Gloss

Merry

Festive

Joyful

I picked up this gloss trio and the colors are wonderful. I would say Merry is my favorite because I adore dusty pink/mauve colors. These glosses are great to try out because they are inexpensive and usually pigmented. Also I tend to use them as lip brushes as well. 

I picked up this trio of oil blotting sheets. I have never tried them before so I hope they work well. 

Elf Eye Shadow Compact

Natural

Last but not least, I picked up  the neutral palette that was there. I am loving the shimmery shades and Elf does have a very good quality eye shadow for the price. 

Which product would you like to try?

Irina Likes - Cows Part 4 -

My favorite kind of cows are the international ones.  These three cows below are a gift from Julie on her recent trips abroad. 

This adorable little cow is a bell that I still need to figure out where I will hang. 

This money-hungry cow has a compartment for storing small items. 

This animated cow is a pencil or utensil holder. 

For now, these cows are showcased on my shelf until I find a perfect home for them. 

Which cow do you like best?

Irina Likes - Music -

Bruno Barra & Matteo Palmieri - Sax Enjoyment

This is a great combination of a saxophone and house music. Fun and festive to dance to with many latin influences. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Irina Likes - Makeup Hauls -

I decided to check out Drugstore.com because they sell Greenies and as luck would have it they were on sale. Since I was placing an order, I looked into their beauty and make-up.

I was thrilled when I saw that they have the limited edition Alice in Wonderland EOS Lip Balms.

You get three lovely orbs. 

Blueberry Potion

Sweet Vanilla Nonsense

Watermelon Wonderland 

I love that they have an imprinted Mickey Mouse on the lip balm. 

I was very excited to try the Avene Thermal Spring Water. This is the travel size container that will be great for those dry-aired flights or just moments when my skin feels tight and dehydrated. I also enjoy using this after I have done my foundation/powder. It makes my skin look dewy and soft. 

I had heard great things about the color and pigmentation of this Wet & Wild Lipstick in # 906 D Wine Room  and it does not disappoint. I am excited to try out such a bold berry lip color.  

The last thing I ordered was the Elf Stipple Brush. I had not realized that that I ordered the wrong brush since I meant to order the small stipple brush and not the regular size. Nonetheless, I found a good use for it and it is what I now use to put highlighter on my face. 

What are you plans for today?

Irina Likes - Staples Haul -

I went into Staples to get a new planner for 2013. Yes, it is never too early to get a new planner. 

I also picked up some cute stuff.

First I picked up this travel bottle set. I love having extra little bottles that are travel approved so that I can bring my favorite products with me. I already started using the spray bottle for my new Rose Water Toner. 

I could not help myself with regard to these adorable stationary sets. I found them on clearance for only a dollar. That means 15 beautiful cards of a great quality for only a dollar. The Hubby says I have a problem with buying stationary. I agree with him but I just can't help myself. I might be the last person in the world to write hand-written thank you notes but I will never stop. 

Last but not least, I picked up this set of mini containers that I will use to store mini things such as paper clips. I love the different colors and that I can stack them in my drawer. 

How is your week going?

Irina Likes - Books -

Due to not having power and no Internet or television, I went on a reading spree. It seemed like I couldn't get enough books and I craved more so as not to be bored.

I read through three of Jenny McCarthy's books in about a week.

They were all hysterical. I was literally laughing out loud. 

The first book I read was Love, Lust & Faking It. She has a great way of telling stories. She covers everything in this book from marriage to sex music playlists. I adore the cover of the book since it seems like everyone nowadays everyone is attached to their phones. 

The second book I read was Bad Habits. The first few stories are especially funny because she describes her situation with trying to get to the bottom of things with regard to religion. I like that the stories are short which makes this a great book to read in parts. 

The third book I read was Life Laughs. In this book, Jenny covers many different topics. Most topics are very funny such as anal bleaching or cooking mishaps. 

Overall, these books are a light read and perfect for getting a few laughs. I highly recommend them. I know she has other books that I may read as well.

Have you read her books?

Irina Likes - Music -

Spanish Nights - Chillout Mixed by Spring Lady

This is an amazing mix of Spanish influenced songs that are great to listen to when you are chilling out. Some songs have lyrics while others don't but the mix of the two make for a great overall mix. 

This is my go-to mix for my extremely long commute. It is just under 51 minutes long and mellow enough that I can read a book to this mix. 

Let me know what you think?

Irina Likes - Makeup -

After Hurricane Sandy, it takes a while for life to get back to normal but it always does.

Sorry for not being able to post for so long but thanks for waiting.

I had heard many great things about the NYX Butt "Naked" Eyes Palette.

It is NYX's version of a neutral palette which has been a huge trend in makeup. 

It comes with 4 blushes, one bronzer, and 2 highlighters.

It comes with 15 neutral eye shadows. Some matte and some shimmer. 

I am excited to play around with these great colors.

Have you tried this palette?