I've finally fessed up.. I am a makeup junkie. To make things worse, having a brand new, sparkly Nordstrom in town is DEFINITELY not helping my obsession. I spend many a weekend prancing around the 2nd floor.. playing in Chanel blushes, MAC eyeshadows & Lancome lipglosses. Most recently, I discovered something new that I've never used before. Concealer. 

Okay, I know you're thinking "WTH" but seriously. I'm 24... I've never had a reason to use concealer. I drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep on a nightly basis, & I've had a rigid skin care regiment since I was 12. However, I've been working a LOT lately.. not only office hours (typically 7:30am-5:30/6).. more like around the clock. We have so many new projects that I am literally designing 24/7. The other night I actually dreamed about an innovation for one of the projects... no joke, I woke up at 2:30am with the idea and managed to sketch it out so I didn't forget the next day. Needless to say, when I woke up the next morning, I was face to face with UNDER EYE BAGS. CLEARLY, I panicked. Lack of energy can always be fixed with lots and lots of coffee, but a "saggy" face?! Only concealer (a good one) has the power to correct such a haggard mess. 

Obviously, this look was unacceptable. So I immediately hit up the Nordstrom makeup counter to find the perfect concealer for those days when my face feels the impact of stress. I'm quite a snob when it comes to makeup brands, especially when the situation involves a makeup that I feel should be more "elite" than the others.  Foundation, concealer, bronzer & eyeliner are the products I will spend major money on because they are the products that affect my face the most. So I made my way over to the Chanel counter... unfortunately the counter manager had stepped away & the counter was crazy with lipgloss shoppers! If you know me, you know I am not patient what-so-ever. Umm HI when you have giant BAGS under your eyes, patience is the last thing on your mind. The next counter I stopped at was the Bobbi Brown area. I was so attracted to their clean, well-maintained counter, I couldn't help but stop. I then met the counter manager who spent an hour letting me play with skin creams, bronzers & every other makeup product you can think of. She also taught me how to use a corrector and a concealer to balance out my complexion & those awful dark circles. I am now a believer in the concealer. I don't even feel bad about it like I thought I would. It's great because the coverage is so amazing you can put it on problem areas, dust a little powder on, and skip foundation for the days when you don't feel like going the whole 9 yards but still look/feel pretty and put together. 

It takes a lot to get my seal of approval on a beauty product, but this is definitely a must. One last tip, don't believe them when they tell you to use a "concealer brush." It's money wasted & uses way more concealer than needed. I use my finger, barely touching it to the concealer.. it goes a LONG way. This is another reason I justify spending money on it. Don't wait for the bags to find you.... find the concealer first.

xo LK

Reliving Fall 2011

Fall is SO CLOSE I can taste it!
In honor of this glorious occasion I decided to post a few photos of my favorite Italian menswear line "Canali" for F/W11.

I don't usually go for futuristic, but this is really amazing. The ambiance, the silhouettes, & the drapery.... clearly, Prada. The best part:: Miuccia Prada quietly steps out at the end and retreats backstage... the mark of a true designer.. one that lets her work shine while she remains behind the scenes. This is why Milan trumps all.

Today I found out the program I've been vigorously working on for months is the first international program we've ever had in our division....... today was long, but a really, really wonderful day.

It's nights like tonight when clouds fill the sky, that I'm thankful to look out my window & see city lights that resemble stars. Some nights, you just need the stars.

I've always been fascinated by stars. I find it interesting that they're always there.. whether you can see them or not. I learn a little more everyday that the best things in life are like that. People, things, ideas, innovation, stories in books, music... all of these things are around us everyday.. they exist.. but we don't always see them. Even good friends whom I've known all of my life.. some I don't see often, but I know all I have to do is pick up the phone and they will be there.
I also love the idea that you can see stars from every area of the world. I'm looking at the same sky as New Yorkers.. Parisians... Italians... it's one of the few ties that bind us all together. Sometimes I have to remind myself that there's a world out there.. a huge world full of billions of people. Another thing I'm fascinated by is the people we meet in this huge world... who, how, when, etc. You have to wonder if we were meant to know each other, or if it was an accident.... Sometimes I feel like it was a Godsend.

Hi pretties!

Hump day is over! 1 more work day left for me & I'm road tripping with Betsyyy to visit our lovely friend Nicole! Let me just say, a road trip is long overdue! I initially planned to work 1/2 a day Friday but after today's overwhelming activities I decided to take the entire day. It'll be the first road trip I've taken in... 3-4 years! Crazy. I'm looking forward to good friends, great laughs, & always interesting experiences!

Have a lovely weekend!
xox
LK

So, if you know me... you know that I love the Food Network... everything from Cupcake Wars to Chopped to all of the individual chef shows. I absolutely LOVE the Barefoot Contessa. She's been my favorite for years. Yesterday I watched the episode where she made lunch for Alec Baldwin & Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order SVU. She made a dish called "Lobster & shells"... well, it looked sooo amazing, I decided to attempt it for myself. While I was cooking I took a few pictures.. all of the colors were so beautiful! Plus I had to document my first attempt at cooking REAL raw lobster! I will admit, it was SLIGHTLY overcooked... they weren't kidding when they said "3 minutes." 

Believe it or not, it was actually really simple! I didn't purchase as much lobster as the recipe called for because it's VERY expensive. The 3 tails I bought were $12.. if I had purchased the full pound it would have cost me about $40.00. It also calls for fresh corn, yellow pepper, scallion, cherry tomatoes, fresh dill & of course, small pasta shells. I'm a huge fan of FRESH ingredients when cooking... none of that canned non-sense. If you're a canned cooker, try using fresh produce/herbs just once & experience the difference. I cut the recipe in half.. even halving it makes a TON. It's a great dish to entertain with. Basically, you mix all of the veggies & pasta together, then mix 3/4 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of sour cream (I usually add a bit more to balance it), about 3 fresh lemons (juice only), add the fresh dill & kosher salt/pepper. Whisk it together & then add it to the veggie/pasta mixture. Note: I recommend using the food processor to chop the dill very very fine... it can be very strong & "grass-like" if left as is.

Anywho. Check out the photos below! If you're interested in trying it out, go to www.foodnetwork.com and search for "Lobster & Shells" by Barefoot Contessa!

Enjoy! XOX

L*K