DreaminLace

STYLE + BEAUTY + AMBITION OF THE MODERN WOMAN

Beauty, Makeup, Monthly Beauty Favorites

My April Beauty Favorites

april beaut favorites, makeup favorites, beauty favorites, drugstore makeup, six feet under

Alas we have made it to May, which means it’s time for my April Beauty Favorites! April contained as many intangible favorites as it did tangible products. Yet, while I can’t photograph sunshine and warm temperatures (just pretend they’re here), I can take pictures of lipstick and mascara…which obviously are monthly favorites. I mean, DUH! Don’t you know me at all? 😉

Seriously though, the longer sunny days and warmer weather brought me immense joy all month long! There’s something so beautiful about arriving home from work while it’s still light out – taking a long walk, enjoying a yoga session and even hitting the kitchen while it remains sunny! Daylight definitely boosts my mood. So does being able to step outside without fear of freezing my butt off, even with a heavy coat on and pre-warming my car for a half hour in the morning. Yes, while I enjoy the seasons to an extent – I also really appreciate life above 50 degrees!

Weekends in the sun are another favorite. If you follow me on Instagram you will notice a recurring theme of me ‘poolside’ in the sun. Cannot wait till I’m actually poolside! But enough raving about the weather, here are my physical favorites:

stila stay all day liner, mac dreaming dahlia, loreal butterfly mascara, april beauty favorites, six feet under

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner
This isn’t so much of a monthly favorite as it is a lifetime favorite. I picked this up I think back in February and have been loving it ever since! It’s always those daytime favorites that sometimes I forget because they become some ingrained in my routine that it’s second nature. But this is hands down the best felt-tip liquid liner I have ever used. Period. What is it about Stila that always hits it out of the park? Awesome!

L’Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara
If you read my full review on this mascara, you know I’m very taken by it. It’s really one of my favorite drugstore mascaras! So so good at fanning out your lashes for volume and that gorgeous ‘fluttering’ effect. If you’ve yet to try this, I highly recommend it!

MAC Cosmetics ‘Dreaming Dahlia’ Lipstick
Dreaming Dahlia of the Fantasy of Flowers Collection has received a lot of ‘airtime’ on Dream in Lace, and with good reason. It appeared in my Nordstrom Haul and in my 5 Must-Haves for Spring! It’s such a gorgeous shade of orange, and more subtle than say Morange as it is of the Lustre range – so is beautifully sheer. Here’s a picture of me modeling it.

Six Feet Under
When it comes to television series, Six Feet Under is a huge favorite of mine. It’s one of those shows that was sort of a game-changer for me. As in, it managed to really etch out a new way of looking at life. In April I pulled out my box-set which has been creating dust for a while, and totally rediscovered my love for all things Fisher & Sons. Beautiful show!

clinique pink chocolate eyeshadow, opi live.love.carnaval brazil nail lacquer, lancome visionnaire, maybelline dream bouncy blush

Clinique ‘Pink Chocolate’ Eyeshadow Quad
I mistakenly thought that I had written a full review of this quad, but apparently it only appeared in this haul (includes swatches). So, allow me to state here that I LOVE this quad. Mostly I skip over the pink shade in favor or the beautiful matte browns for a quick basic look, but it’s also nice to have the pink shade to pop in for a mix-up or an interesting highlight. I’ve never used Clinique eyeshadow before and this has me wanting to pick up more quads from them because without question, products like this make getting ready in a snap possible!

OPI ‘Live.Love.Carnaval’ Nail Lacquer
I am so into nail polishes that it’s pretty rare that I wear the same shade more than once in a month. OPI‘s Live.Love.Carnaval, however, has not only been worn repeatedly…but I currently have this both on my fingernails and my toes! If that’s not a testimony for greatness what is? The formula is incredible! Super pigmented and creamy, but also incredibly long-lasting. Definitely snatch this up while it’s still out there because it’s the perfect orange/pink for summer! (Here’s a picture of it on my nails.)

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector
After months of lusting after Visionnaire in high fashion magazines, I finally bit the bullet and picked up the Spring set. And I’ve been loving it! I have an obsessive hate of the pores around my nose. People tell me I’m being too hard on myself and they’re not that bad, but they nag at me endlessly. Since using this, I can’t say they’ve completely disappeared, but I have noticed they’ve diminished. I’ve also noticed the dark circles and redness I usually wake up with in the morning aren’t as bad/are now nonexistent.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in ‘Peach Satin’
We all get a bit more ‘blushy’ in the spring, and while I’ve been loving several – this ones my current favorite. It’s a gorgeous peach/coral and when stippled lightly on the cheeks, is quite lovely for daytime. It’s subtle, yet also eyecatching. The Dream Bouncy blushes in general are always good, but this one stands out because it’s the perfect peach!

The Neighbourhood ‘I Love You’

I think this is the first music favorite I’ve ever shared, but like for real I’m obsessed with this album. It’s probably the only full album I heard in the month of April as I could not stop listening to it! Every single track is so, sooooo good! This is a must get!

And there we have it. The beauty and life-things I was loving through April! As always, if you are also a Beauty Blogger please share your April favorites with me. They’re my favorite posts to read!

What things were you loving this month?

Fashion, TV Fashion

Mad Men Fashion Recap : Field Trip (Episode 7×03)

mad men fashion recap, mad men style, mad men season 7

It’s Wednesday, which means: it’s time to pop open a bottle of scotch, light a cigarette and feast your eyes on some Mad Men fashion. Okay, smoking’s bad for you and so is day drinking, but other than that, Mad Men fashion for the win!

This week’s episode was titled Field Trip, fondly named after Betty’s field trip to drink fresh milk straight from a cow into a bucket. Who knew she had it in her?! It was really great to have Betty back. If anything the woman is consistent at pulling together an outfit. I was a bit sad though to have no Pete Campbell this week. I like to live vicariously through Pete and his epic sideburns.

Obviously Betty and Joan are the slam dunk dresses of the show female wise. But I think we have to tip the odds in favor of Joan who seriously always hits it out of the park. She’s like the modern day, or at least 60s-day, equivalent to Wonder Woman. It’s inspiring to think we could all look that great all the time!

I’m afraid though…that Disheveled Don is going to be pulling it together in the future. This is a let down to be honest. Like I said, Disheveled Don really speaks to me. I think we have a mutual understanding of each other that neither discovered till his bit of a downward spiral began. Once you see someone lounging around in a bathrobe all day eating Ritz crackers, you start to really feel connected to that person…

Hopefully next week Pete Campbell will be back to fill that void, and we can all divert our eyes from Disheveled Don to some cracktastic plaid pants (or jackets. Or his sideburns. You know, whatever.) Pete’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Beauty, Fashion, The Hit List

The Hit List : April 26th Edition

Yikes! I cannot believe it’s April 26th. I mean, I know everyone rags on about how quickly time flies but April truly has come and gone in a flash! It’s probably because it’s been warm and sunny, which generally makes life so much more cheerful and as ‘times flies when you’re having fun’…you know. How are you getting along this spring? If you’re like me you’re spending more time outdoors, more time in the kitchen…and more time reading. I’m trying to put together my ‘Summer Reading List’. Basically what that means is, I’ve started about 20 books in the last month and for summer I shall finish them. Anyone find they get reading ADHD once the weather turns warm? It’s why the quality of literature I’m absorbing drops from a college graduate to basically a 9th grade reading level. Fun and easy is the game! Let me know if you’d like a Summer Reading list post.

Other than books though, here are links I was loving this week!

Coco’s Tea Party does this post every month, fyi. So, if you’re into analyzing the upcoming fashion and beauty mag covers, definitely follow her. Generally I don’t read magazines in the winter, but now that it’s tanning weather appropriate I’ve been catching up on my subscriptions like crazy. I appreciate knowing what goodies to look forward to in my mailbox next!
Tea with Beauty Benefits  – Into the Gloss
I like tea. I like beauty. Combine the two, I’m in!
I’m pretty positive that ONLY Beyonce could rock this look.
Am I the only one feeling their winter slump finally catching up with them? Time to get cracking on whipping myself back in shape and eating better. It was nice to see an out of the ordinary post from Vivianna – but still with great tips! 
These days, scams/shams are everywhere. So this goes out to anyone who works with a PR agency.
I stink at nail art, but this inspires me to be more willing to try.

And the video of the week comes from my favorite Eleventh Gorgeous girls, who are equally adorable and hilarious. They’re mega-drugstore makeup fanatics and here’s their current Top Ten list!


And that’s it from me this week on Dream in Lace. In case you missed any of this week’s posts, here’s my review of L’Oreal Butterfly mascara, the latest Mad Men fashion recap and Part 1 of my Google+ How To series!

Also, I think I’m going to try and share the coming week’s posts on my Saturday Hit List. So stay tuned for:

Monday : Almay Smoky Eyeshadow Trio Review
Wednesday : Mad Men 7×03 Fashion Recap
Thursday : March Beauty Favorites*
*always on the 1st of the month
Friday : How to Use Google+ to Build Your Personal Brand Part II

Until then, enjoy your weekends and have some fun! You deserve it 😉

Fashion, TV Fashion

Mad Men Fashion Recap : A Day’s Work (Episode 7×02)

mad men fashion recap, mad men style

And so we’re now two episodes into Mad Men‘s final season! Last Sunday’s episode was aptly titled ‘A Day’s Work‘, which is perfectly ironic as probably the least amount of work to ever happen in a Mad Men episode took place. Well, except for from Joan of course. Because girlfriend always gets it done without a hair out of place!

It’s hard to resist giving spoilers by chuckling over a few odds and ends from the show, but to keep things on the subject of fashion: hemlines are short now. But all in all, the girls of the show are really working it (short of a recurring bad hat and oversized coat here and there). We’re still yet to see Betty this season though, so I’m holding out for some really great fashion to come.

For now, let’s talk hemlines and appropriate lengths in the workplace. I remember in school there was always the rule that your hemline must be longer than your finger tips when placed at your side. Now, that might be a bit too conservative if you ask me – but I do think there is a line you can cross at being not-professionally appropriate for the workplace, especially if worn with bare legs. Opaque tights and/or leggings can buy you some wiggle room. Bare legged? You must be able to bend over without flashing your undergarments. That’s probably a safe rule of thumb.

On Mad Men, however – things are much much shorter 😉


I’m so happy Sally is a full-blown teenager now so we can start to watch her style more seriously. If you ask me, anything Jr. High and under is considered child-play. Now that she’s a blossoming teenager we can start to really see her style evolve, and so far she’s doing a good job.

Hemlines though, I’m curious: what do you think is an appropriate hemline for work? How short is too short? Let’s discuss!

Beauty, Makeup

Product Review : L’Oreal Butterfly Mascara May be the Best Ever

loreal butterfly mascara review, drugstore mascara

Lately I’ve been doing more ‘hauling’ than reviewing it – but that’s all going to change. I just couldn’t escape sharing my thoughts on the L’Oreal Lash Out Butterfly Mascara or resist hyping it up as the next drugstore mascara you must purchase! That’s quite a lofty statement and I don’t say that casually.

Thing is, I’m really picky when it comes to mascaras and most drugstore versions leave me considerably underwhelmed. Sure, I have some that I find tolerable – but few give the oomph to my lashes quite as well as the pricier versions from YSL, Lancome, Estee Lauder etc. A lot of drugstore mascaras leave my lashes looking wirey (HELLO Maybelline Falsies) but this extends and combs our your lashes to the maximum similar to the Sumptuous Extreme of Estee Lauder with a winning formula ala YSL’s Baby Doll.

It’s definitely a real winner. Most unique about this mascara is the applicator itself which is literally like using a brow/lash comb to apply mascara. It’s genius. Why did no one think of this before? The brush also grips hold of your lashes like Baby Doll – which is my favorite type of brush. I like an applicator that can really take hold of my lashes and guide them to soaring heights.

Trust me, you will fall in love with this mascara and its impact on your lashes. If you’re looking for a very subtle, natural look this might not be your best bet. But, if you’re looking to max out length and volume you’ll be very happy with this.

Have you tried this mascara yet? What did you think?



Beauty, Makeup

CVS Drugstore Makeup Haul + How to Get Cheap Makeup

drugstore makeup, makeup haul, cvs
cvs, drugstore makeup, makeup haul

Extreme couponing is for extremists, but that doesn’t mean reasonable couponing is a bad thing. No, in fact it’s a very good thing! Because it can be hard to find great deals on high end makeup, I like to work at getting the cheapest makeup possible in the drugstore to balance things out. And in the past few months I’ve learned that it’s easy as can be to get super cheap makeup at  CVS. SO, today not only do I want to share with you the spring makeup goodies I picked up, but also share how I purchased $70 of stuff with really only $20 out of pocket. Fabulous!

Sunday Flyers and Coupons
To get the best deals, you need to be routinely look at your Sunday flyers and clipping coupons from your paper. Not only will you find coupons in your paper on every drugstore brand of cosmetics, you’ll also learn the routine of when these coupons are released and can look forward to them. Such as, I know that once a month P&G releases their coupons in the paper…therefore I would never purchase anything Cover Girl without a coupon. If you don’t get the Sunday paper, sites like coupons.com and redplum.com routinely have print-out coupons you can grab on the fly. (Often even better than the Sunday paper.)

ExtraBucks (Register Rewards)
CVS has the best register reward system of any drugstore. What’s a register reward system? It’s when the purchase of an item comes with a coupon that’s good on your next purchase. Rite Aid and Walgreens both offer their own rewards, but they’re never as high value as CVS. Such as, last week CVS offered ‘Purchase any 2 L’Oreal products and get $5 in ExtraBucks’. Walgreens also had a reward, but you needed to spend $20 in product and only get $2 towards your next purchase.

In the trip I purchased this makeup, I received: $5 ExtraBucks from 2 L’oreal, $5 ExtraBucks from 2 Revlon lip (or nail) products, $4 ExtraBucks from spending $10+ on Almay. I also got $4 ExtraBucks onrazors. That brings me to $18 of free money to use in the store ahead. Really awesome is, that free money can go towards the purchase of other products that will get you ExtraBucks. So, if you keep up with this you will be piggy backing free money atop free money to get more free money. Who doesn’t like FREE MONEY?

Coupons + ExtraBucks = Mega Savings!
Where your coupons meet your ExtraBucks you get big time savings. Such as, on this trip I used $3 off the Butterfly Mascara and $1 off my L’oreal eyeshadow. So, I got $4 off in coupons and $5 ExtraBucks for next time. That’s a huge savings. Or, Wet n’Wild was buy 2 get 1 free, with a $1 off coupon that means I got 3 nail polishes for $3.

And then there’s the reality that I was paying for everything including ExtraBucks (free money) from another trip! I mean, it’s actually so much fun working this system because it becomes like a game. I’m not really a frugal person anywhere but at the drugstore, but this has become such a fun ritual.

Now I’ll get onto the makeup, but I just had to share with you my secret to getting CHEAP makeup so you can start snatching up goodies at a low low price.

cvs makeup, drugstore makeup haul, almay

I’ve been interested in trying these out for a while. Years ago when Almay started doing the trios for eye color I got on the bandwagon, then somehow I fell off. Then I was sucked in by the beauty of the bottom shade as it’s such a beautiful bronze-burgandy. The other 2 shades are nice, but that bad boy is a standout beauty!

Almay Color + Care Lip Balm – Lilac Love
It took me a minute to warm up to this lip balms, but now that we’re in the springtime – I can’t get enough of them. They are super moisturizing and smooth, plus add a nice sheer amount of pigment to your lip. They’re really become staples in my day-to-day makeup and as purple is my favorite color, I just had to add this to my collection.

L’Oreal Butterfly Mascara – Blackest Black
When this first launched I was super excited to try it…then I sort of lost enthusiasm over it and forgot. But with a coupon and ExtraBucks to be had I snatched this up finally. Unfortunately I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t offer a review, but stay tuned! The brush really, really intrigues me.

Revlon Lip Gloss – Kiss Me Coral
When you look at the beauty of that in the picture, you can only imagine the beauty of it in life. Most of the time I really afford glittery lip products but this spoke to me in such a huge way. Plus, it’s a great color match to the matte balm I picked up, so I can wear this happily on its own or layer it.

L’Oreal 24H Infallible Eye Shadow – Endless Sea
I’ve been wanting to recreate the Chanel Spring 2014 runway look that had bright, electric turquoise eyeliner for a while now. When I saw this shade I just had to snatch it up because it should work perfectly for that. I honestly don’t know why I don’t have more of these eye shadows, as they’re amazing!

cvs, drugstore makeup haul, revlon

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm – Striking
Oh you know, just another Revlon matte balm…because I can’t get enough of them, ever. Definitely my most favorite drugstore lip product right now. So, SO good. Matte, yet creamy. Long-lasting. Highly pigmented. Gorgeous bold shades. The works!

Generally, I’ve had such great things about the Wet n’ Wild Megalast nail polishes for so long, these seemed like an obvious purchase with spring/summer singing to me. And one of this shades, I believe is an exact dupe for an OPI I picked up recently…so stay tuned for a post on that.

In fact, I think I’ll generally just review these! I’m excited to put these guys to the test. The colors I picked up are Club Havana, Heatwave, and Through the Grapevine.

I hope I was able to suggest some great pointers to help you snag amazing makeup deals! And honestly, please do try shopping that way. Once you see how much money you save you’ll be HOOKED. Also, let me know if you’d like to see a tutorial or a review with any of the beauty bits I picked up. It’s definitely a nice sea of color that came home with me and I’m excited to try everything out!

Happy shopping and may you save lots and LOTS of money!