In celebration of the Scandalous Beauty 4 Year Anniversary, here’s another fabulous dress that needs to be in my closet.  The Puff Sleeve Dress ($242) is a little edgier than I would normally go, but it’s fierce nonetheless. Alice & Olivia is one of my favorite brands ever.  Yes, they are a luxury brand, but they have a lookbook like you wouldn’t even imagine.  The creator, Stacey Bendet, had Scandalous Beauty on the mind sketching out her line! I always made it to the store on West 40th st. in Manhattan after work.( I was sucked in on my way to jump on the 1 train back uptown. Oh New York, how I miss you.)

A dress this fly must be accompanied by fantastic makeup. I’ve been thinking hard about the makeup look to feature with this. First I thought, a vibrant purple eye would do the trick.  Then, maybe an emerald green eye and a coral cheek.  But you know what?  With the huge ruffle sleeves, I’m going to have to go with the Scott Barnes Makeup Tutorial.  I created this look a few weeks ago, but I think it’s the perfect makeup for a hot outfit like this one!  I used a gold eye shadow duo by L’oreal HIP called Saucy. The key to this look was the melted eyeliner for smokey rims and the delicate use of dark shadow in the crease. So, the makeup grabs your attention and demands respect. By the way, if you’re looking for more makeup tips and tricks from Mr. Scott Barnes, check out his new book, About Face: Amazing Transformations Using the Secrets of the Top Celebrity Makeup Artist! I read through it at the book shop yesterday, and it was JAM packed with makeup pictures, how-to’s, and text to back it up. I’m so impressed! I loved the extreme highlighting and contouring used to achieve flawless results. Seriously, I can’t wait to try the techniques!! To see the look that inspired my interpretation, check out Scott Barnes on Youtube. Alice & Olivia can also be found on Shopbop, Cusp and Bluefly!

As I am writing this post, I’m in awe that Scandalous Beauty will be four years old on December 22nd!  Since you know dresses are a staple in my closet, I’m going to share some of the most beautiful dresses that I could find! Not only will you see hot outfits, but you’ll also get to see the makeup that would look phenomenal with it.  To kick off the countdown to Scandalous Beauty’s 4 year anniversary, we’ll start with a lovely Black Draped Dress from Tracy Reese ($295). I adore this dress because it works easily as a dress for work, Church, or a lovely afternoon.  I’m picturing myself in this dress while giving a mouthwatering dinner party at my Soho loft.  Well, one day.  With this elegant little number, I’d have to opt for beauty by Bobbi Brown. I’ve been eyeing the Chrome Palette for weeks now. It includes 10 shadows, 4 lip colors and 2 brushes.


I didn’t appreciate Bobbi a few years ago. The colors were just too muted. But now I realize that we don’t always needs packed on, concentrated color! At $75, this palette is a little but of a splurge.  But with the versatility of the shimmery and matte colors, how could we resist?  Don’t forget to look at “The Secret to Perfect Skin” on Bobbi’s website.  It’s completely insightful and definitely a must read!

There’s nothing more therapeutic than a good cup of hot tea.  I’m a lipton girl, I use tea bags.  This will hopefully give you an understanding about how confused I was when I realized this was loose tea.  Much to my surprise, I’ve been sipping this stuff daily. My mother had a cup as well, and now she’s dipping into my tea stash too!  First of all, I’m a sucker for packaging.  These little cardboard canisters are chic and simple, making them fabulous.

All you do is scoop a spoonful into the clothbag and steep it into your mug or tea kettle of hot water. A little honey and sugar, and it’s perfection!  At first I thought, this is going to be way too much work for a cup of tea!  But the 8 seconds of labor really, really pays off.  I’m an old fashioned girl, so I was completely content with the Royal English Breakfast blend ($13.95).  Apparently, Beyonce and Taylor Swift love the Sassy Green Tea with Acai.  Smart choice ladies.  Acai (pronounced Ah-Sah-Yee) is amazing for the body!  For the more eclectic tea drinker, Tea Village Co. also offers white, jasmine, oolong and an assortment of other varieties. One canister will yield 40-45 servings of tea.  Yes, anything over $5 is a bit pricey for tea, but don’t we all love a little relaxing getaway every once and awhile.  I think so.  I’m re-ordering!

Note: This product was sent to me by a PR representative for review.

I’m literally filled with glee that Sarah Jessica Parker is the December Cover Girl for Elle Magazine! I probably don’t have to tell you that I am mildly obsessed with Sex and the City. *Insert Sarcasm* I’m actually very obsessed.

I know I’m not the only one who believes SJP has some serious swag.  She wears her clothes, the clothes never, ever wear her.  Waiting patiently for my issue in my mailbox.  And if one more person gives any more spoilers about SATC2…grrr…

My boyfriend Warren B. calls me the Brown Carrie Bradshaw.  Nope, I don’t live in NYC (although I think I do), but I’m a writer, am clueless about what love is supposed to be, and spend entirely too much on my  lifestyle.  This post came to mind while watching an episode where Carrie purchases an outfit to where to an event, and says it will cost her a month’s rent! Damn CB!  Clearly, this is a post that is not the norm for Scandalous Beauty. But, I know I’m not the only one with a slew of bills! Here’s a few tips that I use to help with my whack debt.

1. Keep A Bill Book-My father gave me one when I set up my first credit card years ago. Even if you manage your money online, keep a ledger that has all of your bill names, balances, percent of interest, the amount due and the amount you paid on them.

2. Set up Reoccuring Payments-This is a biggie for me. It helps tremendously!  I’m with Bank of America, and they give me good options. For example, I know that I get paid every two weeks, so I set it up so $25 comes out of my account each payday per bill. You can set it up for once a month, every week, or whatever time span you’d like. This way, I’m actually paying off $50 a month per bill, something I wouldn’t do if I had to give a lump sum.

3. Save Something-I don’t care if it’s $10 a month. Had I done that when I got my first job at 16 years old, I would be sitting on over $700. That’s not a ton, but it’s something. Throw all of your loose change in a piggy bank, bowl, drawer, somewhere  All of this adds up.

5 Money Saving Tips that I Learned The Hard Way

Continue reading “Reducing Debt the Harmless Way” »

Wednesday night posed a great problem for me. At 5:45ish in the evening, my cousin called to inform that he had an extra floor seat to the Beyonce’ concert. Of course I was going to say yes…but geez…this left almost NO time to finish my project at work, clean up, drive home in rush hour traffic, find a hot outfit, complete hair and makeup, drive back downtown, find a good parking space and get into the show before Bey’s set began!

In a nutshell: Bey is one of the best performers I have ever encountered. I went to her concert last year and was fully satisfied. Granted, a few things were the same as “The Beyonce Experience”, but I’m not complaining! I don’t want to tell you too much about the concert, because I’m sure that many of you are going! Plus, if you follow me on Twitter, you got a pretty descriptive play by play as it all happened. I loved the covers that she did, once from Sarah McLachlan and another from Alanis Morissette. She killed them both.

The sad part is that our show wasn’t close to sold out. There were tons of people there, but the nosebleed sections were virtually empty. Apparently, many of the ticket sales dropped dramatically in price the day before or the day of the concert. All in all, don’t assume that you can’t afford to go. Check out Ticketmaster.com and see if there is availability in your town. You do NOT want to miss this!!