Smell Like A Sexy Oatmeal Cookie

I cannot tell you how long it's been since I bought a new shower gel. 

Years...actually years. For real.

I worked for a pretty popular skincare and beauty company for a long time a few years ago and at the time one of the perks was lots of free product and a great discount so I did have quite a large stockpile of favorites to work through. (Many of which are now discontinued :( )

Finally after finishing my last, probably expired, bottle of sweet smelling gel I looked to a newly re-branded Soap and Glory for shower time inspiration.

The 2 for 4$ Drugstore Matte Lip Score

 It's admittedly been a while since I found anything truly exciting at the drugstore. I went through a long phase where I bought a lot of drugstore makeup and had a lot of 50/50 experiences. 

I think that's to be expected when you're shopping on a budget. In my experience the formulations, while great for some, have a much more narrow margin of success at a lower price point. Since then my beauty budget has increased a bit and so I'm more inclined to shell out for pricier products.

That said, every once in a while the drugstore gives up some really stellar surprises. 

Wishlist: Best of the Giftsets

October offers many things for beauty lovers to get excited about. 

Halloween makeup (obvs) upping your skincare stash for the cold, and last but not least the advent of ALL the Holiday gift sets. 

It's early yet but there are some really beautiful things floating out there in retail land and so you don't miss out I've compiled the best bang for your buck. 

Transition Scents

 During the warmer months I tend to put candles away in favor of quicker burning and altogether less "hot" ways of scenting my spaces. I like a bit of incense or a reed diffuser but when it starts to get cool the candles come right back out. 

I have sort of moved on from my days of the Bath and Bodyworks candle and have stopped trying to find sophisticated and unique scents in the sea of sugar-y frosted donits and pumpkin coffee. 

Enter the wonderful world of small batch candle life. 

Style Inspired Autumn 2015

 I always get inspired to up my fashion efforts this time of year. Something about layering on clothes and being comfortable without needing to leave the house wearing a sleeping bag makes for a good reason to beef up your closet. 

As always my inspiration lies in rockstars of the past and the women who loved them. This time of year groupie chic is joined by witches, cool boots, sexplotation movie heroines and well dressed trannies past and present. 

Yeah this is totally the kind of inspiration you see on a normal fashion blog. 

Three Over the Top Looks I Love

It's no secret I love a dark lip. I especially love them during the day and since we are officially in dark lip season full swing (lies dark lips forever) I thought it would be good to pair some of my favorite dark lip options with my favorite eye shades to wear with them. These are not your typical daytime looks but if you're feeling adventurous this could be a good place to start.

It can be a tricky balance to strike...too much eye too much lip, Maybe you're in my camp and think that there isn't such a thing as too much. (I mean there totally is but I do tend to like a more OTT look.)

Now that my hair is pink I have found that it's harder to get away with so much color but the past few weeks there have been three combinations I have really been loving.

An Apple A Day

 Nothing makes an Autumnal weekend better than apple picking except maybe apple picking, perfect weather and great company. 

This past Sunday myself and three lovely NYC ladies ventured up to my childhood apple picking farm, Dressel Farms in New Paltz NY for a smog free day full of cider and donuts. 

The apples were fresh and the views did not disappoint. 

Treat Yo Self

 So ok... I know we were supposed to talk about eye things but then over the weekend I did a thing.

I bought the Burberry Lip Velvet Lipstick in Oxblood because I can't help myself and because it's a beautiful, perfect, autumnal red. 

This is not my first foray into luxury lip products but it has been a long time since I was inspired to spend more than 30$ on lipstick. 

In fact I haven't bought much makeup the last few months anyway but when I found myself with a little extra cash to spare I went right for the lipstick display. 

Oxblood is the color they used in their most recent runway show and has since been dubbed the brand's "signature color".

The Week in Links

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It has been a HUGE week here in internet land for TheUnanimousMolly and without this little bloggy corner of the internet it wouldn't have been possible.

I've had two articles published over on StyleBlend.com which I am very proud of and would love for you to check out if you haven't done so already.

For the first article I talked about everyones favorite beauty topic of the last few months...the 90's lip. Get it two ways here...and for the second article I featured my favorite bits of the 70's fashion trends for fall here.

It's been such a boss week and I hope you guys enjoy reading those two pieces as much as I enjoyed putting them together for you!

On top of that I posted a couple of YouTube videos.

The first is a little out of my comfort zone but so far has been very well received. My first fashion haul and try on video is live here.

The second video is all about the Ginsberg is God fragrance from Bella Freud I mentioned here last month. If you wanted to know more about that you can find that here.

I hope you guys had a good week and I'll catch you on Monday with my favorite eye looks to wear with my fall bold lips.

Color Fever

I am no stranger to funky colored hair. I was purple for a second then I was green for a while, then purple again while I was away over the Summer. Safe to say I had become accustomed to seeing myself extra colorfully. 

Once I got home from traveling though, I started spending more time out in the sun and surf and there is only so much abuse my hair can handle. So for a while I took a break from the bleach, had a little trim and treated my burnt ends with some extra TLC. 

Well...now it's September and I'm officially over my hair color hiatus. 

Wishlist: Korean Skincare Edition

Apart from the inaugural BB Cream moment that took the beauty world by storm about 5 years ago my dabbling in Asian beauty products has been pretty minimal. I've trialed a sheet mask here and there (meh) and my love of cleansing oils began with the DHC version. 

So while my experience is minimal I have had something of a skincare revelation at the hands of a Korean brand.

So when I spotted the Sephora SoKo to Tokyo kit, pictured above, I knew this was a perfect opportunity to nab some much talked about products for a VERY fair $40 price. 

In addition to the value set; Sephora has upped their Asian skincare selection and America website Peach and Lily has been gaining momentum across the blogosphere for bringing new Korean goodies straight to the American skincare loving public in real time. 

There has never been a better time for a wishlist. 

It's Dark In Here

 I am a little late to the Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick Party. Now that I am here I am really here. This is a fantastic formula that wears well and is comfortable on the lips. After a full day of wear it leaves my lips a little dry but it's nothing that a good nights sleep in some Nuxe Reve de Miel won't fix.

The first shade I nabbed is Vampira and it is oh so seasonally appropriate but not for the faint of heart.

London #zitosonparade

 As yesterday was the first day of Fall I thought it was only appropriate that we close it our with the last of the pictures from my summer vacation.

London is easily my favorite place in the world. My pictures here were sporadic because I was so happy to just be there with my family walking all over and soaking it up. 

It reminds me of a lot of the reasons why I love New York. It's artistic, eclectic busy, metropolitan and simply my favorite place.

We stayed in East London's Bethnal Green in an AirBnB that was good, somewhat less successful than Glasgow but I was so excited about the neighborhood and the people nearby. If you find yourself in the area there is a bar restaurant called The Hemingway that is hilarious and delicious and manned by some of the most polite and funny people we met throughout the vacation.

Romancing the Glow

Something about this Summer has reinvigorated my love of a tan. I have been responsibly beach going on the weekends since my return from vacation and as such have had my first real summer tan in over a decade. 

As such I am starting to dread losing my color. I know a couple of months down the line I'll be loving my Snow White winter complexion with a nice dark lip but for now I'm all about holding on to what's left of my Summer glow. 

Glasgow Pt 2 #zitosonparade

 To kick off the final Scottish installment of the Zito's on Parade series I wanted to show off a little of the AirBnB we had while we were there. 

It was a lovely second floor apartment in the West End neighborhood of the city that was owned and operated for the express use of renting out to visitors. The hosts were friendly and helpful and the location beyond ideal. It was at the start of the Great Western Road just before the Kelvinsbridge Subway station a short walk from both the Botanical Gardens and Byres road.

As a family we loved the place and it served as a great home base for our three day Scottish stay. 

Brows on a Budget

So it is a universally acknowledged fact that when it comes to brows Anastasia Beverly Hills has written the book for years. Her products are very often front runners when it comes to creating the perfect arch. 

After years of ruling the roost though many brands have thrown their hat into the ring and my newest brow addition is from Soap and Glory. 

Let's just cross our fingers that they bring the whole range to Ulta at some point down the line. 

Two Skin Savers from Across the Pond

 This is by far not the first product I've shared from my Summer vacation but these are the two that I have been easily the most impressed by. 

They've made my skin look the best it ever has especially through the warmer months where my skin is more prone to congestion and irritation. 

All it took was three weeks, 3,000 miles and two products to get me there. 

Edinburgh #zitosonparade

Oh Edinburgh.

Featured on every one of my fellow collegiate travelers to see lists it very quickly become on of my favorite places to visit. So much so that when I graduated I took my roommate back for a visit and she fell in love too. Up until recently I had never left Edinburgh not hungover. Classy.

Now that I'm no longer a college student the city holds less of a long term appeal but it is no less beautiful for that fact. 

With mounds of tourists over flowing at every turn it can be tricky to capture how stunning it is.

Let's try shall we?

Crystal All the Things

I have been majorly jewelry obsessing over here this Summer. Ever since I started shopping to go on vacation I've been preoccupied with updating my wardrobe and investing in some nicer pieces to add to the line up. 

No while the clothing arena is a little slow going right nowI've definitely developed a definitive preference when it comes to my personal decoration. 

All the crystals and ALL the good vibes. 

Glasgow Pt.1 #zitosonparade

After Dublin we Zitos boarded a paltry 40 minute flight to an absolutely soaking wet Glasgow. This was the only place besides Ireland on the trip I had never been before and I was really excited to getting a taste of another Scottish city apart from Edinburgh.

I was not disappointed. Glasgow is a beautiful working city that has a laid back atmosphere and is super easy to get around. Day one included some light shopping and a visit to the Botanical Gardens.

Wardrobe Wishlist: Autumn 2015

I made a photoshop collage for you guys this week!

Fancy!

I am loving these last little tidbits of summertime but I would be lying if I said I wasn't jonsing for some cool NYC Autumn weather.

The weather and all the wonderful wardrobe choices it brings!

So today we're doing a bit of a Fall wishlist post to organize all my fashion-y hopes and dreams for the next few months. 

The Mid-Week Pamper

 There are a million different people out there talking about how they love a good Sunday pamper session. 

Who doesn't?

A whole evening spent relaxing before the work week starts and treating your skin to some TLC is always great but, every once and a while I like to throw in a slightly modified mid week pick me up.

If it has been an especially difficult week a couple of masks and a little facial massage can go a long way to get you over the hump.

Dublin, Ireland #zitosonparade

 Next stop on the list was Dublin. 

Now to be totally fair the Zitos spent a grand total of 6 hours in Dublin.

So not nearly as long as some of the other places we saw and certainly not long enough to get a real feel for the city. 

So while I can't really recommend anything specific maybe some of my snapshots will inspire some visits of your own.

Oh! We did have lunch and a few quick pints at O'Donohgues on Suffolk St which was quick, easy and, delicious. It came at the recommendation of a friend from Dublin and it was a solid choice. Looked like an excellent music spot too. 

Dingle Co. Kerry Ireland #zitosonparade

Holy view Batman!

Today marks the chance for me to share easily one of if not my favorite location from the entirety of the epic Irish tour.

I actually find myself at a bit of a loss for words with this one. 

The town of Dingle is set into a gently rising hill along the coast of Dingle Bay and is speckled with a rainbow colored array of buildings that house a selection of shops and pubs that far exceed the tourist spots along the main drag.

There are some great places to stop in before touring the peninsula to get a bite, some snacks for the road or some memorabilia on your way.

Holding Out for $2 Perfection

I have spent nearly a year and a half with various postcards, posters and prints haphazardly taped to walls in a holding pattern just waiting for the perfect frames. 

Yes...yes I am a little bit picky I will admit but, the last place I anticipated finding the perfect addition to the collection was the new to New York Flying Tiger flagship.

The best part?

They were 2$.

I Have the Same Glasses as Everyone Else...Kind Of

 A brief hiatus from vacation recap due to some technical difficulties. 

I am a sucker for a good knock off.

Specifically sunglasses. 

First of all I am terrible when it comes to keeping my sunnies in one piece. In pieces at the bottom of my bag left behind in cabs or in bars I just can't justify spending more than a few bucks on sunglasses.

It only gets tricky when brands put out boss styles like the new Dior Reflected .

Carelessness aside $435 is just not realistic for me... even if I could swing it some day I don't know that I would.

eBay here I come.

No Such Thing as Signature

I don't like to plunk for new fragrances too too often, I find that it's one of the few beauty arenas (along with mascara and face powder) that I ever really finish in a timely way. 

As I've gotten a little older my tastes seemed to have changed pretty drastically. 

My desire for variety has not.

The new baby is Bella Freud's Ginsberg is God.

The New Favorite

The dreamy sun-soaked photo above unintentionally captured my feelings of warm fuzzy summer love that I have for the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colors.

No. Joke. This stuff is the things matte lip dreams are made of.

Even application, full color coverage, non drying and minimal transferring. UGH! I just love them.

I 100% will be getting more.

Galway, Ireland #zitosonparade

Stop one on the Zito's on Parade grand tour was actually Galway Ireland. It was by far my favorite city in Ireland. Sure there were coastal views to take your breath away but if you asked me where I would want to live on the Emerald Isle my answer would be Galway all the way. 

Situated on Galway Bay this little coastal city has a lovely small town (well small town America) vibe and some of the friendliest people we met on the whole trip.

It's Cheaper At Home

 I went all the way to London, trolled the Charlotte Tilbury counter at Selfidges and then came home and snapped up one of the newest shades of the Matte Revolution lipstick. 

What? It was cheaper at home.

Just a Dusting

 The one thing I seem to be able to successfully keep in my collection one at a time is face powder. I'm not sure if it's because it's less fun to buy than other base or color products or if it's because I go through it faster than any other product in my collection.

It's the one thing I always manage to show the most loyalty to as well. I find myself finding a formula I love, going back to it two or three times and then move on to something new. 

There were quite a few new to me formulas on my international "to buy" list so for the first time in months I have more than one compact to work my way through.

Every Friday all Summer Long

We intterupt your regularly scheduled vaation blabber in favor of a flavor a little closer to home. 

As a New Yorker Summer feels like a constant balancing act between too many things to do and too hot to do anything. Sometimes the best thing to do is drag yourself away from Manhattan (an impossibility for some people believe me.) and get yourself out by the water for some much needed breeze. 

So last Friday after work my roommate and I headed out to Coney Island for their weekly fireworks with the aid of a very thoughtful friend with a car (Thanks Carrie!)

(Under)Cover Lover

If there is one base product that I can really get excited about it's concealer. 

For years I wasn't much of a foundation girl and since beauty blogging and YouTube have become a bigger part of my life that's changed I still always keep a wide selection of concealers, my true love, close at hand. 

While I was traveling I made sure to nab one formula I wanted to try and another that I knew I already loved. 

Nails:New In

It has been quite a while since I've purchased nail polishes. Not just since I've featured them on the blog but since I've bought any period. 

I had amassed such a large collection at one point that it became overwhelming.

A little over a year ago I got rid of a whole bunch of colors and have bought very few new colors since. 

When I was away on vacation though, I thought it would be a lovely opportunity to give a couple of new to me formulas a shot.* 

Kilarney and Co.Kerry #zitosonparade

This week'a installment of #zitosonparade comes to you from the rocky shores of West Co. Kerry Ireland. 

A short trip from last week's Co. Tipperary visit lies on of Ireland's most visited attractions, and for good reason. 

The Homewear Wishlist:1

I have done a seemingly endless amount of wishlist posts on the blog before and almost all of them centered around clothes or beauty so this time I thought I'd switch things up and talk a little home inspiration with you guys. 

After my 3 week vacation and some rather thought provoking AirBnB stays I've been newly inspired to up the anti in my own space once again. 

Ever since I moved into my current apartment I have been slowly getting rid of all of the "temporary" and left over collegiate furnishings in favor of some slightly more sturdy adult options. 

In addition I've been going a step above just blue tacking a few posters to my walls and hoping for the best. 

...So with some careful Amazon-ing and some skillful souvenir shopping I've gotten some new ideas for my spaces. 

Catrice: First Impressions

 This is going to be an extraordinarily well timed post, especially for me.

While I was in Dublin with my family in the first few days of July I picked up a small selection of Catrice products because at the time they were only available across Europe. Since then (like in the last 2 weeks) they became available on the the Ulta website and in a few exclusive stores.

Let me tell you if you are a fan of good beauty on a budget this is GREAT news for you.

Cashel: Country Tipperary,Ireland #zitosonparade (I'm Back!)

View from the Rock of Cashel

I'm back from my three week family vacation and can't wait to share some of the snaps I took with you guys! I really wanted to have things ready to go up while I was gone but ultimately between work and friends and packing I simply ran out of time. 

I'm going to make it up to you though. 

I have the rest of the Summer and 1,300 photos to share from our epic family adventure...not to mention several haul videos worth of products, prints, clothes, books and, albums.

Hippie Business

Do you know how sometimes you're really excited and intrigued by a product but then you just don't buy it?

For whatever reason you justify leaving it on the shelf with things like "I'll never use it" or "I already have things like that and I don't need another." 

All of these are really smart conversations to have with yourself when you shop. In my experience it minimizes unnecessary spending but, every now and then, you cave and you buy the thing that you know is probably not going to get used or finished. 

Except this time...I should have picked this up ages ago. 

When Summer Brights Feel Right

Despite that fact that two weeks ago I was droning on about winter berry lips at the height of the Summer season I may have finally managed to find a set of "seasonal" lipsticks that are making me tick.

They are in a stellar formula that, better yet, is at the drugstore.

The Maybelline Creamy Mattes formula launched last fall and for the Spring they doubled the shade range.  As soon as I saw preliminary images of the colors I knew exactly the colors I would be aiming for.

Storm King Art Center Saturday

So last weekend on something of a whim some of my coworkers and I headed out of Queens and up to New Windsor NY to check out the Storm King Arts Center. 

Despite having lived within a half hour of the place for more or less my whole life I'd never been so I figured it was finally time for a little art hike.

If you are in the Hudson Valley or are looking for a cool day trip from NYC this would easily be my first recommended stop. 

It doesn't hurt that the drive up is a beaut too.

Look Alive

 Organic and "all natural" makeup is a tricky thing. With brands constantly on the hunt to find ways of selling customers a more green angle it's hard to know what brands that claim to be organic are legit.

RMS Beauty has long been regarded as one of the forerunners in organic and green beauty products. While this isn't necessarily a huge concern for me when it comes to beauty (I'm an equal opportunity hoarder) when you hear enough about any given product it's hard not to cave and give it a try. 

So when a little coupon code incentive surfaced for DermStore last week I went ahead and finally picked up the RMS Living Luminizer. 

DIY Yourself into a Golden Girl

Remember a couple weeks ago when I mentioned how much I missed making things.

Well I've started to again and it feels SO. GOOD.

I posted this picture on Instagram last week and I thought today I'd walk you through how I made my new Golden Girls-esque circle shroud. 

At least that's what I'm calling it.

Quick and Easy Weekend Makeup

Quick and easy weekend makeup can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. In some cases for me it means no makeup but on some occasions I like to spiff up for a day at the park.

A couple of weeks ago I hit up Astoria Park in Queens with some friends and nabbed seven quick items to play with.

The Warm Weather Dark Lip Obsession

I'm not sure what it is this year. Normally I am SO on board with spring this-summer that but this year it seems the only shades that have graced my lips have been in the blood red and burgundy families.

Admittedly I'm having a bit of a baby goth girl moment as my Instagram can certainly attest to.

I think there is something about a more generous makeup application that feels fun for me right now.

I have mentioned a fair few of these babies before but as they have barely left my lips in nearly a month I think it's high time they got another shout out.

Ed Note:The Negative Space Manicure

It's pretty rare these days for me to want to experiment with nail art. Once upon a time I luuurved it. These days though I just don't have the time I'd like to for it so when something comes along, like the studs from last month, I get excited to play with it.

Now this is a far from perfect attempt but I am looking forward to giving this one another go and trying out some new shapes.

Manicures in the Park

 Now that the weather is starting to improve I've been looking for ways to bring the blogging out doors. ...So yesterday when a friend invited me for a little sun and girl talk in the park I thought it was a perfect opportunity to grab the camera and some nail polish and make an afternoon of it.

So this week instead of just making "things" I'm making time for things like this. 

My current polish choice is this OPI Multichrome. 

...and the Pink Gel Coat that a friend brought along might actually be giving my Holy Grail OPI Nail Envy a run for it's money!

I Miss Making

 You may have noticed a bit of radio silence over here on my corner of the internet. 

I took a week off to enjoy a family wedding and give myself a bit of a break and then that week turned into something of a creative crisis.

I am someone who has been making things for many years. From studying fashion design to some ill advised Mod Podge I've run the DIY gamut.

Now I am very fortunate to be in a position to live in a place I love, that inspires me, motivates me and, gives me access to all the resources necessary to turn that motivation and inspiration into something tangible.

The only problem is I wasn't doing that.

Makeup Bag Extras

Sometimes the things that make us feel the prettiest are not the best looking things in and of themselves.

Today (well yesterday, I'm behind this week.) I want to talk about all the not so pretty things in my makeup bag that make me feel extra good some days. 

Capsule|Extra Glow

Now I love me a good highlighter. All year long but especially lately and, despite my laziness in the mornings, I have been making time to add a touch of shine to my daily face.

Especially because the warmer weather has made me extra uh,,,social...which means I am extra dehydrated.

Don't drink and make up.

Come Correct

As a makeup junkie with hereditary dark under-eye circles and years of concealers and correctors under my belt it gets very hard to find things that do anything new for you. 

On my "to buy" list for this year's Spring VIB sale was a product I had heard so much about but just could not commit to the insane price tag.

It is so worth it.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Giorgio Armani Master Corrector.