RVAfashionista.com

Dear friends,

This election has our country divided but I hope our country will become united since Barack Obama has been elected as President of the United States of America. We are a diverse nation of many, many people. We are also lucky enough to live in a place where we get to vote for our leaders as opposed to a dictator taking charge without the general consent of the people. The opportunity to vote is an amazing right to have and I can successfully say I have voted in every election since I was 18 (and yes, I did vote for Bush the first time).

I know liberals. I know conservatives. I know moderates. I want you all to know that yes, I did vote for a full Democratic ticket and it's my right to choose whom I wish to vote for. I also want to add that this portion of Obama's victory speech struck a chord with me tonight:

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House -- a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn -- I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

We all must be united and willing to embrace change. Life is full of change and change is inevitable. To those "throwing their hands up in the air" saying that they're going to move out of the country or that the world is going to end - it's going to be OK.

Yes, we have to trust the man or woman in the oval office but we also have to trust that greater power from above. I may not be the strongest believer at times but "God will provide" and He has provided us with a new President. You may not be for everything that our new President believes in but I believe in the equality that our country can and will possess. People are people - no matter what age, sex, orientation, race, etc.

So my friends, I will step off my soapbox for now but I wanted to share my thoughts with you all!

May God bless America. I am PROUD to be an American.

Love always,
Lindsay

I hopped on the Twitter bandwagon sometime at the end of spring/beginning of summer this year and now I should belong in a 12-step program for Twitter addicts - "eat, sleep, tweet." You never know who you might "meet and tweet" with and I personally believe it's a greater social networking tool than Facebook or MySpace.

So why am I going on and on about Twitter when I should be writing about beauty, fashion, clothes, jewelry, shopping, and other things of that nature? Well, if it wasn't for being friends with LucidAnna on Twitter - I wouldn't be expecting this sweet cupcake necklace in the mail soon!

Lucid New York Cupcake Necklace

I am thoroughly impressed with the selection of jewelry offered by Lucid New York and when I discovered that there would be a necklace giveaway, I said, "Yes, please." Tweet and you shall receive. So I am stoked about discovering and wearing a new jewelry line and what girl doesn't like things that sparkle?

L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss introduced itself to the lip gloss market in late 2007 as "the first longwearing lip gloss in only one step." I have a love/hate relationship with any sort of longwear lip product. I love the concept and the idea of not reapplying "lip gunk" as frequently. I dislike the texture, the smell, the often uneven wear, the "tacky" feeling... the list goes on and on.

After purchasing the shades Coral Sands and Sangria at my local CVS one day on a whim, I've finally given them enough "test-runs" to say I'm not fond of L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss. The sixteen shades offered are gorgeous but the claim of it lasting six hours kind of throws me for a loop - maybe if you don't smile and don't talk? I happen to do a lot of both so I didn't like how it wore on my lips. I noticed the Coral Sands shade attempts to gather in the inner corners of my mouth when I smile. The Sangria shade is a nice mauve/berry color but it lacks the the initial shine of the peachy-pink Coral Sands shade.

My biggest gripe about L'Oreal Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss is the texture - it's a sticky, tacky feel. It stuck to my orange juice glass and then my coffee mug even after I had let the gloss set for at least a good five minutes! One of my gal pals on Twitter wanted me to give it a true "test-run" i.e. a "makeout session" but after attempting to wear this lipgloss, I wouldn't want to make anyone kiss me! This lipgloss is a big ol' FAIL. Don't say "Never Fail" because chances are it will fail.

Photo Credit: Drugstore.com

So the hurricane/tropical storm/rainstorm Hanna arrived late last night/early this morning and now has left...

This morning was a case of the "rainy day blues" due to the horrid weather. I decided to meet ChicArmoire and her daughter this morning for brunch at Panera. Since brunch took less time than expected, we ventured out to brave the rain and headed to our favorite vintage shop Halcyon but a quick drive-by discovered they were closed for the day! So, what to do? We felt a trip to Regency Square mall was in order to visit two of our fave stores: For Love 21 and Sephora.

It's hard to go into Sephora and to NOT buy anything but after restraining my shopping urges at For Love 21, I "broke down" and bought only two things at Sephora (but received a sample and a free gift for being a Beauty Insider).

I am a sucker for neutral eyeshadows, so I decided on purchasing Sephora Brand Colorful Pearl Mono Eyeshadow - Pearl #8 (Champagne Beige Pearl). After much deliberation and receiving many rave reviews about the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder from quite a few Sephora associates, I was sold buying it! Also one of the Sephora associates was kind enough to give us samples of the Sephora Brand "Tricks Of The Trade" Anti-Shine Primer and my Beauty Insider gift was a sample of the new Smashbox Bionic Mascara.

Now it's time to play with my new goodies! I'll try to post reviews once I give my new goodies a full test-run!

When it's 80-something degrees outside, I can't focus on fall fashion because my mind is on flip-flops and how much more time at the pool I can squeeze in. I did find a little inspiration at Target this weekend and kicked off my flip-flops to try these boots on! The calf on these is actually wide enough for me and they're a steal for being under $35.

Check out Target.com or your local store for these Mossimo Kat Tall Boots, you'll want to buy them before everyone else does!

I also can't wait to wear my Trotters riding-styled boots I bought back in December, they will definitely be a staple for my work wardrobe.

I am attending a "hot shoes" party tonight. I was originally planning to wear my black Jessica Simpson d'Orsay pumps but I wanted something a little more fun. On a whim, I stopped by Kohl's on my way back to town from Chester. I stumbled upon these royal blue patent shoes (I apologize for the color depiction not being 100% accurate - crappy store lighting). They wouldn't necessarily be shoes I'd instantly be drawn to but after trying them on and getting compliments from the other ladies shopping, I was SOLD! $15 and some change later, these babies are all mine. I kind of feel like Carrie Bradshaw in them but that's a good thing, right?

EDIT: If you'd like a pair of your own - Kohl's has black and grey in stock as well as yellow or white. The blue must be popular because it's not available online anymore!

My 26th birthday was Friday, so a group of us went to Europa that evening for tapas, sangria, and a fabulous time! It was so nice to "wine and dine" with a small group of friends and I think I had a much better time than throwing a party/get-together at my house. I wore a black lace tunic by Glam, Express Eva jeans, and black Franco Sarto kitten-heel shoes.

Myself and ChicArmoire at Europa.

My friend Holly, ChicArmoire, and myself - also at Europa.

Cheers to fabulous friends and fun!

I have yet to see any advertisements or PR for Maybelline's The COLOSSAL Volum' Express Mascara. When drugstore rival CoverGirl introduced LashBlast mascara, the PR was huge! The ads featuring Drew Barrymore were (and still are) everywhere - television, magazines, and the internet. So I'm finding it odd that this new mascara isn't even showing up on Maybelline's website. I did some research thanks to Google and turns out the official release date is July 1st. Now I'm tempted to go back to the CVS where I found this and buy one before the official release date! I need another mascara like I need a hole in my head but I am a quintessential makeup junkie.

Has anyone seen this in their local drugstore yet before the release date?

I am a self-professed lingerie addict. My one complaint about all my pretty panties is that I'm afraid to wear them "that time of the month" and who wants to wear granny panties when you're already feeling bloated, irritable, and frumpy? OnGossamer has come to the rescue with their Luxury Liner collection! What makes the OnGossamer Luxury Liner collection different from the rest? It's the black-colored liner in these that wicks away moisture and prevents any stains coming through onto your pants. I have tried out the bikini style and there is no visible panty line (VPL) even with my black pants that always show a VPL unless I wear a thong! The Luxury Liner panties come in three styles: high-rise (high-cut brief), bikini, and thong. The color selection includes the basics of black, nude, and white but the collection also includes a pretty pink color as well. So there's pair to fit your personal style!

For more information, check out www.LuxuryLiner.com and you'll be able to peruse OnGossamer's other cute lingerie collections as well!

PHOTO CREDIT: OnGossamer

Since I am getting older (and by older, I mean that I will be 26 in less than two months), I have decided that anything "super low rise" is just not flattering on me. I have discovered I look much slimmer in my dress pants since the average rise on them is about an inch-and-half below my belly button. Unfortunately, most jeans have given me a "muffin top" because they are cut so low! I did some online shopping on my lunch break and found that Express made a "regular rise" style. I went straight to the mall after work and headed to Express to check out their denim collection. I tried on the Eva and the Stella styles but the Eva fit much better due to the regular rise! No muffin top, nice dark color, good length for heels - what more could I ask for?!?

Good jeans = happiness. I want to look skinny in my jeans and by wearing low-rise, it's not going to happen for me unless those 20 pounds magically disappear. So by raising the rise, everything is kept in place and I am a happy girl!