I hear social media is going to be huge, so we are now on Facebook! C’mon over and visit us. And we only have one “like” so far so help us out!

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I’m trying to get better at looking in my closet/make up drawer before buying anything new. Hopefully “Shop the closet first” will become my new motto. I’ve been pretty poor at this in the past, which is evident by the 20 tubes of mascara that are currently sitting in my bathroom.

For my spring make up, I wanted to try to keep things streamlined and minimal for everyday, with a pop of color and gloss for evenings and special occasions. Here is what I came up with…

OLD

1. NARS Orgasm lip gloss & pressed powder blush. I’ve had this kicking around in my purse for a while, the label is all worn down and the tube is probably close to empty. I held off buying anything in the Orgasm line for a while since I assumed it was popular just because of the gimmicky name. Turns out it isn’t a gimmick , it is popular because it is the best color out there. Pinky/gold/peach/sparkly!

2. Cargo bronzer. I’ve had this tub for I think over four years, and have just started to hit the bottom, so I’ve definitely gotten my moneys worth. It’s taken me some time to feel like I really know how to apply my summer bronzer. For me a light touch is key! When this tub is empty I am going to check out NARS Laguna based on the recommendation from Ramshackle Glam.

NEW

1. Bare Minerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in fairly light N10. Bare Minerals is one of those products I got back and forth on. Sometimes I’ll stop using for months since I think the powder emphasizes my wrinkles and the color wears off by 2pm in the afternoon. Other times I feel like it is the perfect make up for my face with a healthy, dewey finish. For this spring I am back on the powder bandwagon and what could be better than this pretty gold lid?

2. Bare Minerals Redness Remedy: I haven’t been using this long enough to say if it works, but I have high hopes for the product. The older I get the redder my nose and chin get, and now I am getting some discolored spots on the apples of my cheeks (age spots????? ahhhhh!!!) I’ve cut down the use of my Clarasonic Mia to three times a week since I was worried that was aggravating the issue, and now I am looking for a powder solution as well. The brush is overkill, but it comes with the product.

3. Benefit They’re Real!: I actually bought this over the winter, but it never made it into my regular mascara rotation. I thought it irritated my eyes, and was hard to wash off at night. I finally started using it again this spring, and am liking it much more. Still looking for a good suggestion for make up remover though.

4. NARS Heat Wave: Finally! I’ve been eyeing this lipstick for going to two years now after obsessing over the red/orange lips of recent JCrew models, but my fear of orange kept stopping me. I was pretty happy with NARS Gipsy since it was a more brick red/blue that I was comfortable with, but for this spring (and after another JCrew catalog landed in the mail) I started thinking about Heat Wave again. It is exactly the right kind of POP that is called for on a warm spring evening.

What are your old/new make up picks for Spring 2012?

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On the subway about two years ago I saw a girl carrying an amazing bag. It was an olive shade of leather with studs all around the handles and pockets. After a couple stops of inching closer to her and that amazing amazing bag I was able to read the Kooba nameplate.

I had purchased a Kooba Ada bag a few years ago, but it was way too heavy! In fact I tried selling it on Ebay a couple times with no luck. So I wasn’t totally sure I wanted to take another Kooba plunge, but as soon as I got home I started googling and eventually identified that amazing subway bag as the Kooba Tracy bag. The Ebay search began!

First I found the canvas blue version with purple patent leather trim. It was cheap since it was from a couple seasons ago. Two pockets in the front and (the best) two side pockets inside the bag to hold everything.The blue/purple bag is amazing. I swear I carried it around for about 6 months straight.

Next up was a warm chestnut leather version. Although not as beautiful a cold as the olive shade I originally saw on the subway, I was able to justify this purchase since I didn’t have any other bags in this color. Plus, I got it for a steal since there is a water stain on one side. It does run into some weight issues with the leather, but I love the beautiful studs!

Double trouble! Do you have any bags you loved so much you bought multiple versions?

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One of my favorite things about living in Brooklyn is the many stoops sales when the weather is nice. Sometimes you find exactly what you have been wising for.

I’ve had an LL Bean Hunter’s Tote in camouflage on my wish list for a long time (proof of this), not to take on a hunting trip, but to use as a sturdy travel bag.

One stoop sale I was in the right place at the right time as I spotted the exact bag for $5. Not sure who (or what?) the “Haggis” are but thank you for putting you bag up for sale!

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I ended up picking up two in one day while taking a stroll around my new neighborhood of Park Slope, Brooklyn. The duck bag was first as I spotted it hanging up at Bird on Fifth Ave. I couldn’t decide between olive or stone, but stone eventually won out.

My second BAGGU of the day was found at Diane Kane also on Fifth. Having long admired anything from No. 6 but unable to justify the prices, I was especially excited to see they still had the reusable bags from the No. 6+BAGGU collection. I love the vibrant blue color and the tiny animal print.

So far the No. 6 reusable tote had gotten the most use, and I keep it in my daily bag all the time. The duck bag is a little too tall for me to use as a daily commuting bag (everything falls to the bottom) but it is great for weekends, or as we recently discovered carrying Christmas presents around when traveling.

Next up I plan to buy the BAGGU zippered bag (animal prints!) so I can finally organize my travel and daily makeup pouches.

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