Pretty in Pink (Graffiti): Preparing for a Date Night with Escada Fragrances

The notion that fashion is just putting on a pair of pants, a matching T-shirt and some stylish shoes is simply untrue. When I get ready for my day, there's so much more to it than just going into my closet and picking out a pair of jeans, t-shirt and pumps to match. Seriously, there are so many factors to consider when picking out the perfect outfit - whether you're going for a casual look or something that you're preparing for a night out on the town. The biggest thing that people tend to forget until the last minute is their fragrance.

Take Pink Graffiti by Escada for example. This Eau De Toilette is a bright floral fragrance filled with fruity notes like: pink grapefruit, red peony, wild strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, violet and hints of vanilla, musk and cashmere wood. Sounds great right?

Well this type of fragrance is one that you want to make sure you pair with the right kind of outfit for the right kind of event. Since it's so fruity and floral, you want to make sure that you wear it out for a light and fun event - maybe to a carnival or trip out with some of your closest friends. Since it's an Eau De Toilette - meaning that it has a lower concentration of perfume - expect it to last for up to 2 to 3 hours without having to worry about the scent fading or having to reapply it.

Shoedazzle Kamaria Pump

I love a good strap up sandal for summer so I'm always on the look out for unique ones. I spotted the Kamaria pump on Shoedazzle the other day and I was intrigued by her and the pattern on it!

An embroidered pattern combined with a laced-up construction make Kamaria the ultimate look-at-me heel. I was drawn into this pump because it is subtle shoe that is sexy without screaming "hey look at me now". You can pair this cutoff shorts, skinny jeans or a wide pants leg (like I did). 

MATERIAL: Fabric and faux-leather. Imported. COLOR: BLACK MULTI OUTSIDE HEEL HEIGHT: 4.5" FIT: True to size CLOSURE: Adjustable wrap up straps

Feel free to dress these up or down with your favorite beauty and fashion accessories!

-Affiliate Links-

Sunday Funday Giveaway with Target!

Happy Sunday love bugs! I hope you all had a fabulous week! We had such a fun time with our recent #SundayFundayWithCCC Sephora and Ulta Beauty giveaway that I decided to do one for this week for you and your BFF again but this time for a Target gift card!

Here’s how to enter:

1. You must follow @candycoatedclosets on Instagram. 2. Like and repost the main giveaway image on Instagram with #SundayFundayWithCCC. 3. Leave a comment on this post tagging your BFF that will win with you. 4. You can enter up to 5 times but only if you enter with a new friend each time you tag. 5. No giveaway/spam profiles & profile must be set to public by the end of the contest so I can see your posts.You both must be following me by the end of the contest in order to win.

Open internationally; 18+, to enter. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received.

Contest runs from Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 10:59pm EST and ends Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 11:59pmest. Winners will be announced within 48 hours of the contest ending.

Good luck love bugs!

How to Get Fuller Looking Lashes with Pür Cosmetics Mascara

Sometimes I look at my nieces eyelashes and I swear I want to snatch them straight off of their eyes. They're 5 and 3 years old - for heavens sake what do they need with lashes that full already? Luckily, there has been a rise in lash-enhancing products that range from lengthening mascaras to vitamin infused serums that can help you to achieve the fashionably faux look that you desire with your own natural lashes. Let's take these two mascaras from Pür Cosmetics: the Fully Charged Magnetic Mascara and the Big Look Mascara.

The Fully Charged Magnetic Mascara comes in a 0.52 oz tube and is described as an "anti-aging mascara formula that contains a revolutionary positively charged matrix that attracts to each individual lash to strengthen, thicken, lengthen and separate for unparalleled performance." It is fortified with vitamins and biotinoyl to help condition and strengthen your natural lashes to prevent lash loss. If you take a look at the bristles, you can see that it is a traditional brush with multiple bristles stippled together so that it can easily coat each lash. For me, it added a ton of volume and lengthened my lashes without clumping together.

If you have sparse and tiny lashes, try the Big Look lengthening mascara by Pür Cosmetics. The Big Look comes in a 0.17 oz tube and is fortified with argan oil to envelop your lashes in nourishing, knockout color that adds an endless build and a natural dewy sheen to your eyes. 

I tend to use this brush on my lower lashes because of its densely packed bristles. When you have a smaller area with less lashes, you want to be able to use a large, rounded wand with densely packed bristles that are tight enough to grab each lash and coat it with mascara.

Now let's try them out! For today's test, I decided to use the Colourpop eyeshadows in Stereo and So Quiche on my lid, Mousse from the TooFaced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette as a transition shade and the Pür Cosmetics Cease Crease Eye Shadow Primer. As the liner, I grabbed the Inglot Matte Eyeliner Gel 77 in black. For my face, I prepped with the Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Sienna, the Pür Cosmetics Cameo Contour stick and set everything with a setting spray from Model in a Bottle.

I applied the Fully Charged mascara to my upper lashes and lower lashes and then added the Big Look mascara to my lower lashes.You can see the difference in the volume and length of my lashes between the two eyes as I left one eye completely bare and untouched.

Here is a picture with the flash on.So don't stress yourself about wearing false lashes everyday. You can lush up your natural lashes in the blink of an eye and feel comfortable all day with the right mascara.

-PR Sample-

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush Fragrance

Dear Mr. Marc Jacobs, I'm writing this open letter to you because I am really going to need you to stop creating these gorgeous fragrances that I have to add to my collection simply because of how cute the bottle is!

This is a shot of the new and rumored Daisy Dream fragrance in Blush that is supposed to launch in February.* There is also news floating around of two other new fragrances called Daisy Blush and Daisy Eau So Fresh Blush! I'll keep you updated on any new news once I receive it!

*Date subject to change.

Ricky's NYC is Now On Gilt City - Get An Insane Deal on OCC, LA Girl Cosmetics, Morphe, Coloured Raine and More!

Just when we thought the beauty deals were over Ricky's NYC decides to smack us in the face with one! Ricky's has just launched an amazing deal on Gilt City today which will give you an incredible discount that you can use in-store or online.

So basically you can choose an online OR in-store credit on Gilt City that will get you either a $50 credit for $30, or a $100 credit for $60. That means that when you go to Ricky's NYC to purchase $50 worth of products, you'll only actually be paying pay $30, or when you buy $100 worth of products, you'll only be paying $60 since you have this credit. Make sense right? The credit will expire on 3/9/16 so you have plenty of time to shop for the holidays or Valentine's Day.

Now why is this a big deal? Well Ricky's is notorious for carrying the most popular beauty brands. You can pick up some of your favorite items from Morphe, Sugarpill, Violet Voss, Coloured Raine, NYX, LA Girl Cosmetics and much more. Let me know what you get! I already checked out for the $100 one.

Coloured Raine Liquid Lipsticks - Kylie Jenner Lip Kit Alternative

I hope you beauties had an amazing Friday. So I've been off and on all week trying to edit videos and create new social images/animations for work. Have you tried doing that while keeping up on all of the beauty news simultaneously? Yeah, it's time for some wine. So the biggest news to hit the market this week was the release of the lipkitbykylie.com for $29. Each kit includes a lip liner and a matte liquid lipstick. Now I understand that liquid lipsticks are life right now - I mean have you been following me on Instagram? - but the hype around this launch was insane! The colors are cute, but to me, they just didn't stand out enough for me to say "Oh ok, here you go Kylie Jenner." Needless to say, this woman of color did not purchase any of the kits but instead, I took to glam room and found a few liquid lipsticks in my stash that could compare.

Here are swatches of three liquid lipsticks by Coloured Raine which remind me of the colors from Kylie's lip kit! And guess what? Each of these liquid lipsticks only costs $17 and are in stock right now!

So what do you guys think? Let me know in the comments!

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Berry Berry Lips for the Holidays!

Happy Sunday guys! I'm working on a few holiday pieces for you guys and I wanted to show you a sneak peek of these berry holiday lips. I used Mac Heaux and topped it off with clear water lipgloss for the glitter/shine! Let me know what other lip looks you want to see!

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BuzzFeed Article Makeup Photo Feature

Normally, I would put this in my "As Seen In/Featured In" section of the blog but when one of your photographs gets picked by a BuzzFeed editor to be featured in an upcoming article...well...let's just say that all of the OMG's make it worthy enough to have it's own blog post.

Yes, that me and my lipstick #makeupporn product shot. The full article can be found here. Thank you so much for the photo feature Nina Mohan!

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Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick Holiday Collection 2015

*Update: July 22, 2016 - This blog and I do not support Jeffree Star and/or Jeffree Star Cosmetics. This is my personal choice as I choose to feature and support brands that I believe in. I encourage you to search google for any relevant information on his brand if you would like to research his cosmetic line. Xoxo. - Cynira* Be warned before you look at this post. The new Jeffree Star Cosmetics liquid lipstick Holiday Collection might become your new obsession.

Swatches in direct sunlight from left to right: Hoe Hoe Hoe, Mistletoe, Drug Lord, Doll Parts, Androgyny

First, let's take a closer look at the coveted Androgyny:

This is the best picture that I could get to capture the true color of Androgyny on my lips. The color is beautiful! It is an amazing mauve shade that's not too pink or too nude for women of color. It wears incredible well and is very soft on the lips. Now when I say it took me a while to capture the true color on my lips I say that because it's a very natural color on me and it's hard to pick up the mauve undertones in the picture.

Next, let's look at Hoe Hoe Hoe:

This liquid lipstick is a deep red with hints of metallic red and purple in it. In the pic on the bottom left, I tried to leave the focus from being straight on my lips and a different angle of lighting so you can get a better look at the sparkle from this lipstick. It's going to be great for holidays!

Next is Doll Parts. This is a soft cool toned pink, more like a baby pink on my skin tone. I tried to shift the focus and lighting so you can see how it performs in the images to show the true color.

Here, we have Mistletoe:

Last, is Drug Lord:

The Beautiful Kiss of Death: Happy Halloween

Now I know that I made the title of this piece overly dramatic but come on...it's Halloween! The thing that I love about Halloween is that the make up gods come out to play! This is truly one of the few times of the year that you can stun everyone with your make up artistry skills and hey, if you're like me and just want to have fun, it's the perfect time to try out some new looks without looking crazy. So I decided to do some fun lip art! I tried my best to capture it for you guys by my lighting wanted to suck!

[embed]https://youtu.be/s91J30bXhBs[/embed]

To do this look, I used MakeupForever's black lipstick rouge artist intense in 50 and Violet Voss's glitter in Paige for the purple topcoat.

What fun make up looks did you guys try for Halloween?

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Say Hello to A Little Beauty - Becca Cosmetics Champagne Glow Palette

She's finally here! I have been stalking the Sephora website like a maniac waiting for the Becca Cosmetics Champagne Glow Palette to launch. I know they gave us a specific day and time (Tuesday, October 27 at 12:00pm EST) but you and I both know how friendly I've gotten with the refresh button - umm a new F5 button please. So I was at work Tuesday morning, with my eyes glued to my web browser because I wasn't going to miss this launch. Jaclyn Hill snapped (snapchat) a few days earlier that Becca told her that they only made close to 80,000 units of this palette and I freaked! 80,000 units is not a lot of product - especially during holiday season and hello, have you heard of the JacAttack? Yeah, so I was on it. And it's a good thing that I was because it launched early! I checked out around11:37 with my two new beauties on the way.

Let's take a look shall we...

Can't you hear Stevie Wonder singing Isn't She Lovely right now?

This is a limited edition palette with 3 shimmering Skin Perfector pressed shades (0.084 oz each) in Pearl, Blushed Copper, and Champagne Pop x Jaclyn Hill. It's sold exclusively at Sephora and costs $34.00.

Pearl is a new beautiful luminizer in pale linen white. At first, I was a little weary of how this shade would perform on women of color but I saw a few Youtubers swatch the product and they sealed the deal for me. Champagne Pop which I've tried in the full size version is a soft white gold with pinky peach undertones and Blushed Copper is a beautiful warm copper luminizer that is infused with rose gold tones.

I will have more blog posts and features of me wearing the luminizers coming up but make sure you pick this up (at least one) before it sells out! Don't say that I didn't warn you.

BeautyCon NYC is My New Beauty BFF

Move over ComicCon - let's stop and talk about the event of a lifetime; a beauty lover's dream; the Mecca of fashion and beauty conferences - BeautyCon NYC! BeautyCon is the world’s premiere fashion, beauty, wellbeing & lifestyle destination for fans, brands, and content creators and last week, and we had the amazing opportunity to cover this event for you! Are you ready to start fangirling?

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First up was the More Than Makeup Panel that was led by Jay Manuel himself - the expert from America's Next Top Model, who taught us how to bring our inner fierceness out to the runway. He led beauty gurus and influencers Niomi Smart, Lo Bosworth, Nikki Phillippi and Chloe Lukasiak in a discussion that helped us discover who we are beyond just makeup.

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Also, let's just say that we weren't surprised to hear that Lo Bosworth's favorite beauty item in her bag is her fragrance! Your signature scent makes you stand out in a crowd without having to put a drop of makeup on, so everyone should find a scent that captures who they are.

After watching a few of the creators and panelists speak, we got to spend some time shopping! Honestly, we love the feeling of picking out some new beauty products and fragrances!

As the day was winding down, we got to hang out in the Media Room and spend one on one time with some of your favorite stars. Oh you know, just some influencers like Sprinkle of Glitter, Jackie Aina, Chloe Lukasiak, Teala Dunn, Niki and Gabi, Naptural85 and even Angel Merino. Did we mention that we got to hang out with singer and celebrities Jojo and Chrisette Michelle? We told you. Fangirling.

Despite being on the edge of OMG every second, we walked away feeling inspired and humbled by the words of every creator in there. No matter who you are or what you want to do, remember to find the beauty within yourself and once you do, your confidence will shine through.

Thanks again #BeautyConNYC for the event of a lifetime.

Shoedazzle/JustFab Brand Ambassador 2015 Media Event

What do you do when the Shoedazzle and JustFab Press and Social team come out to New York? Why, you party in pink of course!

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Is it Spring yet?

 Hello? Spring? Are you there?

Hi, it's me Cynira and ummm..I was just wondering when I would be able to start wearing my open toe sandals and maxi dresses again? Oh and by the way, waking up to a sheet of ice on my car towards the end of March isn't fun. -_-

Seriously, I am so over winter and it's not even winter anymore! -Insert dramatic sigh- For now, the only thing that I can do is wear brighter color lipsticks and pretend that it's 60 degrees outside.

What color lipstick do you have on today?

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Little Miss Ally's Farewell to Winter!

Even though the temperature is being extra sensitive this week in New York, I think it's officially time to bid winter adieu.

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye"

Before I officially chuck the deuces up to winter, I asked my oldest niece, Little Miss Ally, how she wanted to say goodbye.

"I want to rock out and wear my gold FabKids sequin fuzzy boots!"

Rock out?

"Yes Auntie! Play it loud, just like a rock star! Shout it out, just like a rock star! Come on everybody let me hear you say, you feel just like a rock star hey, hey, hey!"

Oh. The Fresh Beat Band...Gosh she makes me feel old.

Shoe details: Available on FabKids.com Material: Synthetic Fit: Runs half a size/full size small

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FabKids - Glitter Fuzzies Boots

"It's always best to start teaching them young!"

In this case, I had to put that motto to work with my oldest niece and show her the true meaning of shoe love. She's only 4 and a half years old but I can already see stilettos and high heels in her future.

Until she's ready, I let her shop around FabKids.com so she can pick out her own boots and outfits. Here, she wanted to model her FabKids Glitter Fuzzies that she just had to have in every color!

"But Auntie, if I don't get the pink and the gold ones I'm going to be SO upset! And I need to get the pink dress, and the pink bows, and the pink book bag and the-"

Umm, so no more shopping for her.

What have I done?

Shoe details: Color: Pink Glitter Material: Synthetic Fit: Runs half a size/full size small

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It's All About Those Nudes!

Get ready loves! I'm working on my next color story with Specktra and it's all about nudes! If you're looking for something to wear for Valentine's Day other than red/pink/purple then you want to make sure you catch this piece!

 

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Is It Spring Yet? JustFab Sneak Peek

Spring...oh how I wish you were here now and would never ever leave again. Unfortunately, I'm a native New Yorker so I'll be singing this same tune once winter leaves and circles back again at the end of 2015.

The only thing getting me through this blast - the exciting sneak peeks of the upcoming Spring launches of some of my favorite companies! Yesterday, I quickly reposted this photo taken by @rachelaschenbrandpsw, fashion editor at @peoplestylewatchmag, of the #StyleWatching preview of JustFab's spring launch.

So yeah, you can pretty much say that I'm ready for Spring! Start saving up those credits ladies and stock up on your favorite winter items now before their gone. Click here to shop online at JustFab.

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Sophia Amoruso Steps Down As CEO of NastyGal

 The official #GirlBoss herself has given up her role as CEO of NastyGal. Sophia Amoruso - the founder and creator of the Los Angeles based online fashion retailer took to Youtube to explain why she stepped down as the company's CEO and promoted Sheree Waterson in her place.

Briefly, Amoruso explains that she wants to focus on connecting with the brands customers and she can't do that while being in the office all day. Head to Youtube to check out the full video.

What do you think about this decision? Honestly, I think given some of the recent negative press Sophia Amoruso has received about laying off pregnant women, this might be a good PR move for the company all around. Let me know what you think!