{Living}

shabby chic decor

Sometimes in our lives we get to decorate completely from scratch. For some, this may seem daunting, for others, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create your dream space. Imagine, not having to work with furniture you inherited or had to move with. This, my dear friends, is a clean slate to do whatever your heart desires, and for me, that’s decorating Shabby Chic Decor.
shabbychicWhat is Shabby Chic?
According to Rachel Ashwell’s “Shabby Chic”, it is:
•    Comfort – the beauty of imperfections
•    the allure of time-worn objects
•    appeal of simple practical living
These are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. It’s flea market finds, chipped paint, mason jars, slip-covered sofas, fluffy pillows. And for me, Shabby Chic is warm, casual and unpretentious. It says, come in and relax.

The Shabby Chic look works beautifully in The Budget Socialite’s peripheral because it’s about being resourceful, thrifty and a DIYer.

I decided to do “Shabby Chic” with modern touches. This way, I was not trapped into one type of look. I wanted to create depth and surprises with every turn. That means, being able to marry thrift store finds with Ikea purchases and spending hours on Craigslist waiting for the perfect chair to come to light.

I will be sharing my DIY projects as well as decorating ideas to help you to create your dream space.

{Beauty}

Oil of Olay CC Cream Review

oil of olay cc cream product review

If you’ve heard of BB cream – blemish balm, blemish base, beauty balm or beblesh balm – then you can consider CC cream to be the next generation in beauty. CC creams are also known as Color Control cream.

Oil of Olay’s description:

  • This CC Cream provides instant coverage plus correction to fight 7 signs of aging, including uneven tone, age spots and dull skin.
  • This all-in-one triple stream formula combines a daily anti-aging moisturizer, SPF 15 sunscreen and sheer tint for younger-looking skin.
  • Instant skin perfecting coverage + correction to fight 7 signs of aging + UV protection
  • Total Effects fights 7 signs of aging: Fine lines and wrinkles: Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Uneven Tone: Balances and helps even out tone. Age Spots: Reduces appearance of age spots. Gentle Exfoliation: Improves surface cell turnover. Dryness: Provides nourishing moisturization. Moisture Barrier: Strengthens skin’s natural defense against moisture loss. Luminosity: Recaptures youthful luminosity

The DL on the CC
I’ve been using this cream as I would a tinted moisturizer every morning over my anti-wrinkle serum for a few months. I like that it dries weightless, as if I’m not wearing any makeup – as any good product should. I can’t say if my surface cell turnover has been improved, but my skin does look more radiant after I apply the CC cream. I have to believe their claim that it strengthens my skin’s natural defense against moisture loss because up here in the North East, it is cold and dry, but my skin isn’t.

I have used MAC and Peter Thomas Roth’s tinted moisturizers. When comparing this drugstore brand, I think it really stands up against the high end names very well.

Me with only Oil Olay CC Cream in natural light

Me with only Oil Olay CC Cream in natural light

Pros to Oil of Olay’s CC Cream:

  •     SPF 15
  • Blends easily into my skin
  • Gives a nice finish without powder
  • Very moisturizing
  • Price – $17.99-23.99

Cons

  • If you’re used to more coverage from your foundation, then this might be too sheer for you.

Disclaimer: I was given this product from Klout Perk. I was not paid to do a review.

{Living}

Learn From Liv – 01

Learn From Liv

Scandal seems to be everyone’s guilty pleasure. Kerry Washington’s wardrobe is fierce and her chemistry with Fitz is so swoon-worthy that I can hardly contain myself. As much as I root for Fitz and Olivia, I know that much of Scandal is a lesson on what NOT to do. On that note, here are my top four ways to learn from Liv (so far).

1. Stay Away From Guys with Daddy Issues

As we learned in A Criminal, a Whore, an Idiot and a Liar, Fitz has some classic daddy issues. He is super resentful of dear old dad, especially the fact that he was repeatedly unfaithful to his mother. Interesting, eh? I’m an expert in psychology since I watch reruns of Frazier. So, I know dudes with daddy issues are notorious for feeling the need to constantly prove themselves. This can manifest itself in many ways including: easily getting into fights, always needing the last word, becoming a workaholic or murdering supreme court justices while they lie in their cancer deathbeds.

2. Love Isn’t Supposed to Hurt, Liv.

I’m not on team Edison but he spoke truth here.  Every relationship has it’s ups and downs but her confession of wanting a painful and devastating love made me think that Liv needs some couch time with Dr. Phil. When the pain outweighs the joy, it’s probably time to be out and: Comparing yourself to Sally Hemings in a relationship is a bad sign. A REALLY bad sign. <- Tweet this

I’ll admit that any man that says “I’m in love with you. You’re the love of my life. My every feeling is controlled by the look on your face. I can’t breathe without you. I can’t sleep without you. I wait for you. I watch for you. I exist for you.” is going to make me stop in my tracks. But when the same man that can declare his love so articulately, also uses his skill to hit you where it hurts the most — “I may not be able to control my erections around you but that does not mean I want you” — It’s time to move on and not look back.

Deepak Chopra says “It isn’t love when another person cannot give you the space to live your own life.” <- Tweet This ~and we couldn’t agree more.

3. Married Men Rarely Leave their Wives

We know this, right? But we still kinda thought Fitz was gonna divorce Mellie. We thought they were going to be the exception to the rule. I was rooting for them too, but here’s the thing: I’m sure EVERYONE in this situation thinks they will be the exception to the rule. Being into someone makes us blind to the obvious. Hell, even being into someone on TV makes us blind. How quickly did we forget that Fitz also did the horizontal mambo with Amanda Tanner or about the time he wasn’t taking no for an answer in the elevator? Selective memory has led many a woman astray or… um, a closet during a christening.

4. Know Who Your Real Friends Are

The league of extraordinary election-riggers is a bad crew to roll with. We knew Hollis and Mellie were bad news but let’s not forget the ones Liv seems to trust. She should have known that Verna was a frenemy when she gave up Huck, but for some reason Liv still trusted her. Lesson learned, just because we think it’s cute that grandma says “burner phone” like she recently learned the term on CSI, doesn’t mean that she’s beyond suspicion.

Next up is Cyrus, remember how quickly he made Liv persona non grata at the white house? How come he was drinking wine on her couch a few episodes later? The Budget Socialite doesn’t play that. Also, remember how he “took care” of Amanda Tanner? Why was Liv surprised when “taking care” of the Hollis situation meant that he was going to send Charlie, the hapless contract killer, after him. (Seriously. Worst. Contract. Killer. Ever.) He also said he was going to “take care” of James and that didn’t set off any warning bells. Liv, look alive, girl! Taking care means murder. Don’t sleep on Cyrus.

Next time on Learn from Liv: Beware the rebound guy. I see you Scott Foley, and apparently you see everyone.

So, what do you think of learn from Liv? Are you still rooting for Liv and Fitz to be together? What’s up with Scott Foley and his sliver set-up? How do you suppose Liv keeps her hair so sleek when she goes swimming every morning? Let us know in the comments.

 

{Travel}

Socialites Abroad: Bali

Life in Bali

One upon a time I went to Bali, Indonesia. It was without a doubt, one of the best trips of my life. There’s something amazing about traveling when everyone else is grinding at their 9 to 5 and getting to experience other cultures.

While in Bali, I drank poolside, ate fresh lobster, saw amazing temples, got my yoga on, and played with monkeys (those suckers will steal your sun glasses, if you aren’t careful). I even witnessed a beach wedding! It was a perfect combination of culture/sightseeing coupled with lounging and sun worshiping.

Yeah, it’s far

Although Bali is about a 30 hour plane ride from New York City, it’s totally worth it. Getting there ain’t cheap, but once you arrive, you can live like a queen with hour long massages for under $20 and delicious food for about $10-20 per meal. Another thing I quickly learned was that renting a cab for the day (about $30) was a better way to go than group guided tours. This way you can make your own itinerary and travel at your own pace.

Some things that you don’t want to miss in Bali are:

  • Shopping and partying in Kuta
  • Beach-side seafood in Jimbaran
  • A trip to the monkey sanctuary
  • Swimming in the waterfall at Git Git

More pics from my bali trip

Finding Accommodations

2 major things to look for when finding accommodations in Bali are: free wi-fi in common areas (a lot of hotels in Bali don’t have wi-fi and if you’re addicted to the net like I am, this is important) and free shuttles going to Kuta or other places that you may frequent. Tripadvisor.com is indispensable when planning a vacation. You can easily learn about other travelers’ experiences via the comments and what the beach lounge chair situation is at a resort. Believe me; sometimes the beach chair situation is serious, just read the comments. I used www.sayangholidays.com as my travel agency and stayed at the Sanur Beach Hotel. I was really happy with both.

5 More Ways to Save

  1. Use Skype (you got free-wifi, right?) to keep in touch with friends and family
  2. Eat seafood by the ocean. The closer to source you are the fresher and cheaper it is.
  3. Exchange your money at hotels. Some offer lower exchange fees since that’s not how primarily they make their profit.
  4. Use a credit card that doesn’t have a foreign transaction fee.

Rent a condo or villa on sites such as VRBO or AirBnb

 

Happy Traveling!
– Trinidad

{Style}

Queen Bey!

In case you weren’t sure, Beyoncé sealed her place in history at last night’s Super Bowl. Never one to disappoint, she delivered an amazing performance, here are some of our favorite moments:

Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show Beyonce-Super-Bowl-9 slide_278487_2056829_free slide_278487_2056721_free beyonce