(Sorry for the bad photos - had to take them myself with my iPhone since my sister wasn't around to help! LoL)

I followed the tutorial pretty closely, but used lighter colors for the crease and for the top shadow from my Naked2 palette ("Tease" for the crease and "Suspect" for the "gold shadow" step) for an even subtler daytime look, and went lighter on the eyeliner - I used pencil rather than liquid, and skipped doing the waterline entirely. I did purchase the Jemma Kidd Stardust Cream Shadow in Cosmos that was recommended, and I LOVE it! This is a super easy, gorgeous eye, so I highly recommend you trying it out too! Plus it can take you from day (the way I did it) to night (if you follow the tutorial to a T), and who doesn't love a day-to-night look?

Click here for the full original tutorial

I love stationery, and have ever since I was a kid. My parents love retelling the story about me wanting to be  a waitress when I grew up just because I liked the little pads of paper waitresses took orders on - and although my career aspirations have since changed, I still love stationery!

Upon browsing the Madewell website, I found the adorable stationery above from Top Hat, a New York City gift shop, who collaborated with Madewell to curate the items listed on their website. How adorable are those polka dot notebooks? Or all that pretty tape, perfect for journaling? And wouldn't those Marking Clips and Index Clips make your pile of papers/notebooks/binders at work just that much more appealing?

I'll take one of everything, please! 

Check out the rest of the collection here.

Although Fridays are normally Food days over here at the Jess Journals, since it's Memorial Day weekend this weekend I've done a roundup of Memorial Day (or, really, summer) essentials! Whether you're getting out of town, hitting the beach, the park, a BBQ, or having a "staycation", here are some fun summer items to kick off my favorite season of the year!

I seriously love every single item I picked out in the above collage - I want it all! But if I HAD to choose, I starred my favorites: the Soludos (shoes) - absolutely love the colors and the summery stripes!, the sunglasses (they bring my inner kid out), the bikini - love the polka dots, and the purple!, the cover up - it has a hood! AND is made of linen, and the beach blanket (sunbathing on a tiny towel is really not the same experience). The beach oil is a favorite thing of my sister's - it smells like summer - suntan lotion and the beach! What are your summer essentials?

Have a great weekend!!

Image

Apparently, this is a new "mirrored chrome" forumla, where "The secret is an innovative mica-pearl technology that imparts an ultra-shiny, mirrored effect. Swagga Like Us is an oxidized copper teal that actually flips or changes color when seen from different angles. It's a cool, completely unique look that almost appears as though you dipped your fingertips in liquid metal." Sounds good to me!!

Once I bought it I wore it for 3 straight weeks, and have gotten tons of compliments on it and people asking where it's from! Plus the gold is such a neutral color in that your nails won't clash with anything you're wearing if you're wearing this! Obsessed, I tell you.

Get yours here!

Other colors in this collection are Private Dancer (a really pretty purple which I'm considering also picking up!) and Sugar Daddy, a champagne color.

NEON! This is definitely one of my favorite trends this year!

First up is one of my favorite bloggers, Blair. She clearly loves her neon!

Top // Bottom: : Left // Center // Right

Of course, wearing super bright colors can be daunting, so another option is to incorporate it in a skirt or shorts, like these bloggers:

L'Inconnue // Style Scrapbook // This Time Tomorrow

It's surprisingly difficult to find neon clothes & accessories that AREN'T pink or yellow, but I did try!

Just so you know, the bag, pants, and sandals all come in other colors too. And I think I have to go get that watch now...

This Theodora & Callum Madrid Scarf - I'm in love with colors (neon yellow and lavender and gray? Yes please!!) and know it'll go with almost everything in my wardrobe! Plus, I love how it's huge and you can wear it several different ways (video below; click on the link to the left to see more!) - versatility is essential for any summer traveling!

After spending some time going through the videos, I am thoroughly convinced I need one...now. (As if I live by a beach! Guess that's just another excuse to plan a beach holiday, now isn't it?)

Buy it here !

Images: 1 // 2 & 3

Madison Square Eats is back! It's been on for a little while now and will continue to be there until June 3rd, and is open daily from 11am-9pm.

I've been there twice now, and still have not tried everything possible! I saw some fried chicken & biscuits that looked good, I heard about some rice balls but didn't even see those (it was crazy crowded on Friday, since the weather was so nice!), and that's all that I can remember. My sister works near there so I told her she should go every day and try something new!

Mighty Balls was good - the slider is on the left and turkey meatballs are on the right. There was flavor, but they're not something I'd go back to try more of or again.

Mexicue - I was astounded when I saw that you could order a bag of Fritos with chili ($5) - why have I never seen this before??? I think there was a vegetarian topping too but can't recall what it was. It was amazing, but I like my chili spicy and it wasn't spicy - other than that, it was delicious! I would go back and try other things on their menu. Plus there was a deal for the fritos + Tecate for $9, both with toppings. Yum!

Red Hook Lobster Pound - My cousin ordered this lobster roll and I had a bite - it was good, but not as good as Luke's Lobster!

Roberta's Pizza - I've been to their Brooklyn locale and it is SO GOOD. The pizzas here were somewhat smaller, but the crusts were just as soft and chewy (but not thick), and really yum! On the right is Specken Wolf, which had mushroom, onions, and speck on top of mozzarella and tomato sauce, and on the right is Bee Sting which is pretty much pepperoni & cheese with a little bit of honey - surprisingly good!

Hong Kong Street Cart - I got the Beijing Ya Bun ($4), which has roast duck, minced shrimp, scallion and sliced cucumber, and it was really tasty! I also got the Thai Iced Tea ($3) and that was also delicious, but tastes like your standard (delicious) Thai iced tea.

All in all, it was worth going to, and the weather should be nice so definitely go check it out if you're in NYC!

Top Image via Glitter Guide

1. Foundation // 2. Concealer // 3. Clinique Mascara // 4. Clarins Mascara // 5. Bronzer & Blush Duo

I looooove makeup. (Partly why I work for a cosmetics company!) However, on a daily basis, I can never be bothered to put on eyeshadow or eyeliner anymore, especially since I'd rather sleep in for an extra 10 minutes than put eye makeup on. What I can't live without, however, is my mascara, foundation, concealer, and blush - the essentials!

The Routine: 

It's a polka dot explosion! 

Just kidding. Sort of. This post is about polka dots - who doesn't love this adorable pattern? It's just as versatile as the stripe...and speaking of which, the first way I've found that some bloggers love to wear their spots is with stripes!

I'd been on the hunt for the perfect pair of slightly cropped, skinny work pants, and finally tried on the Minnie from J.Crew ($89). Perfection! I'm lucky that my office isn't super corporate-y, and these pants go with everything, I swear. (For those of you who need more "corporate" looking pants, the Cafe Capri is similar!) I've worn it with a polka-dotted blouse, an Equipment shirt, with black heels and with nude wedges, and everything works! They're super flattering, slightly stretchy (the sales associates recommend that you go one size down since they apparently stretch out), and not too expensive! 

I only got a pair in black, but I want a pair in every color...

Images: J.Crew

Happy Monday!

This was the first weekend where we had gorgeous weather in NYC - finally! 

This weekend I:

How was your weekend? Mother's Day? :)

Lauren on the left, me on the right

To the best mother Lauren and I could ever have :) Miss you Mom, can't wait to see you in November!

Happy Mother's Day to every mother, godmother, grandmother out there! And a special Happy 1st Mother's Day to Crys - miss and love you, can't wait to meet the little one soon!

TGIF! Was this the longest week ever, or what? By Wednesday I felt like it was Thursday, and yesterday I kept thinking it was Friday...and finally, Friday is here!

Last Saturday I went for brunch at Barbounia with a friend who used to live in NYC. It was her suggestion and I'd never heard of it, but of course my sister the food blogger knew exactly what it was while I was busy stumbling over the restaurant name when she asked where we were going!

I was randomly craving something sweet (which rarely happens), and decided to get pancakes with chocolate chips ($14.95 - $12.95 for pancakes, $2 extra for the chocolate chips). They were TDF (to die for)! Hot, the tiniest bit crispy around the edges, and melty chocolate chips on the inside. (I only wish I'd taken a photo after I cut into it!) They were sweet enough that I didn't feel the need use either cream or syrup, yum! The fact that it was presented on a ceramic "palette" instead of an actual plate just made it that much prettier, too.

 I really liked my friend's Moroccan Eggs ($14.95), made with tomato sauce, paprika, and garlic - spicy and very flavorful! My other friend's Turkish Eggs ($14.95) were a little too lamb-y for my particular taste, but my friend loved it!

Loved the Marilyn Monroe wall art! The high ceiling gives the restaurant so much space and a feeling of openness, and the layout of the restaurant is nice, too.

One special they have is the bottomless brunch deal - $17.95 for unlimited brunch cocktails. While not the BEST drunk brunch deal I've encountered in New York, that's not too bad either. 

Zara Shirt (recent) // Unknown Skirt, from my mother // Zara Shoes // Necklace: Maya Brenner // Oliver Peoples Sunglasses // J.Crew Clutch

[Images above by my sister]

The other night while surfing the 'net, I came across a photo (that I just can't find anymore!) featuring a mint & purple color combo, and it's now my favorite! Purple is my favorite color to begin with anyway, but a royal purple, paired with a mint green, is simply stunning! I wore the above outfit to work last week and got a few compliments on the colors specifically.

1. Maxi Skirt // 2. Silk Cami // 3. High-waisted Denim Skirt // 4. Dress // 5. Suede Pumps // 6. Sleeveless Shirt // 7. Royal Purple Pencil Skirt // 8. Shirt

I don't know about you, but I've been seeing this jacket EVERYWHERE. I tried it on in store before I ever saw it on anyone's blog, but unfortunately I didn't think it was that flattering on me! I love it on everyone else though, and ended up getting a vest (imagine this same jacket with the arms cut off) instead.

Anyway, here are some great ways to wear it:

  (Although Blair of Atlantic-Pacific isn't wearing that exact jacket, the elements are exactly the same - leather & military green, so I thought I'd include it anyway.)

This Time Tomorrow: 1 // 2 // 3

One thing to note here is that only in the middle photo is that the actual Zara jacket - the other two are a vest over a leather jacket, which is a great way to create the same look without having to buy the actual jacket. Genius!

And here are a few picks to recreate the above looks:

Green shirt // Mini skirt // White shorts // Leopard shoes //  Leather shorts //  Oxford shirt // Pencil skirt

Which look is your favorite? How would you wear this jacket, or something like it?

 These two Monets are absolutely stunning in real life - I could have spent hours just looking at the intricate mix of color. I've always appreciated Impressionism, but I think these two paintings made me fall in love with it that much more - the photos honestly don't even do them justice!!

  By Umberto Boccioni - also completely stunning in real life, and this photo also doesn't do it justice! This one is about a soccer player - see that calf in the middle of the painting? It's about capturing movement and the vibrancy of athleticism...not that I realized any of that if I hadn't read the plaque. :)

 Marc Chagall, probably the most romantic man ever, and also one of my favorite painters in general. I love that a lot of his paintings are about love and how it feels to be in love - he loved his wife so much! So romantic.

  By Marcel Duchamp - the colors are gorgeous in this! And I love crispness of the edges in each shape, though I could not tell you what this painting is about. (Didn't read the plaque, obviously. Either that, or it was called "Untitled #457"...)

With the summer travel season approaching quickly, travel guides are more relevant than ever! Kate Spade has partnered with Fathom and created the cutest online city guides, here. I'm a total sucker for good illustration, so how adorable is the art here?

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I had a restful yet eventful weekend myself...

Brunch at Barbounia on Saturday with a friend who was back in town for the weekend (details to come in a later post!), with the most delicious chocolate chip pancakes ever...

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Yesterday I spent the majority of the afternoon at the MoMA where I found a few new favorites and finally joined to be a member! I'm only going to share my absolute new fave here though, and save the rest for another post.

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Bonus! It was a 20% discount in the MoMA store this weekend for members, where I found the cutest little tweed bag to tote my sketchbook and a few supplies - will definitely be toting it to another museum, on a return trip to the MoMA, or into the outdoors at some point this summer! Love it.

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And last night, I had a dinner date with my silly sister at Jane - totally delicious! We shared the grilled octopus for an appetizer, and then shared the Sunday night $15 Frites special - either salmon, steak, or mussels accompanied by either a mixed green salad or rosemary fries. Everything was mouthwateringly delicious! (My sister posted about this meal here!)

How was your weekend??