Rachel Reviews: Drybar

I love learning how “hot topic” companies like Drybar operate, but I’ve found that a lot of the time, the execution in-store falls short of what their cute branding promises. For a special event last week, I got the Mai Tai and it was not quite the cute free wavy look I was hoping for.

Before I Arrived

On Drybar’s website, they have a menu of styles you can choose from. There weren’t many photos on the site, but I chose the MaiTai. This was a photo from their Instagram so I went in with this as the expectation.

At the Appointment

I arrived early and was offered a drink, but the woman who did my hair was quiet and mumbled a lot. As a first timer it was difficult to understand all of the decisions she was asking me to make on the spot when she wasn’t speaking up. I had to choose between one or two shampoos (I didn’t even know two shampoos was a thing?) and conditioner on the ends or my entire head. I couldn’t hear her so I had to ask twice for her to speak up.

After washing and a mini scalp massage, the stylist took my back to the chair and began to work in silence. It took 37 minutes from the time my appointment began until we were finished. There was a movie on the TV so it went pretty quickly.

The Result

I’m not entirely happy with the results. The front ended up being VERY big curls while the back is much smaller little curls/waves. The MaiTai is supposed to be loose beachy waves with straight ends, but that was not what I got.

The worst part was that they managed to make little rats nests at the ends of my hair.

There were also SO MANY fly aways. I went in with my usualy straight hair and it was all over the place by the time I’d left.

In the end it looked like the Cosmo or the Old Fashioned styles they do!

 

I complained to their customer service because I left with split ends from the rats nests. They were super nice and set me up with a free appointment to head back.

 

Have you been to Drybar? What was your experience like?

Rachel Reviews: Blushington

For this year’s Holiday Party, I went full glam for the first time and got my hair and makeup done. I saw an ad on Instagram for a FREE Full Face makeup application from Blushington and decided just to give it a go. I’m always down to give anything free a try. I signed up for an appointment about a week in advance online for the location inside the Parker Hotel on 56th between 6th and 7th Ave.

I’ve never been that great at doing my own makeup and the one time I went to get it done at a makeup salon, I was extremely disappointed and went home to redo it myself. I did not have high hopes for Blushington, but they actually won me over with their service!

Before Arriving

Blushington has a set menu of looks you can choose from before you arrive, but you can also request your own look off menu. Their website was entirely unhelpful in figuring out what makeup I could actually get done. I knew I wanted a smoky eye and a glowing bronze look, but there wasn’t anything on the site that looked like what I wanted. I even looked on their Instagram and at photos they were tagged in, but there wasn’t much to go off of. Then, I went on Google and tried to look up reviews, but there wasn’t a lot of info either. So here I am giving you the reviews that I was unable to find!

These were the inspiration images I ended up wanting to go off of:

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BllJU_zBXZB/

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A post shared by Suzy (@suzy_blush)

When I Arrived

The appointment started 15 minutes late, but I got a nice hot cup of green tea and wasn’t in a rush so I didn’t really mind. And a phone charger! They thought of everything.

I arrived with about 20 inspiration photos, that I was prepared to attempt to explain (I really know nothing about makeup). But the stylist’s makeup was done exactly how I wanted mine so I just told her “I want mine like yours” and scrapped all of the images I brought with me!

I took my makeup off and settled in for the next hour.
The store was pretty quiet so she took her time. She was very friendly, but not overly so. Nothing worse than being stuck in a chair with someone forcing you into uncomfortable small talk (can you tell I’m an introvert?) We actually got along really well and she told me about her experience working at Blushington and how she first became interested in makeup.

What I asked for: Brown smoky eye with dewy skin and a glow.

She chose the lip color herself. It was a neutral gloss mixed with a pink lipstick. I never wear lipstick so any color on my face is a shock to me. I was almost going to take off the lip color, but it looked amazing in photos so I kept it on.

 

Leaving the Appointment

It wasn’t salesy at all thank goodness. They didn’t push the products on me or encourage me to shop which I also appreciated. As promised, my first time was free and I was allowed to tip on my card.

Overall, I left VERY happy with my experience at Blushington and would definitely return for my next special occasion!

Use the code NewFF to get your first application free!

 

The Final Result

 

 

Have you ever been to Blushington or a similar company? Share your experience below! Always so interested to hear other peoples’ experiences!

Finally! Some Chic Winter Boots | Sponsored by DSW

I was raised with the mentality that snow boots had to be these ugly hulking rubber things that you did not want to be caught dead in. My dad’s family is from Minnesota so winter clothing was always hyper-functional, but never cute. The only time I wear them in NYC is when it is SO SNOWY that nobody else is able to look at your feet haha.

So when I came to college in New York, I had my clunky boots and everyone else had just landed from Cali with super cute snow boots and I was thrown off! I kept my ugly black rubber boots for soooo long. This winter, I’m finally stepping up my winter boot game with these Timberland boots from DSW. They are so slim and chic yet sturdy and perfect for the impending snow.

What do you think? Would you rock these?

Shop the look directly on my LIKEtoKNOW.it
Boots: DSW Timberland Bramhall Bootie ($129.99)
Jacket: Abercrombie Sherpa Denim Jacket ($140)
Sports Bra: I can’t remember where I got it from (SAD!) but I’ve linked similar ones in my LIKEtoKNOW.it above!
Leggings: Aritzia Daria Pant ($135)

 

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Sponsored by DSW
Photography: Devon DeBari

Sandro Sample Sale Review – September 2018

When:

October 9th 2018 to October 14th 2018

 

Where:

260 Sample Sale, 150 Greene Street, New York, 10012- View venue

What:

It’s the sample sale we’ve all been waiting for…. Sandro! Besides the Sandro Stock store in Paris (a well-kept secret along with Maje and Claudie Pierlot Stock), 260 Sample Sale is the best place to get Sandro’s laid back chic French ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories for men and women at a lower price point! This is usually one of my favorite sample sales of the year! Cash and cards accepted. All sales final.

 

My Experience – 3/5

My friend Teresa and I went right after work at 5:30PM on 10/9, the day the Sandro sale opened to the public. I saw on Instgram that the line for the sale started at 5AM (WHAAT). I love sample sales, but I’m not sure if I’d get up that early for cheap fashion. When we arrived, I was expecting the line to be long, but not this long. We were two blocks away from the entrance to the store with maybe 70+ people in line. Luckily, me were into the store within 40 minutes. I’ve been at other sample sales where it took 1.5 hours to get in the door *cough cough reformation*.

Two blocks away from the entrance, but at least the line moved quickly

It was a madhouse inside!

The Selection – 3/5

Coats, shorts, skirts, pants, jeans, and everything in between. The racks were packed, but the selection was relatively limited. I’ve actually never been to a sample sale where I wanted so little… there were good staple blouses, party dresses, and winter coats, but not a graphic tee or cute blazer/jacket in sight. There were a LOT of items, but they were pretty repetitive. I wish I had some more time to dig around, but with people shoving you from every direction, it’s hard to take a good look at every item. I wouldn’t worry about them selling out! 260 Sample always refreshes the stock daily so there will definitely be decent pieces remaining if you can’t make it today!

 

The Shoes – 5/5

Many cute flat options for work and heels for dressy events! I had my eye on a pair of wrap-up slingback flats, but decided I have enough shoes already.

 

The Accessories – 4/5

Lots of good staple purses and bags for men and women! If Eugen used briefcases, I would have gotten him that brown one in a heartbeat.

 

The Prices 4/5

See the below images for current pricing at 260 Sample Sale. I would say these are fair prices for Sandro products. If you want to wait for them to drop further, 260 Sample Sale always reduces the prices for the last few days. Sometimes they go down by 20-50%. The trade-off is that the staple items and a lot of the trendier pieces will be out of stock by the time the prices go down.

I was a little peeved at 260 because the blouse I had picked up had a tag from a Sandro store that said they were charging $37 for it, but 260 still charged the marked up price ($65). 260 is charging higher prices than Sandro stores in some cases so don’t trick yourself into thinking these are the best deals out there!!

The Overall Experience – 3.5/5

Like most other sample sales, you have to push your way through the aisles and hold your breath while passing (or smushing bodies to get by) some people while simultaneously holding onto your phone, wallet, and items you’ve picked up. I ended up buying a staple blouse in white that I already own in black, but I don’t think the sale was worth the wait in line. I’ll probably head back when the prices drop in a few days just to see if there are any new pieces.

Follow @Hersey.Kiss on Instagram for live shopping and updates on the Sandro Sample Sale.

 

 

My Picks

We left with a couple items each, but here are some of the other cool items I found:

Silky black fit and flare dress – $95

White Deep-V Blouse – $65

Stretchy Bustier Style Top – $65

Patterned Ruffle Layer Mini Skirt – $75

Share Your Experience Did you go to the Sandro Sample Sale? What did you think? Share your thoughts below!

The Bagel Bible

The true guide to New York City’s bagels.

The bodega around the corner most likely has “bagels” 24/7, but nothing compares to a true, fresh-out-of the-oven NYC bagel. Back in CT, I find myself craving these all the time so now that I’m back, it’s hard to stop eating them! Here’s my list of the top places to hit up (and places to steer clear of).

• Hudson Bagels– Far and away the best bagels you will find in New York City. Luckily, this small, family-owned bagel shop isn’t super trendy and never has outrageous lines like many of these other places (a major + in my mind).
• Murray’s Bagels– Overhyped and not worth the wait for a crunchy bagel. They do, however, have a very wide variety of cream cheese flavors.
• Tompkins Square Bagels– Always incredibly crowded here. The line wraps around the store and out the door. That being said, their bagels are to die for.
• H&H– One of the most famous bagel shops in the city. I don’t think they are worth the trek uptown, but if you’re in the area, may as well check it off your list
• Bagels on the Square– First of all, it’s actually a bit of a walk from the square, unlike the name suggests… That being said, these bagels are just .. blah. Go to Hudson Bagels.
• Bagel Bob’s– This is the NYC Freshman bagel headquarters. It’s right on University so it’s easy to stop in and grab something to munch on on the way to Stern. Unfortunately, the line can get very long during passing time.

Chic Phone Cases

 I’ve always been very frugal when it comes to phone cases. Ebay, Amazon, and on special occasions, Etsy were the way to go. For my last phone, I had eight cases. All very cheap plastic, but in an array of pretty colors and patterns.

This time around, I decided to go a different route. After a lot of searching, I stumbled upon Vianel, a leather goods brand based in New York City. When I saw that they had my favorite shade of blue, I was instantly sold. There’s even a free monogramming included. My case is this beautiful blue lizard skin. It was $90 which I would consider outrageous for a phone case, but if you think of it as a leather good, it’s not so crazy. I think.

Just a few weeks ago, I went on Olivia Palermo’s Instagram (<3) just to see what my favorite girl crush goddess had been up to. I was shocked and actually incredibly happy to see that she’d purchased four cases from the same company (After I did)! Every day when I don’t know what to wear, I try to channel OP so being ahead of her on this made me feel just a little bit cooler haha.

Twinzies!

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My Room

  
If you couldn’t tell (but hopefully you can..because I designed it to be that way) my room looks very ‘Pinterest-y.’ I tried really hard to top the design I had last year (see below).

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The way I put together a room is actually the opposite of the way you would think. I used the same bedding as last year so I started with that, but the first thing I bought was the rug. I had a style in mind, one that you can check out on my Pinterest board below, but had no idea what I was looking for. I usually just wander around HomeGoods for a few hours just to see if anything hits me. And it did! This rug was on sale for NINE DOLLARS. Not too shabby.

https://www.pinterest.com/herseykisses/dorm-ideas/

From there, I had to figure out what to do with my walls. I loved last year’s washi tape wainscoting because it was so original and had a wow-factor, but I didn’t feel like doing the same thing again. If I copied myself, where would the wow be? After hours  on Pinterest, I came across this wall design that was in a few photos of fancy, chic closets. Framed shopping bags! It was so simple, I absolutely loved it.

Now in the images, the bags were all Chanel, Dior, Dolce Gabbana types – types poor college children like me don’t just have lying around. However, I still have a lot of shopping bags (nice ones…that I collect…and my friends think I’m a hoarder). This made the wall design perfect for me. I selected the bags largely because of their colors and design. I ended up with bags from Bebe, Dear New York (Zara), Promod (Paris), J.Crew, Birchbox, and the MoMa. I stuck each one into a glossy white frame and they were ready to hang!

The bedside table was something I’ve had lying around for ages that I just spray painted the same glossy white as the frames and it looks brand new!

The hardest part to make was the headboard. This year, I stepped it up and tried my hand at recreating a quilted look. For the sake of brevity, let’s just say there was a table saw, a drill, homemade buttons, a staple gun, toothpicks, hot glue, and a lot of man hours involved. I am in love with the final product though. The grey color really ties the grey of the rug in with the upper half of the room.

After typing all this out, I’m starting to realize that I may seem like a crazy lady for putting so much effort and planning into decorating a room that I’m only going to live in for nine months, but it’s kind of compulsive for me. I couldn’t not decorate and plan it all out. I know some people who bring their bedspreads, lay it out, and are all finished. I don’t think I could do that. Why not make a space as pretty as it can be, no matter how long or short a period you are there for?

Sartorial Stars – Grace

Grace H.
Madison, WI
Junior, University of Wisconsin
Digital Studies & Communication Arts

How would you describe your style in a few words?

“My style ranges from bohemian to chic. I like simple pieces that create a clean, minimalistic outfit.”

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Who is your fashion icon? Is there anyone you try to emulate when getting dressed?

“My fashion icon is Gigi Hadid. her street style is effortlessly chic.”

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What is your favorite trend to wear?

“My favorite trend right now is t-shirt dresses. Although it is difficult for me to find one that isn’t to boxy on me because I’m petite, the tight dress can be thrown on for a quick errand or paired with a necklace and sandals for a classier look.”

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And what’s your least favorite trend right now?

“My least favorite trend right now is overalls. Unless you are a painter, under five years old, or at a Wisco game day, they have no place in your closet.”

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What’s your favorite piece of clothing in your closet?

“My favorite thing in my closet is a pair of short, black leather boots with cut out stripes on the sides from Urban Outfitters. They were on sale for $30 and they are a versatile staple in my closet.”

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When you don’t know what to wear, what’s your go-to outfit?

“My go-to outfit is my grey t-shirt dress, black boots, and leather jacket.”

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What are some of your favorite stores to shop at?

“My favorite stores to shop at are Urban Outfitters, Revolve, Forever21, and Asos.”

New York

“The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. Or just The City. Whatever you call it, we’re all on the same page. New Yorkers are a special breed of human being that can live in tiny spaces and work extra long hours while dressing very well and being very beautiful.” -Homepolish

Fast Fashion

The crutch of all frugal Millennials, fast fashion has dominated the retail space. If you need a new dress for a night out or a new top for a date, Forever21 and Zara will always have something waiting for you at a cheap price. This low price, however, comes with low-quality fabric and (moreso for F21) unoriginal designs. Why buy a $200 versatile silk blouse when you could buy ten cheaper tops for the same price?

Sometimes at these stores, you can find a nice-looking piece that will last you ages. I have a shirt from Forever21 that I bought at least 5 years ago, but it’s not a nice top. I’ve been trying to invest in nicer, higher-quality pieces so that I can stop cluttering my closet with “trendy” fad clothing that is made of scratchy fabrics and may fall apart after a handful of washes. I cannot tell you how many peplum tops I bought from Forever21 in high school….and I never wear any of them anymore.

The main take away from all this is that fast fashion, although fun and affordable, is wasteful. It fits in perfectly with the consumerism and materialism Americans are known for. We buy what we want when we want it and just throw it out when we move on. This just seems ridiculous to me. Why not buy things that we will love and use for a longer time? You may like that polyester shirt from Zara this month, but when the trend passes, will you still want to wear it?

The answer is no, you won’t. And the stores know it so they refresh the merhcandise on the sales floor. Their businesses are built on our incessant appetite for new trends.

No need to run to your closet and toss out all of your shirts from F21 this second; they’re still useful shirts. Sometimes, Forever21 is the perfect place to get a going out blouse (one that you don’t mind getting drinks spilled on) when you’re in a time crunch. That’s what it’s there for. be careful not to grow dependent on these stores and waste your money each season stocking your closet with soon-to-be-irrelevant fads.