High Street Haul!

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~Kyla

Hot Spot! Affordable Luxury at The Marcel

If there is one thing i love about my life, it's that i get the opportunity to stay at a lot of hotels. The weirdest thing about it is that i stay hotels in my own city. I have also had the opportunity to travel internationally but stay-cations are fun because there is no travel time, security checks or airport layovers. The main purpose of me sharing my favorite hot spots with you is...1) This blog has readers from all over the world who might visit NYC and 2) Locals can always discover new places in our city.
I have lived here all my life and i still learn something new everyday. That my readers is the beauty of living here!

The Marcel Hotel at Gramercy Park is what i can an affordable luxury hotel. Its both chic and cheap which is hard to find in such a pricey city. When i arrived at the front desk, the attendant was welcoming and helpful even though my reservation hadn't fully went through the system yet. (I had booked my room 10 min earlier on a deal site) She gave me my key so i left the small yet fashionable lobby to head to my room. The number #1 thing that i look for in a hotel is that it is modern. That doesn't necessarily mean that it has to have modern furnishings, it means it must have updated furnishings and clean bedding. So when i slid my key hard into the door, i held my breath and hoped for the best. Instantly, i pleasantly surprised! My room was SPOTLESS and trust me i check! I inspected the mattress for bed bugs...None there! I ran my fingers across the shelves for dust...Clean. I checked my sheets, sink, bottom of the bed...everywhere! The room was immaculate as a higher end hotel would be. The decor was bright, trendy and infectious with positive energy. The room was tiny but i had expected that for only $119 a night. There was also complementary Wifi available in each room which was a nice touch. I didn't end up ordering room service so i can't comment on the quality of the food but the prices did seem reasonable. I called down to the front desk for garbage bags and they obliged. The bags were delivered to my room quickly at no extra charge. I was also informed that they offer complementary coffee in their lounge so i checked it out. What a view! The lounge had computers available as well as an area for lounging. There was even an outdoor deck area that would be amazing had it been hot weather. I went out for dinner to the Meatball Shop which i will probably write a separate post on. But after a long late night, it was nice to know that the hotel does have express checkout which is always a favorite of mine. Its a great way to get some extra shut eye in the morning and skip checkout lines. Overall, The Marcel at Gramercy Park exceed all my expectations for a hotel within its price point. You get a whole lot of "bang for your buck" here. Though my stay was short, i enjoyed every minute of it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it! I give this hotel 4/5 stars!

Photos courtesy of The Marcel

The Marcel at Gramercy 

201 E. 24th Street
New York, NY 10010
Tel: 212.696.3800

~K

Beauty Confessional: Makeup to the gym?!

Its no secret that the gym is not the best place to wear makeup. After all, the gym is a place to sweat. However, with the gym being a social place to meet up with friends or checkout hot guys, its hard to not want to look your best. If wearing makeup, it helps to know which products will keep you looking natural and won't break you out. Below are some of my tips, tricks and favorite products to wear to the gym.

TIP #1: In order to keep your gym beauty routine to minimal products i suggest you figure out which areas  are most important to you. For example, my most important features are my thick eyebrows, my lashes, my breakouts and my lips. Therefore eyebrow wax, foundation powder, mascara and lip balm are my most important items. Sure i wear other cosmetics if i am in the mood to but these are my absolute musts!

TIP #2: Looking natural at the gym is a priority. No one wants to look like they are trying hard even if we are :) A natural appearance can be achieved by using special products during application or by using products with a natural finish. For example, i use a damp beauty blender to blend out my foundation even if i am wearing powder. It sheers out my foundation and leaves me with a dewy finish.  I also Maybelline Baby Lips balm (15- Cherry Me) because it keeps my lips moisturized and gives me just enough color to look healthy without the done up look of a lip gloss or lipstick.

TIP #3: If you haven't found the right products for you, ask a friend! Often times you will have at least 1 girlfriend who also wears makeup to the gym. Maybe you didn't even know she did! Ask her if she recommends products that are perfect for working out.  If not ask your friends who have jobs or activities that are high energy. Aerobic instructors, police officers or even over achieving nurses have tips on keeping cute that could apply to you.

TIP #4: Mineral makeup lessens your chances of breaking out. So if you have blemish prone skin, pickup mineral makeup or specialized skin clearing makeup.

Here are some of my favorite products to use for workout situations:

*Please note i DO NOT wear all of these at the same time!

Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders - I prep my skin with this in the morning & night.

ELF Eyebrow gel - Perfect for taming hairs quickly & efficiently

Young Blood Mineral Primer - Makes makeup last through your workout

Beauty Blender - Sheers makeup giving it a dewy finish

Rimmel London Extra Super Lash - Does not flake through workouts

ELF Blush in Fuchsia Fusion - A light dust of this for a healthy blush

NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder - For a glow or to even out a tan. Doesn't break me out

Maybelline Baby Lips in 15 - Cherry Me - Perfect amount of color

Rimmel Special Eyes Eyeliner - Stays put, doesn't fall down my eyes.

**Water is also important. Drink tons of it everyday, especially during your workout. Healthy skin comes from within!

See you at the gym,

~K

5 Unnessary Things You Might Need

Because regular Starbucks Coffee cups are like metro cards, anyone can get one.

Step up your fashion game with this cup and removable studded sleeve from BCBG. $68 $40

I don't know what could be more glam then wearing Dior tattoos during the holiday season.

Weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth but wanna live the luxe life? Then this OPI x James Bond top coat is for you!

Whats more glam then telling your friends that your nails are painted with 18K gold flakes? $30-$60 

Red velvet heels? Check. Gold platform? Check. Jingle Bells? Check.

These Charlotte Olympia "Jingle Bell Dolly" heels are The Shoes of the holiday season.

Checkout the rest of her holiday collection, its a treat!

Because reading books on your kindle isn't as Pinterest worthy. These metallic F Scott Fitzgerald books are sure to look gorgeous on your bookshelf even if you are not a fan of reading.

Can't you see why you absolutely need these items?!

~K

My foundation is made by a home wrecker but I still love it!

If you are like me, you absolutely adore high coverage foundation. Nothing says glam like a flawless face! Seriously, you won't even need your concealer anymore. I have tried so many foundations but I haven't loved one more than the Kat Von D "Lock It" foundation! Im not the biggest fan of Kat Von D for obvious reasons but i can forgive her since i owe her for making my new fave makeup product! It's kinda on the pricey side (compared to drugstore) at $34 but you get a lot of product and you only need one pump! This foundation could be used for any type of skin, I tend to have an oily T zone yet it stays put for HOURS! I call this my party girl foundation because its the type you could put on at the beginning of your night and it will still be there for after hour photos. Unlike other foundations, this one comes in a ton of shades and even undertones! I would personally suggest stopping by Sephora to swatch it on yourself first to insure a perfect match before investing. But not only is this product my holy grail foundation but the packaging is pretty seductive too. To put it simply, I'm head over heels!

TIP: Blending Is key for a flawless application. This foundation Is a little thick so I suggest using a flat top brush, like ELF's powder brush, to keep the foundation full coverage. After I suggest blending it out with a damp beauty blender but try to avoid going over your concealed blemishes or the foundation with sheer out.

~K

Fashion Featured: Snapette Blog

I had the pleasure of being interviewed and featured on the Snapette blog! If your not familiar with Snapette, it is an iPhone/android application that allows users to "snap" pictures of clothing items while in store and post them online. Like wise, it allows users to search for clothing by store, search for stores by area, and checkout what other users are posting all over the world. Generally, it's just a freaking amazing app! Best of all, it's free! If you would like to read my interview, you can do so on their blog. Otherwise you can scroll down to checkout some of the still images from the app!

~K

Polka Dot Sweater.

When i spotted this sweater at the store, i knew i had to have it. It was the last one so it felt like it was meant to be. But every one's eyes were on it so i kept a close watch on my cart. I got asked by multiple people if i was sure that i was going to buy it because if not they wanted it. Well, obviously they just fueled my obsession with the sweater because i bought it immediately. Here i have worn it over a dress and paired it with tights for a winter appropriate look.

Dress Like Kyla!

Sweater: TJ Max (Exact sweater found here)

Dress (used as a skirt): H&M (Similar here)

Tights: unknown

Shoes: unknown

Earrings: Forever 21 (Similar here)

Cuff: H&M

~K