Fall/Autumn is probably one of the best seasons for memorable and spectacular photoshoot for your entire family. Today, I want to share with you a few ideas where to do your Fall/Autumn family photo shoot:

Fall Foliage

You should always take advantage of this colorful season and find the best Fall foliage in your area to have Fall family photoshoot. There is nothing more beautiful in Fall photos than color-changed leaves in your background (or falling down like in this picture where my daughter is posing in Fall photoshoot)

My Daughter in Fall Foliage 

Blooming Sunflower Trail

One of the most beautiful props for your Fall photoshoot can be blooming sunflower trail. If you can also incorporate something yellow in your family outfits, it would look even more spectacular.

Corn Maze

Another great location for your Fall photoshoot can be corn maze _ not only your family will have fun finding their way through corn maze but it can also be a great spot for your Fall photoshoot.

Pumpkin Patch

How can we talk about Fall photoshoot props without mentioning one of this season's iconic photo prop like pumpkin. Wether you go to pumpkin patch or just have one or two at home, you can always incorporate them in your photoshoot.

Lit Pumpkin Display_ perfect for Fall photo background 

Apple Picking

Apple picking can be not only fun seasonal activity for your family but also a perfect place to use as your Fall photoshoot location. 

Halloween Event

Last but not least, you can always use Halloween events as memorable props for your Fall photos. 

I'm in lit Pumpkin Display

Do you have a tradition to do Fall family photoshoot every year? Maybe you already have your favorite places for that? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading , and until Wednesday.

STAY  FABULOUS!

• November 01, 2021
• Fall Photoshoot

Where to do Fall/Autumn family photoshoot in 2021

 

Fall/Autumn is probably one of the best seasons for memorable and spectacular photoshoot for your entire family. Today, I want to share with you a few ideas where to do your Fall/Autumn family photo shoot:

Fall Foliage

You should always take advantage of this colorful season and find the best Fall foliage in your area to have Fall family photoshoot. There is nothing more beautiful in Fall photos than color-changed leaves in your background (or falling down like in this picture where my daughter is posing in Fall photoshoot)

My Daughter in Fall Foliage 

Blooming Sunflower Trail

One of the most beautiful props for your Fall photoshoot can be blooming sunflower trail. If you can also incorporate something yellow in your family outfits, it would look even more spectacular.

Corn Maze

Another great location for your Fall photoshoot can be corn maze _ not only your family will have fun finding their way through corn maze but it can also be a great spot for your Fall photoshoot.

Pumpkin Patch

How can we talk about Fall photoshoot props without mentioning one of this season's iconic photo prop like pumpkin. Wether you go to pumpkin patch or just have one or two at home, you can always incorporate them in your photoshoot.

Lit Pumpkin Display_ perfect for Fall photo background 

Apple Picking

Apple picking can be not only fun seasonal activity for your family but also a perfect place to use as your Fall photoshoot location. 

Halloween Event

Last but not least, you can always use Halloween events as memorable props for your Fall photos. 

I'm in lit Pumpkin Display

Do you have a tradition to do Fall family photoshoot every year? Maybe you already have your favorite places for that? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading , and until Wednesday.

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »

  Created by the house of Gucci, "Bloom" is a perfumer Alberto Morilla's vision of a green fragrance come to life that transports you to a vast garden filled with many flowers and plants, lots of plants.

Gucci "Bloom" Notes

Gucci "Bloom" is a floral perfume with main notes of natural Tuberose, harvested from India that is mixed with natural Jasmine. This perfume also features notes from another plant, used in perfume-making for the first time_ the Rangoon Creeper. Discovered in South India, the Rangoon Creeper embodies the new scent's concept as it changes color from white to pink to red, when it blooms. 

Gucci "Bloom"

                                                         Gucci "Bloom" Design and lasting power

The bottle of "Bloom" is feminine with retro feel. A vintage powder pink shades lacquered porcelain square-shaped bottle, with the Gucci label ribbed and framed in Black. I love the sleek and sophisticated look of this bottle.

As for lasting power, "Bloom" lasts almost all day without being too strong or overwhelming, so you can easily wear during a day. 

Gucci "Bloom" perfume

To sum up

Gucci "Bloom" is a lovely perfume to wear during a day, a slightly floral fragrance with strong green notes that makes you feel like you are surrounded by plants and some flowers too. If you are looking for a warm, sweet, earthy perfume for your night out, this is not for you but if you want to try something slightly floral day perfume with green notes, than you may enjoy wearing Gucci "Bloom".

Even though it's an expensive perfume (it's Gucci after all) the bottle lasts for a very long time. I have been using it last two years at least few times a week and and it hasn't finished yet, and  I feel like it will never finish LOL.

Have you used Gucci "Bloom" yet? How you liked the scent? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading and commenting.

STAY  FABULOUS!

• October 25, 2021
• Fragrance

Gucci "Bloom" Perfume _ green and floral

  Created by the house of Gucci, "Bloom" is a perfumer Alberto Morilla's vision of a green fragrance come to life that transports you to a vast garden filled with many flowers and plants, lots of plants.

Gucci "Bloom" Notes

Gucci "Bloom" is a floral perfume with main notes of natural Tuberose, harvested from India that is mixed with natural Jasmine. This perfume also features notes from another plant, used in perfume-making for the first time_ the Rangoon Creeper. Discovered in South India, the Rangoon Creeper embodies the new scent's concept as it changes color from white to pink to red, when it blooms. 

Gucci "Bloom"

                                                         Gucci "Bloom" Design and lasting power

The bottle of "Bloom" is feminine with retro feel. A vintage powder pink shades lacquered porcelain square-shaped bottle, with the Gucci label ribbed and framed in Black. I love the sleek and sophisticated look of this bottle.

As for lasting power, "Bloom" lasts almost all day without being too strong or overwhelming, so you can easily wear during a day. 

Gucci "Bloom" perfume

To sum up

Gucci "Bloom" is a lovely perfume to wear during a day, a slightly floral fragrance with strong green notes that makes you feel like you are surrounded by plants and some flowers too. If you are looking for a warm, sweet, earthy perfume for your night out, this is not for you but if you want to try something slightly floral day perfume with green notes, than you may enjoy wearing Gucci "Bloom".

Even though it's an expensive perfume (it's Gucci after all) the bottle lasts for a very long time. I have been using it last two years at least few times a week and and it hasn't finished yet, and  I feel like it will never finish LOL.

Have you used Gucci "Bloom" yet? How you liked the scent? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading and commenting.

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »

Today I continue talking about my recent trip to Boston.You can see my previous post here: Boston Travel Guide 2021 _ Marriott Long Wharf, Union Oyster House, Boston Common

Near Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel

 Day 2

Next morning, after quick breakfast at Boston Marriott Long Wharf, we took a 30-minute stroll to the Museum of Science of Boston. (yes, we mostly walked from the moment we parked our car in the garage of our hotel to the moment we checked out from the hotel). 

Boston, MA

Museum of Science of Boston is a science museum with an indoor zoo that is located in Science park. It features different temporary exhibits (more than 700 interactive exhibits), as well as IMAX films, and Planetarium shows. While some of the exhibitions were more for older kids, my 10 years old still enjoyed most of the part.

Boston Museum of Science

After spending about 3 hours in the museum of Science, it was time to have lunch. And, since we were still under previous night's "magical" North End influence, we decided to go back to the same Italian restaurant. Unfortunately, my husband and daughter didn't enjoy their meals this time, my Alfredo pasta came delicious though. (Don't mind a piece of fried chicken breast in tomato sauce _ laying on top of my pasta, in the picture below LOL. My daughter insisted to share it with me.) After our lunch, it was time to go to the hotel and have some rest before going out again.

Italian Neighborhood in Boston

Pasta "Alfredo" 

After some rest and double-shot of espresso, it was time to go to our next destination but because of rain forecast, instead of walking to Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum that was about 15 minutes away, we walked to Faneuil Hall Marketplace (less than 5 minutes away) __ it's a marketplace and meeting hall that is located near the Waterfront. 

Double Espresso in Marriott Long Wharf

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, also called Quincy Market offers a lot of stores, including local shops and international brands, also restaurants and street performers. We stayed in Quincy Market, shopped in the stores, (we even found Christmas store where we spend time choosing our Christmas ornaments) and then had some delicious dinner. We were glad we didn't walk too far because on our way to the hotel it started raining, so we rushed back to the room, hoping that next morning the weather would be better.

Day 3

Next day, we woke up to a rainy morning, and even though we couldn't enjoy walking in beautiful streets of Boston, we decided to make best out of our trip and went to The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. 

As we expected it was an absolutely amazing experience for all of us. The interesting fact: The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is 14th largest art museum in the world. It contains more than 450,000 works of art.

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

Unfortunately we couldn't see everything, but we saw most of the exhibitions, including: European Painting 1550-1700, Art of the English Regency, South and South-East Asian Art, Arts of Islamic Cultures, Arts of Korea, British Arts 1500-1800.

After the museum visit, we stopped by at the Panera Bread to grab some flat pizza bread and some pastries, and as sad as it was , we had to come back home earlier but we decided to visit Boston again and see everything we couldn't see on our first trip.

Thanks for reading. 

Stay Fabulous!

• September 06, 2021

Boston Travel guide 2021 (part 2) _ Museum of Science, Museum of Fine Arts, Quincy Market

Today I continue talking about my recent trip to Boston.You can see my previous post here: Boston Travel Guide 2021 _ Marriott Long Wharf, Union Oyster House, Boston Common

Near Boston Marriott Long Wharf hotel

 Day 2

Next morning, after quick breakfast at Boston Marriott Long Wharf, we took a 30-minute stroll to the Museum of Science of Boston. (yes, we mostly walked from the moment we parked our car in the garage of our hotel to the moment we checked out from the hotel). 

Boston, MA

Museum of Science of Boston is a science museum with an indoor zoo that is located in Science park. It features different temporary exhibits (more than 700 interactive exhibits), as well as IMAX films, and Planetarium shows. While some of the exhibitions were more for older kids, my 10 years old still enjoyed most of the part.

Boston Museum of Science

After spending about 3 hours in the museum of Science, it was time to have lunch. And, since we were still under previous night's "magical" North End influence, we decided to go back to the same Italian restaurant. Unfortunately, my husband and daughter didn't enjoy their meals this time, my Alfredo pasta came delicious though. (Don't mind a piece of fried chicken breast in tomato sauce _ laying on top of my pasta, in the picture below LOL. My daughter insisted to share it with me.) After our lunch, it was time to go to the hotel and have some rest before going out again.

Italian Neighborhood in Boston

Pasta "Alfredo" 

After some rest and double-shot of espresso, it was time to go to our next destination but because of rain forecast, instead of walking to Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum that was about 15 minutes away, we walked to Faneuil Hall Marketplace (less than 5 minutes away) __ it's a marketplace and meeting hall that is located near the Waterfront. 

Double Espresso in Marriott Long Wharf

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, also called Quincy Market offers a lot of stores, including local shops and international brands, also restaurants and street performers. We stayed in Quincy Market, shopped in the stores, (we even found Christmas store where we spend time choosing our Christmas ornaments) and then had some delicious dinner. We were glad we didn't walk too far because on our way to the hotel it started raining, so we rushed back to the room, hoping that next morning the weather would be better.

Day 3

Next day, we woke up to a rainy morning, and even though we couldn't enjoy walking in beautiful streets of Boston, we decided to make best out of our trip and went to The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. 

As we expected it was an absolutely amazing experience for all of us. The interesting fact: The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is 14th largest art museum in the world. It contains more than 450,000 works of art.

Museum of Fine Arts in Boston

Unfortunately we couldn't see everything, but we saw most of the exhibitions, including: European Painting 1550-1700, Art of the English Regency, South and South-East Asian Art, Arts of Islamic Cultures, Arts of Korea, British Arts 1500-1800.

After the museum visit, we stopped by at the Panera Bread to grab some flat pizza bread and some pastries, and as sad as it was , we had to come back home earlier but we decided to visit Boston again and see everything we couldn't see on our first trip.

Thanks for reading. 

Stay Fabulous!

Read more »

Three weeks ago, after my daughter finished her summer camp, we just packed our suitcases and went to Boston for a few days.

Boston, MA

It was very exciting trip for us not only because we were visiting Boston for the first time but also, because it was our first travel since the Pandemic started. After our 4-hour drive, we finally arrived at our hotel __ Boston Marriott Long Wharf. 

                            Boston Marriott Long Wharf

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston, MA

What we liked:

• The location: Marriott Long Wharf is conveniently located within walking distance from a few historical sites/ tourist attractions, including Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum, Boston Aquarium, Faneuil Hall.
• Views: The views from the room as well as from a dining area of the hotel were amazing.
• The stuff: The stuff was very nice.

What we did not like:

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Waterfront, Boston

• No privacy in the bathroom: there was absolutely no privacy while using a bathroom, "thanks to" its sliding door that was not closing completely. 
• The shower and sink had zero pressure.
• The breakfast buffet was average for a 4-star hotel.

After checked in, we went out to explore Boston and find a place to have lunch. We walked to Union street and found this charming seafood restaurant called Union Oyster House and decided to have lunch there. 

                           Union Oyster House __ the oldest restaurant in Boston

 The history of this oldest restaurant of Boston is fascinating __they had been serving their customers since 1826. The interior of this place looked nothing like any other restaurant we had ever visited, but the food was not as great as the vibe of the restaurant.

 I ordered my first ever Boston Lobster Roll that was priced as "market price" that apparently was $38. It was a small bun with tiny bit of lobster and some French fries. I was not impressed at all, my husband didn't like his lunch either, so probably there is no need to admit that after we spend over $100 for our tasteless lunch, we will not go to Union Oyster House anytime soon.

Union Oyster House _ the oldest restaurant in Boston

After our first disappointing lunch in Boston, we continue walking in the neighborhoods to see the Old State House, and Boston Massacre site. 

Old State House, Boston

Boston Massacre Site

From there, we went to Boston Common __ another historical place on Freedom Trail. We took a 5-minute swan boat ride in a pond, in the middle of the park. It was a wonderful experience, there were many docks in the water while passing by with our swan-shaped boat and it looked amazing. This was my daughter's favorite part of our vacation.

Boston Common

Boston Common _ public garden

 By the time we went out of Boston Common, it was already dinner time, so we decided to go to The North End __ Italian neighborhood of Boston, we were so happy we did. It was the most charming place we had gone to Boston during our trip. The sun was going down and you could see the sunset reflection on the flowers that were lined up along the outdoor dining tables. And when those outdoor sitting areas were lit up by night light, the whole place looked magical. I'm not gonna lie, at some point I felt like I was in Rome again. 

Little Italy, Boston

The delicious salad in Italian restaurant

 We ended up going to one of the Italian restaurants for dinner. I got my salad with grilled chicken that tasted heavenly, the rest of the ordered food also tasted delicious. 

 After our tasteful dinner and positive mood, we walked back to the hotel, still talking about how beautiful Italian neighborhood of Boston looked. 

Let me finish here and make sure you check out part 2 of our Boston travel journey.

P.S. I'm so happy to be back to blogging after a very long break. There were many reasons I couldn't be active on social media but I'm back and I'm planning to post on the blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Missed you all, and see you again on the blog on Friday.

Thanks for reading. 

STAY  FABULOUS!

• September 01, 2021
• Boston

Boston Travel guide 2021 (part 1) __ Marriott Long Warf, Union Oyster House, Boston Common

Three weeks ago, after my daughter finished her summer camp, we just packed our suitcases and went to Boston for a few days.

Boston, MA

It was very exciting trip for us not only because we were visiting Boston for the first time but also, because it was our first travel since the Pandemic started. After our 4-hour drive, we finally arrived at our hotel __ Boston Marriott Long Wharf. 

                            Boston Marriott Long Wharf

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston, MA

What we liked:

• The location: Marriott Long Wharf is conveniently located within walking distance from a few historical sites/ tourist attractions, including Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum, Boston Aquarium, Faneuil Hall.
• Views: The views from the room as well as from a dining area of the hotel were amazing.
• The stuff: The stuff was very nice.

What we did not like:

Boston Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Waterfront, Boston

• No privacy in the bathroom: there was absolutely no privacy while using a bathroom, "thanks to" its sliding door that was not closing completely. 
• The shower and sink had zero pressure.
• The breakfast buffet was average for a 4-star hotel.

After checked in, we went out to explore Boston and find a place to have lunch. We walked to Union street and found this charming seafood restaurant called Union Oyster House and decided to have lunch there. 

                           Union Oyster House __ the oldest restaurant in Boston

 The history of this oldest restaurant of Boston is fascinating __they had been serving their customers since 1826. The interior of this place looked nothing like any other restaurant we had ever visited, but the food was not as great as the vibe of the restaurant.

 I ordered my first ever Boston Lobster Roll that was priced as "market price" that apparently was $38. It was a small bun with tiny bit of lobster and some French fries. I was not impressed at all, my husband didn't like his lunch either, so probably there is no need to admit that after we spend over $100 for our tasteless lunch, we will not go to Union Oyster House anytime soon.

Union Oyster House _ the oldest restaurant in Boston

After our first disappointing lunch in Boston, we continue walking in the neighborhoods to see the Old State House, and Boston Massacre site. 

Old State House, Boston

Boston Massacre Site

From there, we went to Boston Common __ another historical place on Freedom Trail. We took a 5-minute swan boat ride in a pond, in the middle of the park. It was a wonderful experience, there were many docks in the water while passing by with our swan-shaped boat and it looked amazing. This was my daughter's favorite part of our vacation.

Boston Common

Boston Common _ public garden

 By the time we went out of Boston Common, it was already dinner time, so we decided to go to The North End __ Italian neighborhood of Boston, we were so happy we did. It was the most charming place we had gone to Boston during our trip. The sun was going down and you could see the sunset reflection on the flowers that were lined up along the outdoor dining tables. And when those outdoor sitting areas were lit up by night light, the whole place looked magical. I'm not gonna lie, at some point I felt like I was in Rome again. 

Little Italy, Boston

The delicious salad in Italian restaurant

 We ended up going to one of the Italian restaurants for dinner. I got my salad with grilled chicken that tasted heavenly, the rest of the ordered food also tasted delicious. 

 After our tasteful dinner and positive mood, we walked back to the hotel, still talking about how beautiful Italian neighborhood of Boston looked. 

Let me finish here and make sure you check out part 2 of our Boston travel journey.

P.S. I'm so happy to be back to blogging after a very long break. There were many reasons I couldn't be active on social media but I'm back and I'm planning to post on the blog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Missed you all, and see you again on the blog on Friday.

Thanks for reading. 

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »

 

 Today I want to show you two new products that I had recently added to my everyday makeup routine: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer. Let me start from the setting powder.

                                   Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder

This Hourglass translucent setting powder is an ultra-refined powder formulated with light-reflecting particles to blur imperfections. As the brand describes, Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting powder blurs the appearance of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles for an airbrushed finish.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

It features an innovative gold sifter and custom cap which allow for the perfect amount of product to be dispensed. I've never had any issue with it so far. 

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder 

You will appreciate the fact that this translucent setting powder doesn't contain talk, so because of that , it leaves an absolutely invisible finish , making it perfect for all skin tones. This powder is also formulated without Parabens.

It's very finely milled so it doesn't leave powdery look on my dry skin. I apply this Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder after my La Mer liquid foundation and it creates an amazing natural finish.

No let's move on to another product from Hourglass: Ambient Lighting Bronzer that I bought in travel size and I'm glad I did, because this bronzer will probably last me forever. 

                                     Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

This Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer fuses the illuminating effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with bronze pigments to add depth and dimension for a sun-kissed glow.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

The hand-made powders are formulated using an advanced miscelare technique to create the perfect balance of pigment and powder, and no two look alike. This bronzer can be worn alone for subtle warmth and contouring or paired with a setting powder.

I use the darker part of this bronzer as a bronzer, but the lighter part for highlighting, but you can simply use  it as a bronzer. 

I like the fact that it's not too shimmery, even though it has some simmer to it, and just like Hourglass setting powder that I was talking about in this post, this bronzer is also free from Parabens.

These were definitely great addition to my makeup collection but will I repurchase them? __ probably not, because even though I really like both products, I also like to give a try to other products. 

Thanks for reading!

• January 17, 2021
• Beauty

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer review

 

 Today I want to show you two new products that I had recently added to my everyday makeup routine: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer. Let me start from the setting powder.

                                   Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder

This Hourglass translucent setting powder is an ultra-refined powder formulated with light-reflecting particles to blur imperfections. As the brand describes, Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting powder blurs the appearance of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles for an airbrushed finish.

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting powder and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

It features an innovative gold sifter and custom cap which allow for the perfect amount of product to be dispensed. I've never had any issue with it so far. 

Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder 

You will appreciate the fact that this translucent setting powder doesn't contain talk, so because of that , it leaves an absolutely invisible finish , making it perfect for all skin tones. This powder is also formulated without Parabens.

It's very finely milled so it doesn't leave powdery look on my dry skin. I apply this Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder after my La Mer liquid foundation and it creates an amazing natural finish.

No let's move on to another product from Hourglass: Ambient Lighting Bronzer that I bought in travel size and I'm glad I did, because this bronzer will probably last me forever. 

                                     Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

This Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer fuses the illuminating effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with bronze pigments to add depth and dimension for a sun-kissed glow.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer 

The hand-made powders are formulated using an advanced miscelare technique to create the perfect balance of pigment and powder, and no two look alike. This bronzer can be worn alone for subtle warmth and contouring or paired with a setting powder.

I use the darker part of this bronzer as a bronzer, but the lighter part for highlighting, but you can simply use  it as a bronzer. 

I like the fact that it's not too shimmery, even though it has some simmer to it, and just like Hourglass setting powder that I was talking about in this post, this bronzer is also free from Parabens.

These were definitely great addition to my makeup collection but will I repurchase them? __ probably not, because even though I really like both products, I also like to give a try to other products. 

Thanks for reading!

Read more »

This year, due to pandemic, I'm all about outdoor activities,  and when I found out about The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Van Cortlandt, New York, while googling our next possible destination for the family fun, I knew we had to take this opportunity and visit it.

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is an outdoor display of more then 7,000 illuminated jack o'lanterns (all designed and hand-carved on site) in New York state , and its equally beautiful and impressive in daylight as well as in night time. We purposely purchased the ticket for 5 P.M. so that we could see before sunset as well as after, and it turned out like the best decision. 

Things to know before visiting The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze:

• Tickets must be purchased online in advance so that you will get your time slot. As they explained timed ticketing help them maintain safe hourly visitor counts, so I've had no complains about that.
• You can get there 30 minutes before your time slot but you will not be able to park your car yet. There will be cars lined up outside of the property's parking lot, and as your time comes, your tickets will be scanned and you will be allowed to enter the event at the time on your ticket. 
• The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze experience lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace.

• Photography and video recording for personal use are permitted, but they don't allow tripods or monopods.
• It's a one-way walk-through illuminated displays of 7,000 pumpkins.
• pets are not allowed
• Tickets are not refundable but they are exchangeable to another date/timeslot if that date/time is available , up to 72 hours in advance of your reserved time slot. There is a $2 per ticket exchange fee.
• Tickets cost $48 adult and $40 child (3-17)

Even though this event is not available this year anymore, you can visit it next year, since this is a yearly event. Just bookmark this post and check back next fall. 

Thanks for reading lovelies.

• December 07, 2020

Things to know before visiting The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, in Historical Hudson Valley, New York

This year, due to pandemic, I'm all about outdoor activities,  and when I found out about The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Van Cortlandt, New York, while googling our next possible destination for the family fun, I knew we had to take this opportunity and visit it.

The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze is an outdoor display of more then 7,000 illuminated jack o'lanterns (all designed and hand-carved on site) in New York state , and its equally beautiful and impressive in daylight as well as in night time. We purposely purchased the ticket for 5 P.M. so that we could see before sunset as well as after, and it turned out like the best decision. 

Things to know before visiting The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze:

• Tickets must be purchased online in advance so that you will get your time slot. As they explained timed ticketing help them maintain safe hourly visitor counts, so I've had no complains about that.
• You can get there 30 minutes before your time slot but you will not be able to park your car yet. There will be cars lined up outside of the property's parking lot, and as your time comes, your tickets will be scanned and you will be allowed to enter the event at the time on your ticket. 
• The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze experience lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your pace.

• Photography and video recording for personal use are permitted, but they don't allow tripods or monopods.
• It's a one-way walk-through illuminated displays of 7,000 pumpkins.
• pets are not allowed
• Tickets are not refundable but they are exchangeable to another date/timeslot if that date/time is available , up to 72 hours in advance of your reserved time slot. There is a $2 per ticket exchange fee.
• Tickets cost $48 adult and $40 child (3-17)

Even though this event is not available this year anymore, you can visit it next year, since this is a yearly event. Just bookmark this post and check back next fall. 

Thanks for reading lovelies.

Read more »

 In the age of Corona Virus, when you constantly worry about the safety of you and your family while planning your next weekend getaway or when you're just trying to figure out where to spend time in your local area, there are few places where you can still enjoy spending time safely and one of those places has to be a botanical garden, specifically New Jersey Botanical Garden (if you live in the area.)

New Jersey Botanical Garden, Fall 2020

New Jersey Botanical Garden, Fall 2020

NJ Botanical Garden

This beautiful property is located in Ringwood State Park in Ringwood, New Jersey. We visited this botanical garden on a sunny Saturday afternoon and even though it was totally spontaneous trip of 50 minute-drive, we enjoyed spending almost three hours there.

What can you do in New Jersey Botanical Garden:

• Stroll around the garden and enjoy the surrounding nature full of flowers and trees of different varieties and the Fall scenery (if you visit in Fall.)
• Bring your family or friends along and have a picnic here. You can enjoy spending time with them while social distancing.
• Go for a hike. One of the three parking lots has direct access to trails. That means that you can hike in Ringwood State Park (since this botanical garden is the part of it.)
• Take photos. Whether you want to have a professional photoshoot or just quick cellphone shots, this is a great place to capture your memories.

The only downside is that it was little tricky to navigate through the property due to lack of clear marking and direction. Because of that, we could not find couple of spots in the property that we wanted to see. We are planning to go back one of the weekends (if weather permits) and this time we will be well prepared how to get to certain parts of the property that we missed the first time. Overall, it was very nice spending time there, my 9 year old had a blast, anyways, haha.

How do you spend your weekends in this taught time? Let me know in the comments section. 

• November 16, 2020

Things to do in New Jersey Botanical Garden in Ringwood, NJ

 In the age of Corona Virus, when you constantly worry about the safety of you and your family while planning your next weekend getaway or when you're just trying to figure out where to spend time in your local area, there are few places where you can still enjoy spending time safely and one of those places has to be a botanical garden, specifically New Jersey Botanical Garden (if you live in the area.)

New Jersey Botanical Garden, Fall 2020

New Jersey Botanical Garden, Fall 2020

NJ Botanical Garden

This beautiful property is located in Ringwood State Park in Ringwood, New Jersey. We visited this botanical garden on a sunny Saturday afternoon and even though it was totally spontaneous trip of 50 minute-drive, we enjoyed spending almost three hours there.

What can you do in New Jersey Botanical Garden:

• Stroll around the garden and enjoy the surrounding nature full of flowers and trees of different varieties and the Fall scenery (if you visit in Fall.)
• Bring your family or friends along and have a picnic here. You can enjoy spending time with them while social distancing.
• Go for a hike. One of the three parking lots has direct access to trails. That means that you can hike in Ringwood State Park (since this botanical garden is the part of it.)
• Take photos. Whether you want to have a professional photoshoot or just quick cellphone shots, this is a great place to capture your memories.

The only downside is that it was little tricky to navigate through the property due to lack of clear marking and direction. Because of that, we could not find couple of spots in the property that we wanted to see. We are planning to go back one of the weekends (if weather permits) and this time we will be well prepared how to get to certain parts of the property that we missed the first time. Overall, it was very nice spending time there, my 9 year old had a blast, anyways, haha.

How do you spend your weekends in this taught time? Let me know in the comments section. 

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Happy Monday lovelies,
I hope everyone is healthy and safe. I know it took me much longer than you probably expected but I'm back and today I want to share with you my thoughts on this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30," as I promised couple of weeks ago.

"ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30" is a lightweight moisturizing Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30 that gives skin Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB coverage, and also, environmental protection, while the lightly tinted formula gives skin a smooth finish.

Couple of things to know about this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30:"

• It's lightly tinted
• Contains Shea Butter and EveningPrimrose to hydrate skin
• Contains Green Tea and Cucumber to help smooth and hydrate skin
• It has UVA/UVB protection
• It's water resistant up to 80 minutes
• It's free of mineral oil, parabens, and sulfates.

The number one reason you will enjoy wearing this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30" is that it doesn't leave white cast on the skin, like most sunscreens do. Not irritating my sensitive skin is another reason I like this tinted moisturizer.

Now let's talk about the only reason I wouldn't give this product a five star __ it has light tint to it, wich would be perfectly fine but it becomes kind of pink-ish later. You can easily cuver up that pinkish tone with your pressed powder but if you prefer to wear just sunscreen, then it might be the issue for you.  Other than that, I think this is a nice tinted moisturizer with SPF30 in it , especially in this price range.

     

                                                                    Stay safe and stay fabulous!

• June 28, 2020
• Beauty

ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30 review

Happy Monday lovelies,
I hope everyone is healthy and safe. I know it took me much longer than you probably expected but I'm back and today I want to share with you my thoughts on this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30," as I promised couple of weeks ago.

"ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30" is a lightweight moisturizing Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30 that gives skin Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB coverage, and also, environmental protection, while the lightly tinted formula gives skin a smooth finish.

Couple of things to know about this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30:"

• It's lightly tinted
• Contains Shea Butter and EveningPrimrose to hydrate skin
• Contains Green Tea and Cucumber to help smooth and hydrate skin
• It has UVA/UVB protection
• It's water resistant up to 80 minutes
• It's free of mineral oil, parabens, and sulfates.

The number one reason you will enjoy wearing this "ULTA Tinted Mineral Face Lotion SPF30" is that it doesn't leave white cast on the skin, like most sunscreens do. Not irritating my sensitive skin is another reason I like this tinted moisturizer.

Now let's talk about the only reason I wouldn't give this product a five star __ it has light tint to it, wich would be perfectly fine but it becomes kind of pink-ish later. You can easily cuver up that pinkish tone with your pressed powder but if you prefer to wear just sunscreen, then it might be the issue for you.  Other than that, I think this is a nice tinted moisturizer with SPF30 in it , especially in this price range.

     

                                                                    Stay safe and stay fabulous!

Read more »

Happy Monday lovelies,

I hope everyone is safe and staying home. Honestly, I was not sure, it was appropriate to blog during the hardest time of our life when Coronavirus hit the world, and destroyd our everyday routine,  and most importantly, took so many people's life...

But after first few week's of shock _ seeing how this vicious virus affected New York City that is only few miles away from our house, I realized that social distancing was already so hard for people that if we stayed away from social media/blogging, it would put us in absolute social isolation and that is never safe for our health. 

New York City

So, I decided to continue blogging as a way of getting our mind off the shocking news we all read every day, and at least, couple of minutes a day, enjoy reading the topics that we used to enjoy. 

I hope, we will be able to stay positive even during this kind of horrible time and remind ourselves that we will get through this. 

Please, stay home, and stay safe!

• April 06, 2020
• Lifestyle

Stay home and stay safe

Happy Monday lovelies,

I hope everyone is safe and staying home. Honestly, I was not sure, it was appropriate to blog during the hardest time of our life when Coronavirus hit the world, and destroyd our everyday routine,  and most importantly, took so many people's life...

But after first few week's of shock _ seeing how this vicious virus affected New York City that is only few miles away from our house, I realized that social distancing was already so hard for people that if we stayed away from social media/blogging, it would put us in absolute social isolation and that is never safe for our health. 

New York City

So, I decided to continue blogging as a way of getting our mind off the shocking news we all read every day, and at least, couple of minutes a day, enjoy reading the topics that we used to enjoy. 

I hope, we will be able to stay positive even during this kind of horrible time and remind ourselves that we will get through this. 

Please, stay home, and stay safe!

Read more »

I've always been Sephora gal from being Beauty Insider to VIB ROUGE over the years but I recently ended up shopping at Ulta store for the first time, for a particular sunscreen.

Even though I couldn't find that exact product, I purchased this UltaBeauty Mineral Matte Tinted Face Lotion SPF30, and signed up for Ulta Reward Program which is free.

As a welcome gift, I received this cute pink makeup bag, also, BareMinerals Prime Time Original foundation primer, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Peeling mousse (which I yet to use) and these cute Invisi Bobble traceless hair rings.

I am going to do a quick review of this UltaBeauty Mineral Matte Tinted Face Lotion on Wednesday, so far it seems like a good sunscreen option for my skin. Have you used any of these products? Let me know in the commnets below.
Wish you all a wonderful first week of March.

STAY  FABULOUS!

• March 02, 2020
• Beauty

My first-ever Ulta purchase and gifts

I've always been Sephora gal from being Beauty Insider to VIB ROUGE over the years but I recently ended up shopping at Ulta store for the first time, for a particular sunscreen.

Even though I couldn't find that exact product, I purchased this UltaBeauty Mineral Matte Tinted Face Lotion SPF30, and signed up for Ulta Reward Program which is free.

As a welcome gift, I received this cute pink makeup bag, also, BareMinerals Prime Time Original foundation primer, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Peeling mousse (which I yet to use) and these cute Invisi Bobble traceless hair rings.

I am going to do a quick review of this UltaBeauty Mineral Matte Tinted Face Lotion on Wednesday, so far it seems like a good sunscreen option for my skin. Have you used any of these products? Let me know in the commnets below.
Wish you all a wonderful first week of March.

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »

Free, bold and connected young women were the ones that inspired creator of Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum to create this fragrance, those "young women who turn expectation on its head, swim against the tide, impose their own rhythm, invert a brand new tempo."

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum

I got this Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum gift set as one of my birthday presents back in November and quite honestly, I was little disappointed with the strong old-fashion scent. Perhaps, I was expected something like my all-time paforite perfume _ Hermes Les Aux de Marveilles. 

This perfume gift set includes:

- Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum (full size)

- Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum (mini size)

- Twilly d'Hermes Moisturizing Body Lotion

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum gift set

Twilly d'Hermes is not a light, sophisticated everyday perfume you would wear in the office, it's a floral fragrance but it's also sweet and spicy with oriental notes. Speaking of notes, let's mention that main notes in this perfume are ginger, tuberose and sandalwood.

I, actually, like light floral scents but here _ floral tones are mixed with spiciness (ginger is one of the top notes in this fragrance, after all,) and sweetness that makes me feel like I can't tolerate this scent for too long.

Don't take me wrong, it's not a bad fragrance, it's just not for me. 

Packaging is adorable, as you can see, the bowler hat lid with Hermes tiny scarf.  As for staying power, it lasts almost all day.

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum full and travel size

If you like light scents, you should skip this fragrance but if you like sweet, floral, strong, spicy scents, you should check this out , you may find your next signature scent. 

Have you worn this fragrance yet? How you liked it? Let me know in the comments below.

Wish you all a wonderful day!

STAY  FABULOUS!

• February 05, 2020
• Beauty

Hermes "Twilly d'Hermes" Eau de Parfum Gift Set Review

Free, bold and connected young women were the ones that inspired creator of Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum to create this fragrance, those "young women who turn expectation on its head, swim against the tide, impose their own rhythm, invert a brand new tempo."

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum

I got this Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum gift set as one of my birthday presents back in November and quite honestly, I was little disappointed with the strong old-fashion scent. Perhaps, I was expected something like my all-time paforite perfume _ Hermes Les Aux de Marveilles. 

This perfume gift set includes:

- Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum (full size)

- Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum (mini size)

- Twilly d'Hermes Moisturizing Body Lotion

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum gift set

Twilly d'Hermes is not a light, sophisticated everyday perfume you would wear in the office, it's a floral fragrance but it's also sweet and spicy with oriental notes. Speaking of notes, let's mention that main notes in this perfume are ginger, tuberose and sandalwood.

I, actually, like light floral scents but here _ floral tones are mixed with spiciness (ginger is one of the top notes in this fragrance, after all,) and sweetness that makes me feel like I can't tolerate this scent for too long.

Don't take me wrong, it's not a bad fragrance, it's just not for me. 

Packaging is adorable, as you can see, the bowler hat lid with Hermes tiny scarf.  As for staying power, it lasts almost all day.

Twilly d'Hermes Eau de Parfum full and travel size

If you like light scents, you should skip this fragrance but if you like sweet, floral, strong, spicy scents, you should check this out , you may find your next signature scent. 

Have you worn this fragrance yet? How you liked it? Let me know in the comments below.

Wish you all a wonderful day!

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »

There is no good skincare routine without a right exfoliator and today I'm talking about three face exfoliators I've been using for a while.

Laura Mercier Face Polish __ how to use and what to expect:

According to the label, this exfoliator "effectively cleanses and exfoliates, removes dead skin cells to leave skin smooth and even-toned."
I like how nicely this exfoliator cleans the pores, it's scented but love how it smells. It's suitable for all skin type, but I personally feel like this is little harsher than Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, (that I'm going to talk about, little later in this post) because this one contains purifying microbeads.
So, I would not recomend using this more than twice a week for people with dry, sensitive skin.
Just like any other exfoliator, place a small amount of this Face Polish onto your fingertips and gently massage into dampened skin, then rinse with warm water.

Fresh Face Polish

"This is a two-in-one face scrub and mask that buffs and hydrates with real brown sugar and strawberries, suitable for normal, dry, combination and oily skin types. "

This exfoliator felt very harsh first time I used it, because it's very grain-y because of the brown sugar it contains, but then I realized that you should leave it on the skin for about 5 minutes like a mask (that's why it's "two-in-one" scrub) and the brown sugar starts melting into your skin _ make it gentle enough to be used as an exfoliator.
The best part about this exfoliator is that it's up to you how gentle you want your scrub to be _ if you prefer more grainy scrubs, don't leave this exfoliator on your skin too long, massage it before brown sugar melts into the skin, but if you prefer less grainy scrubs, leave this on your skin longer. After you rinse it with warm water, your skin will feel smooth and hydrated.
Even though this is not recommend for sensitive skin, I still use it once a week or so. It  doesn't dry out or irritate my dry, sensitive skin.

Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator _ how to use and what to expect:

This is the most gentle exfoliator amonge these three. According to Caudalie, this "natural exfoliator instantly reveals a deeply purified, more even, and smoother complexion. Slough away dead skin and polish your complexion without drying it out. Whipped formula is composed of natural, perfectly round corn beads to gently exfoliate dead skin __ without causing irritation."

I can use this Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator almost every day and it will not irritate my dry, sensitive skin, even though it's recomended to use only twice a week.
It's infused with grape pulp extracts to hydrate the skin and probably that's what helps me not to have dryer skin after each exfoliation. 

Apply little bit on your face, avoid eye area and gently massage it. Rinse with warm water.


To sum up, if you need to exfoliate your skin few times a week, Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator is the best option, because it's not very grainy, it's gentle, I don't detect any fragrance in it, it doesn't irritate dry, sensitive skin and it doesn't contain harm chemicals.

For those who love little more grain in their exfoliating products, may like Laura Mercier Face Polish more, but keep in mind that it's scented (pleasant smell , though), it's very effectivein terms of cleaning the pores.
But for even more efective cleaning,  Fresh Face Polish might be the option: it can be most grain-y among these three products, if you don't let it sit on the skin too long, It doesn't contain harsh chemicals and leaves the skin smooth after using it. The only thing I don't like about this scrub is smell.

Pin the picture below for later reference.

Thanks for reading lovelies.

STAY  FABULOUS!

• February 03, 2020
• Beauty

Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, FRESH and Laura Mercier Face polish comparison

There is no good skincare routine without a right exfoliator and today I'm talking about three face exfoliators I've been using for a while.

Laura Mercier Face Polish __ how to use and what to expect:

According to the label, this exfoliator "effectively cleanses and exfoliates, removes dead skin cells to leave skin smooth and even-toned."
I like how nicely this exfoliator cleans the pores, it's scented but love how it smells. It's suitable for all skin type, but I personally feel like this is little harsher than Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, (that I'm going to talk about, little later in this post) because this one contains purifying microbeads.
So, I would not recomend using this more than twice a week for people with dry, sensitive skin.
Just like any other exfoliator, place a small amount of this Face Polish onto your fingertips and gently massage into dampened skin, then rinse with warm water.

Fresh Face Polish

"This is a two-in-one face scrub and mask that buffs and hydrates with real brown sugar and strawberries, suitable for normal, dry, combination and oily skin types. "

This exfoliator felt very harsh first time I used it, because it's very grain-y because of the brown sugar it contains, but then I realized that you should leave it on the skin for about 5 minutes like a mask (that's why it's "two-in-one" scrub) and the brown sugar starts melting into your skin _ make it gentle enough to be used as an exfoliator.
The best part about this exfoliator is that it's up to you how gentle you want your scrub to be _ if you prefer more grainy scrubs, don't leave this exfoliator on your skin too long, massage it before brown sugar melts into the skin, but if you prefer less grainy scrubs, leave this on your skin longer. After you rinse it with warm water, your skin will feel smooth and hydrated.
Even though this is not recommend for sensitive skin, I still use it once a week or so. It  doesn't dry out or irritate my dry, sensitive skin.

Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator _ how to use and what to expect:

This is the most gentle exfoliator amonge these three. According to Caudalie, this "natural exfoliator instantly reveals a deeply purified, more even, and smoother complexion. Slough away dead skin and polish your complexion without drying it out. Whipped formula is composed of natural, perfectly round corn beads to gently exfoliate dead skin __ without causing irritation."

I can use this Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator almost every day and it will not irritate my dry, sensitive skin, even though it's recomended to use only twice a week.
It's infused with grape pulp extracts to hydrate the skin and probably that's what helps me not to have dryer skin after each exfoliation. 

Apply little bit on your face, avoid eye area and gently massage it. Rinse with warm water.


To sum up, if you need to exfoliate your skin few times a week, Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator is the best option, because it's not very grainy, it's gentle, I don't detect any fragrance in it, it doesn't irritate dry, sensitive skin and it doesn't contain harm chemicals.

For those who love little more grain in their exfoliating products, may like Laura Mercier Face Polish more, but keep in mind that it's scented (pleasant smell , though), it's very effectivein terms of cleaning the pores.
But for even more efective cleaning,  Fresh Face Polish might be the option: it can be most grain-y among these three products, if you don't let it sit on the skin too long, It doesn't contain harsh chemicals and leaves the skin smooth after using it. The only thing I don't like about this scrub is smell.

Pin the picture below for later reference.

Thanks for reading lovelies.

STAY  FABULOUS!

Read more »