Solstice

Just a quick update of what I've been up to lately - this weekend was spent roaming Soho and staying cool in this sweltering heat! I've been blogging less, and taking a step back to live - but I promise my regular posting schedule will resume shortly.

Events: Smirnoff's Stir Up Your Summer

If you've been following my Summer Escape Series, I mentioned that in addition to fun style and beauty posts, I'd be giving you the inside scoop on a few events on my summer calendar! On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Stir Up Your Summer event sponsored by Smirnoff. The event was held at the fab Tribeca location of the Tenoverten nail salon, where my fellow bloggers and I were treated to hours of pampering. Manis, pedis, makeovers, tarot readings, and of course tasting the new Smirnoff Sorbet Light flavors were the best part of the night, and I had too much fun! Take a look at some of my favorite snaps from the night below.

Our cocktail choices for the evening 

The pomegranate punch was delicious! Luckily, we left with a few recipes that I can't wait to try out at home. Perfect for summer nights on a rooftop!

 Some of the ladies getting manis!

Tenoverten has their own line of pretty nail colors

I chose Essie's DJ Play That Song and Bottle Service for my mani colors

...and I noshed on a few bites of sushi while getting a pedi!

There was also a makeup station for touchups!

Thanks so much to GLAM and Smirnoff for hosting an awesome event! It was a sweltering day on Tuesday, but this event really put me in the mood for the season.

Have you tried any of the new Sorbet Light flavors yet? What's your favorite summer cocktail? Let me know!

The deliciously light taste of sorbet now comes in a bottle.  Introducing Smirnoff Sorbet Light. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

Made With Smirnoff Vodka Infused With Natural Flavors. 30% Alc/Vol. 

©2013 The Smirnoff" Co., Norwalk, CT.

Per 1.5oz serving: Calories 78, Carbohydrates 1.3g, Fat 0g, Protein 0g.

* 25% FEWER CALORIES THAN THE LEADING DESSERT-INSPIRED VODKA.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Smirnoff via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Smirnoff.

Summer Escape: C. Wonder by the Sea

If you follow me on Instagram, you would've seen a few photos from my day in Southampton with C. Wonder this past Friday. I thought I'd share just a few of my favorite snaps from the day here as well! I spent the day at Chris Burch's gorgeous estate with some of my favorite fab bloggers, had lunch, and a visit to C. Wonder's Southampton store. Definitely visit C. Wonder for cute summer items in-store now. 

Outfit | Weekend White

How was your weekend? After the horrible events of the past week, I think we all needed to a break to take a deep breath. I spent most of my time outside enjoying the beautiful NYC weather. I put on my favorite stolen borrowed t-shirt from my boyfriend, white blazer, and amazing sunnies from Westward Leaning.

 Westward Leaning  N°1.1. \\ Children of California*sunglasses,  Nars matte lip pencil in Dragon Girl

Rachel Zoe blazer, ShopLately necklace

You may remember me mentioning these frames from this post, with Olivia Palermo rocking the hell out of them during fashion week. How cool is the redwood stripe on the side? I definitely got a few stares while out and about. The frames are the perfect statement size without being overwhelming, and are available in a shiny (shown) or matte finish. Check out the entire collection here, and learn more about the Westward Leaning brand story here.

Essie Geranium nail color, Jewelmint Dandelion bracelet

After a few snaps I was feeling a bit silly and starved, so Vixon and I headed to The Meatball Shop for a bite. I have no idea what took us so long to make it there, but it's definitely a must if you're in the area. We both had the classic beef meatballs with parmesan cream sauce, and a whiskey float. The whiskey float was especially good! A nice little end to the day.

Insta-Life #2

A few of my favorite snaps from Instagram lately...follow me for more!

Gorgeous orchids...

More pretties from the flower show...

Favorite nude heels...

 Amazing pineapple juice...so good as a snack!

In love with this Jewelmint bracelet!

 Pretty clutch and aviators...

Hello Fresh

As much as I love the idea of preparing fresh meals at home everyday, but in reality I'm more of the grab something quick, order takeout Mon-Sat kinda girl. This is mostly due to convenience: I don't really have the time for full-fledged food shopping, and my tiny refrigerator won't allow it. I am making an effort to eat better though, and my boyfriend Vixon loves when we cook together. If it were up to him we'd probably make dinner every night. If left up to me, let's just say I have my favorite Chinese restaurant on speedial.

When HelloFresh gave me the opportunity to try one of their Classic boxes, I was definitely up for the challenge. Fresh food delivered to my door? I'm in. So what is HelloFresh? HelloFresh sends three recipes for creative meals along with all of the ingredients necessary to make them to your door each week. Most of the ingredients are fresh (not organic), and you simply follow the directions to make an amazing meal in 30 minutes or less.

When I received my Classic HelloFresh box ($69 with free shipping), I received all of the ingredients to make two servings each of Salmon Fillets with Cashew Crust, Beef & Broccoli Rabe Tostada with Arugula, and a Turkey Polpette recipes good for 4 servings. The only extra ingredients we needed were olive oil, butter and a couple of pots and pans. And having the exact ingredient portion ensured no leftovers, and no waste. Another plus, considering my small food storage space. I loved that I didn't have to think about what Vixon and I were going to eat for 3 days straight! We loved making these meals. It was great to spend a little extra time together in the kitchen, and try new recipes that we'll definitely prepare again. 

The recipes we received in the box...

Friday Night Coffee

As I'm typing this, I'm having a strong cup of coffee along with my newest obsession. I've become quite the java drinker lately (thanks to some really long nights), but I've always liked anything coffee-flavored. When I saw this package of Balis' Best Coffee Candy in my local grocer, the first thing I noticed was the design of the package. It reminded me of something you'd see in a general store, and I wasn't expecting much else than a novelty little-something that you drop in your basket on your way to check out. I opened one, then another, then another, and I won't get into how many I popped into my mouth at once but, they are so good. Made with real Arabica coffee, not too sweet, and just enough to curb a sugar craving. If you see them, buy them and thank me later.

Oscar Night: My Viewing Party

As movie lovers, watching the Academy Awards is especially exciting for my boyfriend and I, and we love to make a night of it- complete with loads of snacks, games and drinks to enjoy the 3-hour long show. Thanks to Bigelow Tea, this year's festivities were a bit larger, and definitely more fun!  We invited some of our family members over, and started the night by watching a few of the films that were nominated this year. We tend to pick a theme for our viewing parties, and this year our theme was Life of Pi (our favorite!), so I knew I wanted to pick snacks and drinks that were on the lighter side. Life of Pi is such an incredible story with beautiful visuals, and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.

We headed to Walmart for party supplies, and got ready for the big night. Be sure to take a look at my shopping experience on Google+ here. I wasn't sure of the entire menu for the night, but I knew for sure I wanted to include Bigelow tea. I've been drinking Bigelow since I was a child, and I remember my mom always having a few boxes in the cupboard at home. I typically have a cup of Mint Medley in the morning (just like my mom did), but one of my favorite things is iced green tea. I thought it would be perfect for our Life of Pi theme, so I knew I had to pick up a box in store. 

I sent out a few invites to our guests beforehand, and set out a few to add to the decor.

I also got a little festive with my nails, and chose a bright red mani for the occasion.

Current Book List #1

I'm one of those people that never really hopped on the e-reader bandwagon. I love the experience of reading an actual book- a good story accompanied with a beautiful mass of pages that I can keep forever. I spent countless hours in the library as a kid, and lately I've been craving the joy of cuddling up with a good book. I thought it would be fun to share a few of the titles that have caught my eye on a recent trip to Barnes & Noble. Let me know if you'd like an update on these titles once I've read them.

Have you read any of these titles?

A Day in My Life - #MySmarterCommerce

You may remember from this post that I was chosen as an influencer for IBM's Smarter Commerce campaign (learn more about the campaign here), and I thought it would be interesting to show you how much technology, social media and commerce really play a role in my life. Everything I do is connected to technology in some way, and for me, it's all about utilizing these tools to live smarter. This is just a quick peek (more to come!) into my world, and I'd love for you to share how connected you are. How does technology, commerce, and social media play a role in your life? How do you use technology to improve your world? Let me know below!

A Day in the Life - #MySmarterCommerce from Janelle Andrea on Vimeo.

Prime Time Smile

Let's face it, people notice how white your smile is, and no one will tell you when your teeth are yellow. I've wanted to whiten my teeth for a while, but haven't for a few reasons. The main reason being the dentist-hater I am; the thought of making an appointment specifically for teeth whitening is a nightmare (not to mention the hefty bill). I only go for regular check-ups, and really do not want to go more than I have to. Not only do I not want to go to the dentist, who really has the time?  I've been looking for a teeth whitening product, but I wasn't interested in the trays or strips. I didn't want to fiddle around with a tray or have to sleep with a product on my teeth, but I couldn't find a system that was same day whitening. Was there even a product that was essentially whitening for busy people? Or those with little patience? When Duane Reade sent me on a mission to try Prime Time Smile, I got my answer. 

I did a bit of browsing on the Prime Time Smile site before I shopped in-store (check out my shopping trip on Google+ here), and thought that the Dual Action System would be best for my needs. The system includes a Pre-Treatment whitening pen and a Teeth Whitening gel pen. I like the idea of a pen, and that there wasn't anything messy, too difficult to apply, or something that would be too difficult for every day use.

I like the convenience of having both products, but you can also purchase the whitening pen and gel pen separately, and you can use the pre-treatment pen for a different system. 

Weekend Winter Meals...

The best thing about winter in NYC is the slight chance that there will be one weekend that will be unseasonably mild. This weekend was perfect - it was a long one that I spent shopping and walking around Union Square, and I stopped in to Duane Reade for a tasty mission (#DRAsianmeals). One of my favorite quick weekend meals is soup, so I was excited to try one of the new Asian Meals noodle soups from Malaysia Kitchen. Out of the Shiitake Mushroom, Sesame Garlic and Lemongrass flavors, I chose the Sesame Garlic. For a quick meal, the soup quality was similar to that of some of the best Asian soups I've had in the city. The little bowl included makes it so convenient if you need to eat and run. I also love that the soups don't contain any MSG, preservatives, trans fat or added coloring. I'll definitely be stocking up for when the mercury dips again.

L'Oreal Limited Edition Project Runway Collection with Duane Reade

For my latest Duane Reade VIP mission, I excitedly attended a launch party for the latest L'Oreal Electric Fantasie collection, inspired by Project Runway. If you watched the latest episode of Project Runway, you would have seen some of the makeup from the collection being used on the show.

The Electric Fantasie collection consists of four different looks: The Artsy Muse, The Seductive Temptress, The Enchanted Queen, and The Wise Mystic. To celebrate the collection, L'Oreal makeup artists were on hand at Duane Reade to offer guests free makeovers and makeup tips from the look of their choice. It was a hard decision (all of the looks are gorgeous!), but I chose The Seductive Temptress. I loved the warm tones of green and brown, and couldn't wait to see the final look.

Diana, the lovely and talented L'Oreal makeup artist applied the eyeshadow, eyeliner lipstick and lip gloss from the collection, and the final look was amazing. I loved it so much I went home with the entire Seductive Temptress collection!  I also loved the looks on fellow bloggers Tineey and Granola Glamour. All of the guests enjoyed L'Oreal goodies (including coupons towards purchase of L'Oreal products), Baked by Melissa treats and of course, shopping the store!

My Seductive Temptress goodies!

You can check out more photos from the #DRLoreal event on my Google + page, and look out for an full review on the products I picked up from the collection.

The full Electric Fantasie line is currently available in-stores; will you purchase the collection?

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Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective BiasTM Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective BiasTM.