New Year’s Eve Outfit Ideas

December 28, 2015December 28, 20152 Comments

For most women, New Year’s Eve means sequins galore. It’s the perfect excuse to get all glammed up and wear your shiniest, sparkliest clothes and accessories. But sequins can be expensive, and who wants to spend a ton of money on a dress or outfit that can really only be worn one day a year (unless you’re the adventurous outfit type).

My solution to budget-friendly dressing is to shop your own closet! What basics do you have that could already work toward an outfit? Then add one shiny, glittery, fabulous piece (could be a shirt, shoes, necklace, clutch etc) that makes it special for New Year’s Eve. This way you’ll only be buying one new item, or you may realize you already have something that could work – sometimes it’s just putting pieces together in a new way. Here are some outfits I’ve come up with to create a New Year’s Eve outfit that’s perfectly blingy and wallet-friendly. And if you’re feeling really daring, you can even pair two of the sparkly pieces together (the gold blazer and black sequin shorts for instance). Cheers!

From top to bottom:
Forever 21 Zip-Back Sequined Top $25
H&M Sequined Skirt $50
H&M Sequined Jacket $60
H&M Sequined Shorts $13
DSW Michael Antonio Citron Wedge Bootie $45
Forever 21 Sequined Capri Pants $33

Do you have your New Year’s Eve outfit planned yet? What are you wearing?

xoxo,
Veronica

Holiday Traditions

December 23, 20152 Comments

Christmas tree

The tree is up, the presents are (mostly) all wrapped, and the bags are packed and ready for the drive to my parents house tomorrow. I’m so excited to have a little break from work and just spend time with family. And speaking of family, one of my favorite things about this time of the year are all of the holiday traditions we have. I mentioned in a previous post how we always go to a movie on Christmas Eve (we’re seeing Star Wars this year of course), and on Christmas Day we stay in pajamas and drink hot cocoa while opening presents (see my cozy favorites here). But another one I wanted to share is our tradition of a Christmas tree full of love and memories.

Our tiny tree is quirky and full of an assortment of ornaments, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each ornament is a memory, and hanging them on the tree is a joyous trip through the past: the bead wreath I made in elementary school, a dancing bear a friend gave me when I was on dance team in high school, a sand dollar ornament my husband and I bought in Carmel, CA on our first wedding anniversary.

When I was younger, every year my parents would take my brother and I to an ornament store and let us each pick out an ornament. I would of course go for the biggest, gaudiest ornament – my favorite was the giant glittery peacock that now serves as a topper for our tree (it’s that big). I loved that tradition, and try to continue it even now with my husband, buying at least one new ornament every year (and I can’t wait to carry it on if we have a family of our own one day!). On our tree nothing matches, everything is a different size and shape, but to me it’s the most beautiful tree in the world because it’s full of love.

Do you have family traditions this time of the year? I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday! And just for fun, here’s a bonus pic of my cat under the tree – too cute not to share! 🙂

Cat under tree

xoxo,
Veronica

Christmas Day Cozy Favorites

December 21, 20159 Comments

One of my favorite things about Christmas Day has to be the fact that there is no excuse needed for staying in pajamas the entire day. My only plans include making hot cocoa, opening presents, and lounging in front of the fire reading a book. Below I’ve shared some of my ultimate favorite coziest finds, with some fun holiday pieces thrown in the mix.

Cozy favorites

My favorite soft, plush robe that I live in all year round.
The perfect lounging graphic shirt with a fun saying.
Curl up in the coziest down blanket ever in front of the fireplace.
Keep track of your hot cocoa with this personalized initial mug.
These holiday knit pajama pants will keep you warm.
Who doesn’t like a good crew sock in a festive color?
Down-filled foot duvets – sleeping bags for your feet!

What is your favorite way to spend Christmas Day? Will you be lounging in your pjs like me?

xoxo,
Veronica

Star Wars Week Wrap-up

December 18, 2015December 18, 20151 Comment

It’s here, the final day of Star Wars week on SassySweetSF. We’ve decided to leave you with a pic of us wearing our Star Wars shirts (seen in Leigh’s fashion post on Tuesday). We are total nerds and wore them to work yesterday to celebrate the premiere day – twinning! I hope you enjoyed our theme week and that you have a chance to go out and see the movie soon! I’m not seeing it until Christmas Eve with my family (we have a movie night tradition), so no spoilers! But I do have a review (and pics) from Leigh who saw it last night with her husband:

“Definitely worth the 2 hour wait in line [we were first!] and we will be seeing it again. Star Wars fans will not be disappointed with this seventh installment of the franchise.”

Let us know if you see the movie and what you think!

xoxo,

Veronica

Star Wars: Pet Toys and Apparel

December 16, 20154 Comments

This week on SassySweetSF we’ve shared Star Wars inspired makeup and Star Wars fashions, but we can’t forget about our furry best friends, our pets! Luckily, Petco has an entire line Star Wars pet fans products so that our dogs and cats can share in the fandom too.

The line is quite expansive (I counted 77 products this morning), with everything from Chewbacca harnesses to Boba Fett chew toys. My cat Tux has the Yoda and Chewbacca mice cat toys (which he loves) and Yoda cat headpiece (which he hates). But he’s just so cute in it, it cracks me up every time!

{Not a happy camper, but so cute!}

{Playing with the Chewbacca mouse last Christmas – his favorite present}

The toys are all fairly inexpensive, and are great fun for both the pets and owners alike. They’re also a perfect holiday present for your cat or dog! What do you think, does your pet need one (or all!) of these?

xoxo,

Veronica

Star Wars: CoverGirl Makeup Collection

December 14, 201512 Comments

It’s almost here…the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (opening in theaters this Thursday). Leigh and I both share a mutual love of the movies, and decided to pay homage this week by transforming the look of our blog and writing about all things Star Wars! First up, I’m talking about Star Wars inspired makeup.

CoverGirl recently released a limited-edition collection of makeup inspired by Star Wars. The collection includes 6 lipsticks, 3 nail polishes, and 2 mascaras (waterproof and regular in Very Black). The lipstick shades are a little out there for my personal taste, but I could see myself wearing the Nude 70 (last one, below) and maybe the Red 30 (3rd one, below).

All three nail polish shades are very wearable and perfect for this time of year in the colors (left to right): Speed of Light 200, Red Revenge 180, and Nemesis 195.

For a little inspiration, Iconic makeup artist and CoverGirl Global Creative Design Director Pat McGrath has created seven intergalactic beauty looks to go with the collection. See all of the looks and the face maps explaining the colors and techniques used for each below. I love the soft neutral palette for the Jedi look – definitely the most wearable of the bunch. But a less theatrical take on the “Droid” or the “Chrome Captain” looks could be fun for New Year’s Eve!

My question is: are you on the light side…or the dark side? I might be a little of both 😉

xoxo,

Veronica

On Display: Holiday Windows

December 9, 20156 Comments

Saks Fifth Avenue

I was out doing a little holiday shopping the other night after work, and I started to look around and notice all of the amazing window displays in Union Square. They are always pretty fabulous, but there is something about the windows during the holidays that is just that much more special. Maybe it’s the extra sparkle, maybe it’s the magic of the season…I decided to photograph a few that caught my eye to share with everyone. At first I was annoyed that I kept getting so many reflections in the pictures, but after looking at them I think that’s kind of the beauty of the shots. You get a real sense of being in the city, making the storefronts uniquely San Francisco.

Saks Fifth Ave 2

{Detail of Saks Fifth Avenue display – this was my favorite!}

Saks Fifth Avenue accessories

{Saks Fifth Avenue accessories display}

Louis Vuitton

{Louis Vuitton – hard to see, but the circles of lights moved behind the clothing}

Macy's

{Macy’s window}

Macy's 2

{Close-up detail of the Macy’s window – all about the gold!}

Gap

{Gap window featuring a cable car made complete of denim}

Neiman Marcus

{Neiman Marcus window}

Neiman Marcus detail

{Detail of Neiman Marcus window – doesn’t the mannequin look like a real person?!}

Christmas tree Union Square

{The famous Union Square tree and Tiffany & Co. in the background}

Union Square menorah

{A giant Hanukkah menorah in Union Square}

Macy's SF SPCA

{By far the cutest display, the SF SPCA windows at Macy’s featuring adoptable pets!}

Macy's SF SPCA 2

{More SF SPCA cats playing in the window}

Do you have favorite holiday window displays? If you live in or near San Francisco, it really puts one in the holiday spirit to walk around at night and look at all of the windows lit up, and stroll through Union Square to look at the tree and ice skaters. And of course, make a stop by the Macy’s SF SPCA window and ooh and awww at the adorable pets (you might find a new fur friend to adopt and bring home).

xoxo,

Veronica

Veronica’s Holiday Gift Guide

December 7, 2015December 11, 2015Leave a comment

VeronicaGiftGuide

Customize a cozy sweatshirt for your bestie (they also have sequined emojis and fun icons you can add-on for free!).
A luxurious candle in a universally pleasing scent and the prettiest glass jar.
Shimmering drop earrings perfect for holiday parties or a night out.
An ingenious and stylish bracelet that keeps hair ties handy.
Hilarious tear-off desk calendar featuring funny e-cards.
This chic Bluetooth compatible speaker will please any music lover (also comes in black, white, and turquoise).
Party-perfect nail polish set in travel-ready mini bottles and fun, festive colors.
This cosmetic bag lays flat to display makeup, then drawstrings closed into a portable clutch (I’m obsessed with mine!).
For foodies, a gourmet sampler pack of six delicious oils and vinegar (any combo, your choice). Lime is my personal fav for cooking seafood and Mexican food!
A sleeping bag for your feet, literally. I live in these slippers during the winter months!

Hope you liked my picks! Almost all of the items I own and recommend, or they’re on my wish list. Do you have any favorite gifts to give or receive? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo,

Veronica

POPSUGAR Must Have Box review (plus a coupon code!)

December 2, 2015Leave a comment

POPSUGAR Must Have Box - November

It’s no secret that I’m kind of obsessed with subscription boxes lately, and have been trying them out in search of the “perfect box” (for myself that is, obviously preferences vary!). I recently had the chance to try out the POPSUGAR Must Have box, and I have to say, it’s pretty amazing. So amazing in fact that I immediately signed up for a subscription!

I’m sure you’re familiar with POPSUGAR, the hugely popular website that provides up-to-the-minute content on entertainment, fitness, food, shopping and more. The POPSUGAR Must Have boxes are curated by POPSUGAR Editor in Chief Lisa Sugar and include full-sized items from the best in fashion, beauty, home, food, fitness and more. And this year, the boxes all have themes that relate to the month; January was all about warmth and health, February focused on Valentine’s Day love and pampering, March was all about spring travel etc, etc. As you can see below, November embraces entertaining and celebrating.

There are several reasons I really love this box:
1. Full-size products (no lame sample sizes here!)
2. It doesn’t just focus on beauty or fitness – it’s a fun grab bag of products from each sector of life.
3. Themed boxes – because who doesn’t love a theme?

Each box retails for just $39.95 but contains products valued at over $100. Plus, if you buy more than one month, discounts apply (3 months = a $10 savings, 6 months = $25 savings). To sign up now click here! And better yet, I have a coupon code for you! Use code MUSTHAVE5 at checkout for $5 off any new subscription.

If not for yourself, I think it would make the perfect gift for a friend or family member. There is the option to send it as a one-time only gift (no subscription needed), just make sure to check the box under gift options (“I’m shipping to multiple addresses or sending a one-time gift”) during check out.

Details from the November box:
Tarte Cosmetics Beauty & the Box Eye Shadow
Deepa Gurnani Katie Crystal Headband (my fav from this box – wear to holiday parties!)
West Emory Bingo Set
Capri Blue Mercury Jewel Box in Rain
Terrapin Ridge Farms Pecan Honey Mustard
Gramr Gratitude Co. Exclusive Thanksgiving Postcard Pack
Inkdot Gift Card
– Over a $130 value!

Do you subscribe to the POPSUGAR Must Have Box? Do you have other favorite subscription boxes? Let us know in the comments!

xoxo,

Veronica

Spray On Nail Polish?!

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015Leave a comment

Nails Inc Paint Can

When I first heard about the Nails Inc. Paint Can (aka “spray on nail polish”) I was highly skeptical. How on earth could that not be horribly messy, and how do you apply it without getting it all over your hands?

However, being the beauty junkie that I am, I was intrigued. And when I started to see major beauty websites and blogs reviewing the product, I knew I needed more info. The basic gist of the product is that you are able to spray on an even coat of nail polish in just seconds, and with a quick wash of your hands to remove the excess paint, you’ll have a perfect manicure! But is it really that simple? After reading several reviews (like this one), I’ve observed some similarities in advice and have put together the following tips:

Use an old towel or newspaper (or something similar to that) to cover the surface you will be spraying on, as it can adhere and damage the surface.
The particles from the spray can float in the air, so also be careful of the outfit you’re wearing.
You must apply a base coat first for the polish to adhere to (otherwise it will just wash off). However, it doesn’t have to be the Nails Inc. base coat – any will do.
Don’t paint the base coat on your cuticles, or the polish will adhere to your cuticles as well.
It works best to wait approximately 2 minutes for the polish to dry before washing off the excess.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on the product (it’s currently sold out everywhere), but you can sign up here to be on the wait list to be notified when more stock becomes available (currently there are only two colors offered – bright pink and silver). It officially launches in March 2016 in the US, and Nails Inc promises to have more colors available at that time. I’d love to see a pale pink and an opaque white for spring, and a deep red is always classic.

What colors would you like to see? Have you tried this product? I’d love to hear from you!

xoxo,

Veronica