FAMILY TIME AT THE PLAZA ART FAIR

Fall brings its share of activities and events on the calendar. The Plaza Art Fair is one such event which has a permanent place in our family annual calendar. We have been frequenting this fest,from when we were a newly married couple, and were new to KC. Over the years, our family increased, but nothing could dwindle our love for this weekend bonanza. Come rain, come sun, the Plaza Art fair goes on and we go along with it.

Spread over a weekend , this popular festival is quite the crowd favorite. Artists from across the Midwest and even the larger 50 states, congregate on the Country Club Plaza.

Local restaurants from the Plaza, set up camp and shop and people like us line up for a great tasting menu.  The Pulled Pork Tacos with mango salsa were quite a winner. There were Activities galore for our tiny tot. She enjoyed her drawing and craft stations. Mommy had a great time with the Pets from the local Shelter. Only to convince Dad that we need a pet at home. Its a work in progress and I am sure we will get there.

Its one of those rare occasions, where you can walk with your drink(as long as you have a designated driver), on KC roads. I missed out on the fish bowl, but my Sangria was quite delish. Weekends are always better when there's a serving of wine, even if its diluted with fruits.

There's something for everyone, and that's the beauty of it. I shall let the pictures do the talking , to take you along with us.

If you are in the KC Metro area , next Fall, make sure you head to the Plaza Art Fair. Come rain, come sun, the Plaza Art Fair goes on, and trust me, we go along with it. Almost a decade long saga continues. 

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COLD SHOULDER FOR NOT SO COLD FALL DAYS

Fall is here. The calendar says so, but the temperatures don't seem to agree. For those of us in the Midwest, we are still battling temps of 80s to 90s on a regular basis, with quite a steady helping of humidity thrown in. So how do you transition your wardrobe and dress appropriate according to the season? That can be tricky . Its so warm that boots are out of the question. So to don Footwear appropriate for Fall is a bit too early.

One simple way is to pick out the colors which spell out the season more. With fall, we associate the classic burgundy, wines and deep plums. This year Pantone has thrown Spicy Mustard, and Earth Tones to the Mix. Black is a no brainer. I decided to stick to Black to move away from my bright pinks and lemon yellows of Summer, for the first weekend of Fall

Cold Shoulders and Off the Shoulders have been big trends throughout Spring Summer. And they are here to stay for Fall. The colors and textures may be different,but this trend will be here for some time more. 

As its so warm where I stay and had to put together a weekend outfit for a spin at a local festival, I reached out for my distressed Denim Shorts. 

Mixing up prints is fun, but Mixing up metals is even more fun. I added silver hoop earrings and a long silver necklace with an owl pendant, to break the monotony of the black cold shoulder top. Rather than opting for a silver bag,which would  have made everything matchy matchy, I paired my rose gold Michael Kors bag. Its a statement piece and never lets me down. 

For shoes, I wanted to bring in the jewel tones of Fall. So bright blue suede pumps completed the ensemble. Did I mention that Suede was another ig trend for fall. Rather than a full on suede outfit,which would become costumey for me, I opted for accessories in suede. 

OUTFIT DETAILS : 

Black Cold Shoulder Long Sleeve Top - H&M(old). Similar Here
Light Blue distressed Denim Shorts (old). Similar Here
Blue Suede Ballet Flats
Michael Kors Rose Gold Bag(old). Similar  Here
Silver Owl Pendant(Old) Similar Here

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SECHE VITE DRY FAST TOP COAT - REVIEW

If there was ever a Holy Grail of Top Coats, then the honor would go to Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat. It has been a rage around the world, for quite a few year now. Winner of Awards and a favorite of whoever uses it,almost. Needless to say its a personal favorite of mine. I go through bottles, and never think of changing my loyalty with another Top Coat.

The funniest incident happened lately. I was running low on my Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat, and went upto my local Ulta to stock up. The next morning as I was checking my mail box, I received my Endless Summer VoxBox(#ESVoxBox) from Influenster. If you want to read about the other items in the box, then Click Here.  Amongst the handpicked goodies, was a sample size of Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. Now we know whats going in my Travel Beauty Bag. Need not lugg the full size bottle any more. Influenster also sent in a Seche Premier Color in Intrepid for me to try out. I had never used this line before.

PROS :
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat is true to its name literally. It glides on your nails, and dries within a couple of minutes. I am known to mess up my nails, in waiting for them to dry . So a product like this, only makes home manicures much easier for people like us. I have used this product along with other Top Coats, like the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat, but they just take ages to dry, unlike Seche Vite. Its  a dream top coat. It goes on to give a  hard, protective layer to the color of your choice. But what shines through, is the Shine. Yes, I was trying to play around with the word 'Shine,' a bit here. That shine makes even a dull color look like a salon manicure, almost. Its priced at $9.95 for the regular size , and $1.99 for the Travel Size(shown in the picture above).

CONS :
The only problem with this cult product is that when it reaches the end, it becomes too difficult to use. It gets stringy, thick and gloopy . Hate that part.

Disclaimer : I received the products free for testing purposes, but the opinions are those of my own

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MAXFACTOR MASTERPIECE MAX MASCARA & HIGH PRECISION LIQUID EYELINER - REVIEW

I have always been known amongst friend and foes for my love for eye make up. Even in a normal day, you will not find me out without my thickly lined eyes and layers and layers of mascara. I could be in my Yoga pants but I would need my eye liner and mascara. for me, they are my Beauty Must Haves, even if I am stranded on a desert island.

Influenster sent me MaxFactor MasterPiece High Precision Liquid Eye Liner and MaxFactor Masterpiece Max Mascara to try out. It was a part of their Endless Summer VoxBox . If you want to read about the other contents of the box , then click Here . I got to work in no time. The best way to try out any new make up is to do a full face and see how they fare through out a day. Sweat, humidity, long hours, oils are all factors which make or break a make up .

REVIEW :
MAXFACTOR MASTERPIECE MAX MASCARA: 
The color that was sent to me was Velvet Black. Its a great shade of Black and I have a thing of pigmented black mascaras. The wand is pretty easy to use. I know some brands have mascara wands which take me quite some time to get a decent application. The black and gold packaging was pretty luxe for a drug store brand. Its priced at   $9.99 . Its available in both the normal and waterproof version. It claims to be a Volume Mascara. I have fairly large eye lashes, so for me it gave me an' Everyday Look,' with a couple of coats. Not Mega Volume.  It did not clump my lashes, and there was so smearing or transferring . Overall a fairly decent drug store mascara.

MAXFACTOR MASTERPIECE HIGH PRECISION LIQUID EYE LINER :
To be honest,  I am not a fan of liquid eye liners. I dont regularly use one. The last time I bought one , was probably a decade or so back. I am gel eye liner or a pencil eye liner person on a day to day basis. So I was a bit iffy about trying out this new product , I must say.

The Paddle shaped brush head was unique. I haven't seen a brush similar to it. It was like the tip of a felt pen for the uninitited . I know many brands have ey liners with such felt tips. This particular eye liner claims to make the Cat Eye simpler. You can draw a broader line along your lashline, by laying the tip of the pen flat, and then pulling along. You can do a thinner line or a flick of the Cat Eye, by using the narrower end of the pen. Some practice and you should be good. The color that was sent tome was again Velvet Black. Like the Mascara, the eyeliner was also pigmented. Nothing looks worse than a chalky black eyeliner.

WEEKEND EYES :
I used the new products along with a  few favorite oldies of mine, to create an easy Weekend Makeup. As the theme of the VoxBox was 'Endless Summer(#ESVoxBox)' so I played with Golds and Browns for the Eyes. For the cheeks I opted for a peachy orange blush to complement.This can be an easy Transition Makeup from Summer to Fall. 

Eyes :
Maxfactor Masterpiece Max Regular Mascara - Velvet Black
Maxfactor Masterpiece High Precision Liquid Eyeliner- Velvet Black
Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette (Original )
L'Oreal Paris Magic De-Crease Eyelid Primer
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz- Granite
Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

Face :
MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation 123
Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer - Sand
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Medium
Milani Baked Powder Blush - Luminoso
Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick - Kate Moss Collection 102
Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner Eastend Snob

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