Modern Day House Wife Glam

Remember there was a time when women got dressed up and snazzy for almost every occasion. Even house wives looked awesome throughout the day. I wish we could step back into that era (in some ways). Since we can't, I've decided to bring a little of that old school glam into the present day with this fabulous polka dot cotton dress. As simple as it is, it definitely makes a statement but takes minimal effort to wear. The best part of this dress is IT HAS POCKETS!!! I LOVE POCKETS. Super corny but they make me so excited.

I love these types of pieces because more often than not, they look good on almost everyone.

I hope my bit of vintage fab brings a little brightness to your day!

DRESS| Eshakti (no longer available)

BAG| NY & Co.

SHOES| JustFab

JEWELRY| Street Vendor

LIPSTICK| MAC Riri Woo  

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. All comments and feedback are welcomed.

 Be Fly, Be Fab, Be YOU!

~April Antoinette

Paisley Perfection

Dress: Spruce & Sage for Gwynnie Bee

Bag: New Look (here)

Slingback Pumps: ShoeDazzle (here)

Jewelry: c/o Rocksbox

I usually am not a fan of Paisley anything but this dress is the epitome of stylish comfort. I am overly enthused at the fact that it creates and smooth and seamless silhouette without shape wear or hosiery.  I love the print in just two colors (versus the other paisley prints that have a million colors in them). I wanted to add a little pop to the ensemble so I chose yellow accent pieces that were all centered around my Rocksbox necklace.

My makeup for today, I chose to keep simple. Just a splash of color on the lids with mega lashes (but still natural enough for work)

This is one of my favorite all together looks to date. The dress is super comfy and can easily be dressed down with flats and a jacket. 

* All items in this post were purchased by me except for the jewelry that was sent by Rocksbox.

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you got some still inspiration from my post. All comments and feedback are welcomed and encouraged.

Stay Fabulous!

April Antoinette

Sundays Are Made For Brunch

What better way to spend your Sunday than brunch in the city??

This Sunday, I had the pleasure of going to Sarabeth's Tribeca with one of the besties. She actually flew in from Miami, which was a pleasant surprise.

I thought, since I hadn't been out to brunch in a while, why not get dolled up.

I paired a midi thrifted shirt (which I absolutely love) with some kitten sandals and a simple black body suit. I adorned the top with a matching flower (because that's the type of belle I am lol).

Mostly all the pieces (other than the skirt) are fairly new. None were purchased at the same time.

Skirt: Thrifted

Body Suit: Fashion to Figure

Sandals: Nine West

Flower and Bag: NY&CO

Sunglasses: Michael Kors

 These are the types of outfits I can wear almost everyday. Classic yet comfy!!!

I hope everyone is having a promising week thus far.

Until next post!!!

SMOOCHES

~April Antoinette

Something Different With BLUE APRON

With cooking and food, I try to always keep my meals new and exciting. I hate to make the same dish a whole lot. So when I heard of Blue Apron, immediately my curiosity was peaked. I cook a lot of different things but I feel I have an issue with portion control. I always cook too much. So I've been on the hunt on ways to keep my dinners in better portions for healthier living


 Blue Apron sends you everything you need to cook a complete meal and it is pre-portioned to fit into a certain amount of calories. Reading that gave me the green light to order.

Now let's get into what BLUE APRON really is.

"Blue Apron makes cooking fun and easy. We'll provide you with all the ingredients that you need to make a delicious meal in exactly the right proportions."

Blue Apron asks you about your dietary preferences before choosing meals that best fit you and your family. You pay per week. You can either choose a 2-Person Plan (3 meals a week for $59.94) or a Family Plan (Two meals a week at $69.92 for 4 people or Four meals a week at $139.84 for 4 people).

I chose the 2-Person Plan which gives me 3 meals a week. If you don't feel like you want to use the service on a specific week, then you have the option to skip. It's always sent in a refrigerated box as to keep all ingredients cold and fresh.

When they say the send you everything, they send you EVERYTHING you need to complete the meal. The only things I used of my own were salt, pepper, and olive oil. 

So here is the very first meal that I made. They advised that if you receive a fish/seafood dish, to cook it first so it can maintain it's peak freshness. So that's what I went for.

Last night I made Seared Cod and Fergola Pasta with Braised Summer Vegetables.

Along with all the ingredients, you get a recipe card to walk you through the steps. And I also love that they are printed on great stock paper. That means I can add them to my personal recipe book and refer to them later if I want to repeat the dish on my own.

Now I'm not too big on onions. I use them in cooking but only in dishes that allow them to disappear. It's a textural thing for me. With that being said, I opted out of using the red onion and added two carrots chopped.

Other than that, I made the dish as stated on the recipe card.

Here's what I ended up with.

My man and I enjoyed the meal. It was very flavorful, nutritious and full of color. I loved that it was just enough. Not overly heavy or too much. 

I'm sure I'll stick with incorporating this food option into my lifestyle. It gives me new ideas to try and I can adjust and add to the recipes if I so desire. It really helps my cooking creativity and the price is amazing.

If you're into cooking and need some inspiration, try Blue Apron. It definitely is worth the money spent.

*This is not a sponsored post. All the ideas and opinions are my own. The service was purchased with my own money.

Be Blessed Family.

Until Next Post,

April Antoinette

MOTD: L'Oréal Color Riche La Palette Nude 1 & 2

For today's makeup, I wanted to play with the L'Oréal Color Riche La Palette Nudes.

 I've had these palettes for sometime but just hadn't gotten around to using them.

Palette 1 has more neutral colors (like champagnes, browns, golds) and Palette 2 has nudes with rosy undertones (mauves, purples, etc).

I love that these palettes can be found in the drug stores for a moderate price but doesn't affect the pigmentation or quality. These rival higher end brands. You also get 10 colors (in each) for approximately $14-$16 (depending on where you buy). Now that's a steal. 

(If you think I should do swatches of the colors, let me know)

In the look I created today, I used both palettes.

I used the 2nd and 4th eyeshadows (of the Palette 1;left side) on my lid. And the last two shades (of the Palette 2: right side) in my crease, outer v, and lower lash line.

 For the lid colors, I used my fingers to apply them. You get optimal pigmentation and shine that way. I just use a blending brush to blur the harsh lines.

FULL PRODUCT LISTING:

(All the brushes used were Real Techniques Brushes and Sponges)

FACE:

Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Matte + Poreless (330 Toffee)

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (Deep)

Powder: Maybelline Fit Me Powder (310 Sun-Beige)

Under Eye Setting Powder: MAC Studio Careblend Powder (Medium)

Blush: MAC Blush Ombre (SUNSET BEACH "Proenza Schouler Collection")

Contour: MAC Bronzing Stick (Gilty Bronze "Surf Baby Collection") 

Bronzer: Estee Lauder Bronzed Goddess Bronzer (Deep)

Highlight: MAC Soft N Gentle MSF

EYES:

 Base: MAC Paint Pot (Bare Study)

Eyeshadows (as listed above)

Liquid Liner: NYC Liquid Liner Black

Lashes/Mascara: Ardell Demi-Wispies/ CK One Color Volumizing Mascara

Brows: Anatasia Beverly Hills  DipBrow (Chocolate)

LIPS:

MAC Cremestick Liner (Creamola)

Makeup Forever Lab Shine Diamond Collection (D16)

If you've tried some looks using this palette, follow me on IG and tag me in the look. I would love to see them. 

IG: @aprilantoinettemakeup

As always, I thank you for taking time to visit my blog. All comments and feedback are encouraged.

SMOOCHES

April Antoinette

The Mighty Pink & Green

"Boldly dare to be a pop of color in a black and white world"

~Source Unknown

This morning, in NY, it's a dull and cloudy day. So I thought, why not brighten up my mood with my makeup and clothes. It usually works! I pulled out this dress that I recently purchased and  instantly felt better about the day. Remember a recent post in where i spoke about the service Gwynnie Bee? Well this dress comes from their online store. The sent it to me to try and I decided to purchase it because I liked it. 

The brand is Triste, which I never heard before purchasing this piece. I love the pattern and shape of the dress. Though I'm not hippy, it's a-line design still flatters my body. 

I decided to focus on the green in the dress and play it up with some bright green sandals and an popping statement ring.

And then, I pulled out an old favorite. A leather Dooney and Burke Bag.

Dress: Triste for Gwynnie Bee

Bag: Dooney & Burke

Shoes: Michael Antonio (DSW)

Ring: Old Navy

My Makeup was kept simple. But I did use a bit of color.

Here's some of the products used!

 

 

 

 

Foundation: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Even Finish Foundation (Golden)
Powder: MAC MSFN (Dark Golden)
Concealer: LA Girl Pro Concealer (Medium Beige)

IN THE PHOTO
The Balm Cosmetics (Betty and Cindy Lou-Manizer)
MAC Paint Pot in Idyllic (Limited Edition)
Colour Pop Blushes in Fruit Stand and Bonus
MAC Eyeshadow Duos (Limited Edition)

Living your life in color is so much better than being dull. Let your light shine!!!

As always, your comments and feedback are welcomed. 

Until Next Post,

Live Your Best Life!

~April Antoinette

Transition to Fall

Transition to Fall by aprilantoinette featuring a fall outfit

H M jumpsuits romper
$16 - hm.com

Maison Margiela brown booties
therealreal.com

Burberry purse
burberry.com

H M bangle bracelet
$9.35 - hm.com

Karen Kane stud earrings
metroparkusa.com

Accessorize pink ring
accessorize.com

Wet Seal chain necklace
wetseal.com

ROCKSBOX ROCKS!!!!!

I guess the most important question would be, 'WHAT IS ROCKSBOX"?? When I was first contacted, I thought it was a scam. Because really, who would rent jewelry pieces (or so I thought). But upon further research, I found that Rocksbox is a monthly jewelry subscription box. The service allows you to trade and wear as many pieces as you want within a month all for one monthly fee. They also pair you with a stylist that will send you sets to compliment the pieces you place on your wishlist. You have the option to buy them pieces at a discount rate, or send them back and get new pieces.

Quite a genius move.

Anyway, as I stated, I was contacted and sent my first box this week.

Here are the pieces that were selected for me based off of the items I placed on my wishlist

The pieces arrived in this box. Great packaging

 They also sent a pamphlet with more information on the company

 I really thought the personalization of my letter and welcome note was very cute.

Here are the pieces I received. I haven't styled them with an outfit as of yet because I just received the items yesterday. But I do think the stylist did a great job of adding pieces to my choice. My only concern is the small studs. I lose studs so easily so I probably won't even wear them. I'm just going to send them back.

All of the pieces were in jewelry dust bags upon receipt.

The ONLY con i can see as of now is the shipping time. Shipping took over a week. But I would assume that's because your stylist needs time to put a set together that she/he believes reflects your style. SO ALL IN ALL, I think this service/box is awesome.


What's even more awesome, is they are offering my readers a month for free with a specialized promo code.
Enter aprilantoinettexoxo in the promo code field upon signing up, and you can try this service out free for one month.

Visit them at rocksbox.com AND tell them APRIL SENT YOU! :)

* This is a sponsored post. The thoughts and views on this post are completely authentic and solely my own.

Thank you for taking the time to visit me again,

TALK TO YOU SOON,
APRIL ANTOINETTE
XOXO