Color Crush: Dusk Blue

Continuing my obsession with Pantone's colors of the year (as I mentioned here and here) I wanted to keep shopping for one of my other favorite colors from the line up.

Dusk Blue is absolutely gorgeous. I love that it can be a relaxing cool color, but it's easily punched up if you add in a more vibrant shade. My bedroom in high school was actually very similar to this color... man was I a trendsetter or what?

Anyways. I am heading to Georgia today for a funeral--- so if I'm a tad slow to return comments I apologize. It's going to be a super quick trip, but I'll be back to real life on Thursday. Until then friends.  

Mardi Gras and a Giveaway! CLOSED

Guess what starts TODAY????

Yay! You thought I was done with all the black tie gala's after the Inauguration? Ha. Lies. Tonight starts a three day extravaganza of mardi gras craziness in the District of Columbia. So for the next three nights I'll be dancing until the whee hours of the morning at the Washington Hilton. 

So... just because I love y'all I'm going to get a box of mardi gras swag together and send it off to you to in time to celebrate the real mardi gras in a week or so. You can expect lots of beads, koozies and maybe a few other surprises.

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Oh and don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter for some real time fun updates.

Four Things for a Beautiful Valentines Day

Today I wanted to introduce you to one of my soon to be favorite weekly link-ups. In all of my craziness over the last few weeks (did I mention that I'm applying for 14 different law schools right now--- yes I'm crazy), I've kind of forgotten about Valentines Day.

Judge away. I'm single and I could careless about the whole thing--- though I will probably go out drinking with my girlfriends on the 14th. Great excuse? I think so.

Anyways. The lovely Ashlyn recently started this great link up with one of my other favorites, Kristen of the Fancy Things.

Obviously today's theme is valentines day--- so I'm going to interpret this as perfect valentines day beauty items.

The Kate Spade Twirl perfume has been on my wish list for so long now. I've gone through like four sephora samples--- I'm thinking I may need to cash in some birchbox points and treat myself hmm.

This OPI polish In The Spotlight is just that. This is the perfect pink we've all been searching for.

Who doesn't love NARS Blush, and Orgasm is still all the rage. But as opposed to a powder, have you tried the illuminator? It's a brilliant glowy highlight but definitely has some depth of color. Plus its universally flattering, so it looks gorgeous even on our pale February skin.

Finally. I'm all about pink cheeks lately and this stila cheek palette has been on my radar for a few weeks now.

So those are my 4 favorites for valentines day beauty. Come link up y'all!

Introduce Yourself

So I want to switch things up a little bit today. Instead of me talking about me, because honestly sometimes I don't know why you keep coming back here to read my blog about my boring life (though I LOVE that you do), I want you all to introduce yourselves!

You can write whatever you want, but if you need some prompts, please answer any or all of these random questions. 

Do you blog? If so, what's it called and where can I find you?

Where are you from? 

Pick one: Leopard, Floral, Sequins or Stripes?

What's your favorite cocktail?

Pick one: Football, Figure skating or Frog Racing?

I'll get the party started

I'm Emily, I blog at the Blue Dog Belle (obviously). I'm from Atlanta, Georgia; I live in Washington, D.C. While it's a tough choice I'm going to have to pick Leopard. Gin and Tonic or a glass of pinot noir, I can't decide. While frog racing is a long time hobby of mine (what? you didn't know that about me?) I'm going to have to go football. 

Now get to commenting boys and girls. I promise to come visit you (or send you an email if you don't blog), plus maybe check out a few of the other commenters and make some new friends :)

Thanks to Lauren for the inspiration. 

Color Crush: Greyed Jade

First of all... notice anything different around here? 

I finally have a real blog! OMG I know. So exciting. Kate has been putting up with me for the last, four months or so to put this together, and I'm absolutely thrilled with out it looks. She calmed all of my craziness and created something so much more than I ever could have thought of. Thank you so much Kate, and to any of you out there, I can't recommend her services enough. We may still be under construction today- but bare with us!  

So we all know I've been obsessed with Emerald lately (as evidenced here, here, here, here oh and here). Well I was browsing pinterest this weekend and decided there's another color I might be loving a little bit more. I know. Shocking. It's no lie I love the color grey (very strange I know), but this Greyed Jade color is absolutely gorgeous and so glamorous. 

I couldn't help but imediately start shopping to add some pieces to my wardrobe. While I still haven't found anything that I can't live without, I have found a few things that I love...

shawl collar cardigan / coat / straight leg pants / heels / leather handbag / metallic bag / necklace / scarf 

I mean, that kate spade bag? I may have to add it to my collection. LOVE it.

Anyways, hope you ladies have a wonderful weekend. I plan on catching up on some MUCH needed sleep. Yay. So excited.

Friday's Fancies #17: Black and White

I absolutely loved this week's Friday Fancies theme. Black and white is one of my go-to combos. Last year I made a goal of integrating more color into my wardrobe, but lately I've been reaching for some go to black and white options.

I especially love to pop this color combo with a few gold accessories. Something about it just seems so perfectly classic to me.

Anyways, hope you ladies have a wonderful weekend. I plan on catching up on some MUCH needed sleep. Yay. So excited.

DC Goodwill Fashionista

Hey y'all. I'm over on the Goodwill Fashionista Today talking about post- inaugural fashion. Come visit here

Inaugural Recap

Well folks. It's over. While it was an overwhelmingly stressful few days, I will never forget the ride. I kept thinking what a difference four years and a lot of hard work makes. I spent the weekend juggling touring my parents around town, working to prep for a few big events my office hosted throughout the weekend, trying to attend the Obama Legacy conference, see all my campaign staff friends, sleep, dance the night away at a few balls, oh... and go to the inauguration.

Lashes and curls at the office. A normal day OBVIOUSLY.

All dressed up and ready to go to the Arkansas Ball. Again... I'm loving wearing the fake lashes. So glamorous. I just need to practice applying them. 

An INSANELY amazing cheesecake at the staff ball. 

The staff ball was quite the affair, POTUS, FLOTUS, The Bidens, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett all in one room. Doesn't get much better than that. 

Now that all of this silliness is over, I promise to be a better blogger and start writing posts again. See you ladies tomorrow for Friday Fancies!!!

Happy Thursday!

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First Lady Fashion

I'm still recouperating from the madness that has been this 57th Presidential Inauguration. I promise to bring a full re-cap soon, but I wanted to check in and say hello! What did y'all think of Michelle's looks yesterday? I'm loving this edgier first lady. The sleek hair (and the new bangs!), the graphic print with the sparkly belt? Love.

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While I loved the 2009 yellow combo--- it seemed she catered a bit to what she thought she should wear,  something traditional, but this is the second term now, and she's setting her new style agenda off on the right foot!

Then she showed up in this gorgeous Jason Wu gown. I loved the bright color, the subtle pattern, and the fit. She looked absolutely stunning.

Friday Fancies #16

For this week's round of Friday Fanices the theme is Outfit Crush. It may be the fact that the inauguration is now upon us but I have red white and blue on the brain lately. I pinned this a while back and I'm still obssessed. 

Here's my take. I may have gone a tad overboard with the broaches, but I love the combo of the feminine lacy dress with the structured, yet still feminine, military jacket. 

Sorry for being such a bad blogger this week, but life just gets in the way at times. My parents get into town tonight, so let the whirlwind weekend officially begin. I promise to tweet and instagram up a storm over the festivities! So follow me twitter and instagram.

Have a great weekend lovelies!

You need this brush

Do y'all remember when I did a brief overview of my essential makeup brushes here? Well I'm back for a quick (because I have no time in my life to actually blog) addition. 

I was contacted by Sigma Beauty about some of the reviews I've done, and the generously sent me some brushes to test out. Their brushes are great, and honestly rival my MAC brushes. They hold up to cleanings, are dense, soft, you name it. I honestly love the products and the prices are even better. So today I want to introduce you to one brush in particular I think you NEED to add to your brush collection.

The E25 Blending Brush.

This has seriously become my go to brush lately. In recent years I've become makeup obsessed. I spend way too much time reading makeup blogs and watching youtube videos, and if I can take anything from my hours of practicing, blending is the key to a great makeup look.  

PS. I cleaned every single one of my makeup brushes the other night. What's a reasonable number of brushes to own? 

I have 27. and I use EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. 

Hi my name is Emily. I am a makeup brush hoarder. 

Happy Thursday Ladies!

January Birchbox

Hello! Long time no see ladies, sorry for dropping off the face of the earth yesterday. No post. No instagrams, nothing on Facebook. Not even a tweet. What is happening to me? Well--- I'm a tad stressed about life right now. So much to do, so little time. And I didn't write any posts over the weekend- I normally write outlines for all of my posts on Sundays. So we're winging it. Woohoo. aka--- I might go MIA again until after the inauguration. But I promise to update Twitter and Instagram like a crazy person. 

Anyways. I received my Birchbox in the mail a few days ago, and I've been loving some things... others not so much. First up.

theBalm® cosmetics Put a Lid On It™

I'm still semi- new to the Balm product, but so far I love what I've seen. This is no exception. Great primer. Takes a bit to dry, but one it does you are set for the whole day. I still prefer my UD primer potion, but this is not to say I won't love using this lovely sample. Thanks!

Ojon damage reverse™ Instant Restorative Hair Serum

Birchbox must have read my mind, because I just ran out of my argon oil. Seriously, the day before my box came. I'm not sure I love this more than my orofluido elixir, this is a great product. You can use it on wet or dry hair (I've only tried dry), and a little goes a long way. Smooth the product from the mid-shaft to the ends to reduce frizz and protect ends.

alessandro Nail Polish

I'm kind of obsessed with this nail polish. The color is Blue Lagoon, and actually comes off a little closer to navy than this pictures makes it seem. The formula is great though, super pigmented color. Goes on smooth, and three days later I still have yet to see a chip. Plus they have tons of other fun colors!

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic - 50ml

I may be the only one out there who likes getting perfumes in my box, but this one was a miss for me. I can't quite put my finger on what I don't like about it, but I'm just not feeling it. Sorry. Birchbox says: 

"The dominant note of crisp green apple is tempered by marine mint and lovely lotus blossom. In the background, notes of grapefruit, bergamot, fennel, white cedarwood, amber, and iris mix and mingle."  

Which if you ask me sounds like a lot of different smells that don't necessarily mingle well.

Fresh Lotus Face Cream

Loving this great face cream. Smells lovely- very light and as you might think... fresh. It definitely moisturizes, so I would only ever use this at night, plus no SPF, but it's great! I'm new to night creams, so I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I'm a fan!

Emerald Inaugural {FF #15}

I'm not going to lie, I've had Inauguration on the brain all week. I'm so excited to get all dressed up, see friends and family, and pretend like we are a part of the Washington elite. What a glamourous life I lead (said with full sarcasm). So after Wednesday's post where I talked inaugural options, where SO many of you commented and just gushed about the emerald option (no longer available at Macy's BTW, ANNOYING), I've been re-evaluating my options. I want to incorporate emerald one way or another. But should I run out and get a new dress? or maybe invest in a few accessories? What to do. What to do. So these are all options I would love to consider adding to my look.

Evening dress | high heels | handbag | ring | necklace |  drop earrings | stud earrings | head band | sequin gown |  bangle

What do y'all think? Full on gown? or do I stick with accessories?

PS. How amazing would it be for Michelle to rock that Elie Saab Gown? I'm dying just thinking about it.  Have a great weekend loves!

MNF, Part II

That’s me in the corner. That’s me in the spotlight, losing my religion.

Trying to keep up with you and I don’t know if I can do it.

Oh no. I’ve said too much. I haven’t said enough.

                A whole 2 weeks for Part II (Remember Part I)!  Hope I haven’t lost your interest!  We are in the MIDST of football playoffs, so let's wrap up Monday Night Football... To recap – we’ve left Chinatown’s bat cave and head to the infamous Capitol Lounge on Capitol Hill, a New England Patriots bar (I recently discovered) to catch the Monday Night Football game.  If I were to make a list of the things I love most about DC, near the top would be the fact that DC is an international and domestic hub for individuals from all types of backgrounds.  It’s a skittles commercial-all the colors of the cultural rainbow.  And here we are – a Monday night in our nation’s capital, and this Southerner is surrounded by New England Patriots fans with Mark Wahlberg accents and his reaaally NSFW (unless you're Officer Dignam) The Departed vernacular.

                Capitol Lounge (Cap Lounge as they call it on the street) is located on the strip of Pennsylvania Avenue restaurants down the street from the United States House of Representatives office buildings, nestled between Capitol Hill and Eastern Market in Southeast DC.  It is a Republican-owned (but bipartisan in business) playground for congressional staff, particularly interns and younger twenty-something staff.  The décor is pretty austere, but it is adorned with aged political paraphernalia (the walls are a collection for Reagan and Nixon campaign swag, hung amidst red+white+blue and stars+stripes fabrics/flags/buntings, etc.).  Of bars in DC, with such power-packing patronage, Cap Lounge is the Jenny from the Block version of Jennifer Lopez – the inconspicuous, no frills neighborhood pub, full of fully suited puppeteers for our federal lawmakers.  It is a staple in Capitol Hill so there is no need for inventive concoctions or promotions, although they do offer a few good ones, and I would call it unpretentious for that reason but doing so would only be half-right.  Among the political and patriotic stylings are signs stating, “I don’t care who you work for.”  And, if you show up AFTER the safety hours of happy hour, the place is full of political loose lips and poisoned philosophies, all willing to dive into a debate on House Resolution yadayada, the exact role/size of the federal government, skinterns in the office of Congressman Cat in the Hat, to whom and how much big donors have spent this past campaign cycle, the economics driving the American job market, and of course, how this/that party is screwing over America’s future. 

                The yin to balance the yang, however, is that Cap Lounge will often reserve entire levels for private parties, like it is on this particular night as the main level has been hijacked by a trivia night.  The private party this evening (for what, I’m not quite sure) is closing down, so the staff has been kind enough to let our small group enter the private party for the tail end so that we may catch kick-off while trivia concludes.  Not that there aren’t enough televisions upstairs, but we absolutely take the offer.  The space has mostly cleared, with a few lingering behind, most of whom are vortex’ed into liquored-up conversations, with exception to a small, isolated table which is shared between 3 suited men (much grayer than the usual suspects) who are holding their alcohol much better than the usual suspects as well.  This particular exclusive table is enthralled in a quiet conversation, with a private television, a table of beer, catching the beginning of the game between incognito conversations, all of which is being kept quite private. 

                In the same room, I’m sitting adjacent to 2 fine, young, over-served gentlemen I’m fairly certain wound up here from the Hill, discussing the state of our country and slurring their personal patriotism. “I mean…dude, I rreaaally love the Constah-tution,” divulging very little into any substantial political theory at this point.  Full confession - by the end of the night, I will be guilty of similar crimes myself, bickering with well-informed friends over whether or not the state of Texas will remain red or turn blue in the 2016 presidential election.  #onlyinDC  In my experience, veteran Hill staff tend to turn their noses at the thought of Cap Lounge after work, probably because at one time they’ve done this exact, roll-your-eyes-the-next-morning-in-embarrassment, type of thing.  I label it infamous because by the end of the night, it can be fall-down drunk, the last place that you didn’t need to visit on your way home from the evening’s shenanigans, yet you’re inside ordering another round and plunging money into the computerized jukebox. 

                Around 9:00, the majority of the trivia masses leave the bar, and Cap Lounge releases their Jerry Jones-sizedsuperdome screen (well, for a bar space it is huge) and we head upstairs to the main room.  The crowd has dwindled, but that will change before halftime.  The bar offers great specials for the football game, including $5 pizza which is my favorite from their food menu.  If pub grub is not pleasing your palette, the location is perfect to explore other eatable options-Top Chef’s Spike Mendelsohn offers 2 amazing restaurants: Good Stuff and We the Pizza, located just across the street, perpetually packed with power players including President Obama.  Cap Lounge is now packed with sports enthusiasts at this point, in particular New Englanders from the Hill, small business owners, veterans, lobbyists, and a few 2012 Presidential battleground campaign staff.  After 9:00 on most nights, you are bound to see just as diverse a crowd...

My last call:  great locality, interesting crowd, even more interesting conversations, most of which devolve into superficial matters.  It is the bar for workers of politics to unite, and a spot for the rest of the world to watch the beer-based bipartisan common ground burn up in flames. 

Until Next Time,

xo, Megan

Inaugural Gowns

As many of you know, my office is on Capitol Hill here in DC so I'm lucky enough to see the gorgeous capitol building every day. Congress officially began their new session last week, but the President doesn't start his new term for another two weeks or so.  I've been slowing watching the process as they've built the scaffolding, hung flags, and delivered more port-a-potties than you can imagine. With festivities kicking off next weekend I've been running around making sure I have dresses and accessories to all of the various events that weekend. I think I'll be attending 3 balls this year, most of them for work, so I need three different outfits. 

While I haven't decided yet, there are some things to consider for Inaugural balls. First... this is not prom. Obvious, but I haven't really had to wear long gowns since high school, so there's a whole new set of rules.  As with anything in DC the balls are potential networking events, so I need to stay some what professional. Strapless dresses are pushing it--- so make sure you have a wrap. This may not be the time to make a real statement with your fashion choices, so tone down the color and the trends. 

Here are a few dresses I think would be perfect. 

I really like the coverage of this dress. It's a gorgeous bright red, which is fun while still being patriotic (obviously this is an inaugural ball). 

Red Dress

Again, really liking the coverage of this dress, but the lace detail make it a little less stuffy. Plus it's emerald, so on point with the trends--- while not taking too many risks. 

Emerald Dress

While this dress is strapless, I really like it. The deep color is fun, yet professional and the beading is just enough to make the dress unique but again not overly flashy. A gorgeous pashmina and you're all set to hit the town.

Purple Dress

Again, this one has some sparkle (which we all know I love), but I adore the halter neck. The shoulders show a lot of skin but you do have to worry about cleavage.

Navy Blue Dress

So what would you wear to an inaugural ball?

Top 10 Beauty Favorites of 2012

It's been a while since I did a beauty review, and after reading so many "favorites of 2012" I thought I would hop on the bandwagon with my top 10 favorite beauty products of the year. It was surprisingly hard to narrow the list down to 10, but I did it! Woohoo! I tried to include a mix of high end and drugstore products, but I may try and find some dupes for the high end products-- if that's something y'all think you'd want to read! So with out further adieu, Blue Dog Belle's top 10 beauty finds of 2012.

Urban Decay Naked Palette was definitely my #1 favorite of 2012. I can honestly say I used it every single day I put shadow on my lids last year. AND even better than that- I have yet to hit the pan on any of the colors! I got Naked 2 for Christmas this year- and so far I'm loving it... it's definitely on it's way to being a favorite of 2013. 

Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation  I picked this up in the "How to look the best at everything"  kit and I can tell you it's the best foundation I've ever used. While it's on the expensive side I am amazed at the coverage. I have don't have great skin. It's splotchy, oily, a few noticeable acne scars, etc so I need a medium coverage foundation at minimum. Then I struggle with cakiness so it's an on going battle. This foundation has such a light feel, but the coverage is insane! 

Stila One Step Bronze was introduced to me this summer in a Birchbox and it quickly became the favorite of the summer. It's a great primer and ads a subtle depth of color and a little shimmer. On good days I would just wear this with a little powder, but I've been pulling it out lately to bring a little glow to my super pale winter face. 

NYX Retractable Lip Liner- I just discovered the awesomeness that is lip liner this summer, and this one is a great one. I have a few colors and the stay power is great. Super creamy and great pigmentation. I'd highly recommend these. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain -- This is probably my biggest find of 2012. I think I own seven. It's getting a tad excessive, but I have yet to find a shade I don't love. These are all matte, buildable, super pigmented, hydrating and long wearing. I love that it offers a lot of color impact with out having to worry about color bleeding or constantly re-applying.

Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara- I absolutely love this mascara. It makes my nonexistent blonde lashes transform into these dark soft and thick beauties that I only dream about.

Stila Custom Color Blush I cashed in some Birchbox points to pick this baby up and I'm SO glad I did! While it's hot pink in the pan it goes on very sheer, but is super buildable so you can have a bright pink glow or just a subtle hint of warmth. Plus it's matte, which I love. Shimmer is great, don't get me wrong, but when you do a shimmer highlight, shimmer in your powder, shimmer on the eyes, the lips, bronzer, etc. it's nice to balance it out with a little matte here and there. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter Berry Smoothie-- I was introduced to the lip butters in 2011, but didn't pick up berry smoothie until this fall, and I am in love. It's the perfect berry color, and I love the pigmentation of this shade. There's no glitter but it doesn't seem to be totally matte either.  

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner another Birchbox find. I love eye liners in marker form and this one is great. Doesn't dry up, really easy to control, great staying power and awesome pigmentation. 

Be Right Back

I'm super busy today with work and just life in general. I start sewing class tonight with this pretty lady tonight. Not to mention I'm fighting a little bit of a post-redskins game headache. Sunday drinking is just not a good idea. I'm craving an amazing latte right about now... and lots of grease. Happy Monday Ladies!

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