BRB…

I’m taking a short break from blogging…just for a few days. I’ll be back on Monday (or maybe Tuesday) with more beauty-full posts.

In the meantime, here are a few of my fave posts from the month of March. Enjoy…and feel free to catch up!

• Let’s Get Glowing (a complete guide to finding your best illuminator)
• On My List for Spring (fashion overload!)
• 60s Glam in Full Swing on Mad Men
• Spring’s Prettiest Nailpolishes
• Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
• Tarte Maracuja Divine Shine Lipgloss in Charmed

See you all next week…have a great weekend!! xoxoTop image via Lena Clara/fStop; this image via Paul Burns/Lifesize

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend was jam-packed with fun. Some of the my closest friends came from out of town to spend the weekend in Philly. We shared a lot of laughs, and even enjoyed spring-like weather on Saturday. I managed to capture a few memories on my iPhone.

Saturday night called for sparkle and statement pieces, topped off with neon nails. Purse: JCrew [no longer available]. Jaguar ring: Rabid Fox. Bengal bangle: Bauble Bar [silver version available here.] Nails: Pink Parka by Essie.

I made these cute Jello shots after I saw the idea on Pinterest. Lemons and clementines were filled with Jello and rum, and when cut, they looked like real wedges of fruit.

We had Sunday breakfast at a Jewish deli before everyone traveled home.

Spring is just around the corner…I can feel it!

Hope you had a happy weekend!

Friday Afternoon Treats

Since I’m designing my dream home, planning my future wedding, and mapping out what to make for dinner for the next 18 weeks on Pinterest, I figured I’d share a peek into one of my inspiration boards. And since it’s Friday (yay!), what better board to share than one dedicated to desserts?! I don’t normally have a big sweet tooth, but these pretty photos of elegant desserts would make even the most hardened salt-lover crave them. They look almost too good to eat…almost. Maybe they’ll be your inspiration to whip up something sweet this weekend? (Top image & recipe for Almond Joy Cupcakes via Cookies and Cups.)

A classic party cake in the prettiest shade of pale pink…complete with festive sprinkles. (Image & recipe via Smells Like Home)

Leave it to Martha Stewart to devise a recipe for a chocolate ganache pie with a crisp coconut crust…heavenly! And it only looks fancy; it’s actually simple to prepare. (Image & recipe by Martha Stewart via Style At Home)

Pink champagne cake pops! (Image & recipe via Sweetapolita)

There’s more after the jump…

A Look Back at 2011 on SugarSocial

2011 was exciting, stressful, and promising at all once. Here are some of the highlights of my year, as seen through my favorite posts of the past 365 days. And can you believe it’s going to be 2012?? Time files when your’e having fun…

I’m officially a toddler — at least in the blogosphere. SugarSocial turned 2 this year, but it’s been anything but a case of the Terrible Twos. In fact, it’s been the best year yet! (Image courtesy theglitterguide.tumblr.com via Pinterest)

I shared countless beauty tips and tricks on Tyra Bank’s TypeF website. (Image via TypeF)

I was kind of obsessed with The Beauty Department, the new website from Lauren Conrad and the team that makes her gorgeous. (Image via The Beauty Department)

Another obsession? Brows. In every way, shape, form, style, and product. The thicker, the better. (Ok, maybe I went a little overboard.) [Image via via beautyeditor.ca]

I got Naked (and it was about time).

Unfortunately, I caved to Kardashian Mania…until Kim divorced Kris Humphries after 72 days, and I, like the rest of the world, got angry about the 3 hours I wasted watching her wedding special! Then the obsession and subsequent coverage tapered off. (Image via khloekardashian.celebuzz.com)

Also, not totally blog-related, but you’ve probably read about it here or seen this little virtual business card in the sidebar…I started a jewelry line. Bird & Branch made its way onto Etsy this year, with pieces lovingly handcrafted by me. Thank you to everyone who’s purchased and worn a B&B piece. You make my days!

And last but certainly not least, thank you for reading. Your clicks, questions, comments, and guest posts make writing this blog so fun. It gives me a creative outlet and a way to share my love of beauty, makeup, style, and all of life’s fun frivolities. So thank you…I couldn’t — and wouldn’t — do it without you! Cheers to an even better and brighter 2012. xoxo

CyberMonday Beauty Deals

Today is the biggest online shopping day of the year. If you’ve got a beauty junkie on your list, or need to restock some of your own products, now is the time! The following is a list of deals you’ll find online today (and beyond), listed alphabetically, and with end dates where available. Happy shopping!

• Anastasia Beverly Hills: Take 35% off any purchase. Use code THANKS. Nov. 28 only.
• Bath & Body Works: Take 25% off any purchase. Use code CYBERMONDAY25OFF. Ends Nov. 29.
• Beauty.com: A purchase of $100+ gets you a free Ericson Beamon makeup bag stuffed with samples from some of Beauty.com’s brands.
• Beauty Bar: Purchases over $40 receive a free Philosophy gift set, which gets better if you spend more. If you spend $40-$59, enter code BBCYBER40. If you spend $60-$79, enter code BBCYBER60. If you spend $80+, enter code BBCYBER80.
• Bella Il Fiore: Take 25% off your purchase with code BF25. Nov. 28 only.
• Benefit: Orders of $35+ get a free mini High Beam. Use code HLDYMINI. Orders of $90+ get a free full-size Heartthrob face powder. Use code HRTTHROB. 11/28 only.
• Bliss: All Bliss, Remede, and Elemis products are 20% off. Select Bliss and Remede sets are 30% off. No code needed. Ends Dec. 5.
• Bobbi Brown: All orders get a free sample gift set and complimentary standard shipping. No code needed. Ends Nov. 29.
• The Body Shop: 3 for $30 on all products plus free shipping. No code necessary. Nov. 28 only.
• Butter London: Get 30% off nailpolish with the code CELEBRATE11. Ends Nov. 30.
• Clarisonic: Get 20% off when you purchase 2 Clarisonic skincare tools. You’ll also get a travel bag, bottle of body serum, and free shipping. Ends Nov. 29.
• Clinique: All orders get to select 3 of 8 samples, and get complimentary shipping. No code needed. Nov. 28 only.

Keep reading for more deals than you’ll know what to do with!

MAC Fall ’11: Art of Powder

As I was flipping through the monstrous September issue of InStyle last weekend, a bright smattering of color caught my eye. It was a tiny feature on MAC‘s Art of Powder collection, due in stores this fall. These powder palettes are drop-dead gorgeous mini works of art. Of course, once you use them, they’ll look like any other compact in your makeup bag, but for serious MAC collectors, these palettes are a must-have.

Bronzer in Optical ($38) is a beautiful optical illusion of bronzed copper and neon pink.

Highlighter ($38), inspired by…and possibly the style of Jackson Pollack?

Check out more photos and release details after the jump.

Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow

I have totally fallen for these little pots of heaven. Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow ($36) come in the most perfect, drop-dead gorgeous shades for fall. Illusoire (shown above) is a stunning eggplant flecked with microfine silver shimmer; I’m also swooning over Epatant, a glinty olive green. Other shades available include: Fantasme (shimmering silver), Mirifique (shimmering black), Ebloui (shimmery brown-maroon), and Emerveille (shimmery peachy-pink).

The muted earth tones are stunning, and so seasonally-appropriate. The gel formula is richly-pigmented and long-wearing, so you get color that lasts for hours. The gel formula has a texture like cream shadow, and glides on smoothly. I haven’t yet tried these shadows, but I’ve been hearing nothing but fabulous things about them. Every time I look at them, my heart flutters!

MAC Fall ’11: Glamglass

Are you ready to go all-out glam? MAC is! They’re glamming up lips in a new way with Glamglass. The smooth-as-silk gloss drenches lips in shine with a new brush applicator and leaves lips lush for hours. MAC says the texture is non-sticky (helloooo, Lipglass) and lightweight. New Lip Pencil shades round out the mix and help lock in your lip look.

Click through to see products, pricing, and photos!

Batting 1,000 With Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Clinique Bottom Lash mascara ($10) is one of those beauty products you never think you need, but once you have it, you don’t know how you lived without it. Kind of like how cellphones (or rather, car phones!) were back in the mid-90s compared to how prevalent they are today.

When I grabbed this with a Sephora gift card, it was more an “I have a gift card so no money will be wasted” type of purchase. However, once I used it, I realized how much it made my eyes pop. Coating the bottom lashes in mascara really opens up your eyes — that’s nothing new. But this teeny tiny little brush gets into the tiniest lashes much better than a traditional mascara wand can. It coats your bottom fringe fully to make your eyes look doe-like and huge.

Get the good, the bad, and the ugly after the jump.

OPI: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

OPI has created another pop culture-inspired collection of nailpolishes. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” was heavily influenced by the Disney films. But you don’t have to be a swashbuckler to enjoy these shades; they’re actually really feminine, and really springy. There’s not a bad hue in the bunch!

And there’s a little surprise after the jump!