Coming to America

Posted on July 1, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

My flight back to New York is only 3 days away! (I’m such an emotional wreck). I have been organizing and packing over the last couple of days and as I was putting together my handbag I thought I would give you guys a glimpse at my must have flight items.

During a long flight something to read be it a book or magazine is great to keep yourself occupied.

Music- either an iPod, iPad or where ever else your music is stored, oh and you must not forget your headphones. Mine are from the brand Frends.

I like to carry a notebook in order to reflect on my journey or jot some notes down. This cute pineapple one comes from Paperchase (UK).

Flushable wipes (self explanatory, especially for us ladies)

EmergenC- this is a good vitamin C packet to take before flying as you’ll most likely be around a sick person along with all of the recycled air, which doesn’t help the cause.

Hand sanitizer- once again trying to keep germs at bay. This Soap and Glory one smells amazing!

Chewing gum– my ears pop when descending and landing, chewing gum really helps my ears from becoming filled with air. My favorite is sweet mint from Orbit.

Hand cream- keeping hands nice and moisturized is very important! Another Soap and Glory favorite! This cream is also considered a hand mask.

Hydrating Face cream or mask- your skin looses a lot of is moisture and can become really dry with such high altitude so once again it is vital to help your skin retain some of it by adding in a hydrating face cream or a mask. I’ve packed the Sephora brand Honey sheet mask and the Nuxe creme fraiche 24 hour moisturizing mask.

Eye mask– undereye areas are also delicate and can become quite dry, placing eye cooling masks can also help keep them fresh looking. I’ve got the Skyn Iceland hydro cool firming eye gels which really help de-puff the under eye area.

Hydrating spray face mist– a mist also works if you prefer a quick spritz of freshness every few hours or so. The Evian facial mist is great for a quick refresher!

Lip balm– we can’t forget the lips! The key word for this post is obviously hydration and your lips should also be nice and moist for the duration of the flight. My current favorite has been the Nuxe Reve de miel lip balm.
This might seem like a lot of products but this is a routine that I am pretty much used to. I also make sure I carry a large tote to ensure I can bring along all of these items. I am currently using my Longchamp tote. It is super comfortable to wear and ultra roomy!
There you have it guys! I hope this post was helpful for any those of you planning on taking a summer holiday (or during any season really).

Safe Travels!

xx, Gwen

Américaine fille à Paris Part Deux

Posted on May 8, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

So knowing the beauty lover that I am you all know I had to stop and do some shopping whilst in Paris (not too much as my main focus was site seeing). I came across a pharmacy which displayed a bunch of sale items on the window, I figured I would surely find some goodies in there. Also Sephora was near by and I couldn’t resist (could you guys believe that I haven’t stepped foot in a sephora since December of 2014?!?!) Shocking I know! But trust me if there was one in London I would be in there every weekend. Well then let’s get on with this mini haul shall we?

Not having much time to browse in Sephora I grabbed a very much needed beauty blender and at the check out line I spotted the Sephora brand hydrating under eye mask. I am excited to pop that bad boy under these tired looking eyes of mine.

On to the pharmacy purchases, Nuxe is a parisian beauty brand started by Aliza Jabès in 1990. Her goal was to create feminine skincare which would be based on a pharmaceutical approach: nature, innovation, evaluation, accessibility and sensory experience. She has now expanded the line to skin, body, hands and foot care oh and we can’t forget the men’s range! Nuxe has won many awards for some of their staple products such as the Rêve de Miel Lip balm (which was one of the items I picked up). I am obsessed with this lip balm! My lips have never ever felt so soft. I was previously gifted the Rêve de Miel Hand and Nail Cream a few years ago and I fell in love with the scent! It is also really nourishing and hydrating as it is infused with honey and vitamin E. I loved it so much I had to pick up two! Right as I was about to check out I saw these cute little Bioderma bottles and a Klorane travel sized dry shampoo. The Bioderma micellar cleansing waters are a perfect size for travel! I grabbed the sensitive and combination/oily skin formula. I’ve heard great things about the Klorane oatmilk gentle dry shampoo but I had never come across the formula for medium to dark hair until that moment, this too is another product I cannot wait to try.

Lastly I was shopping for some cute souvenirs and came across this little Paris tray. I loved the print on it and thought it would make a perfect dish for placing the jewelry i wear on a daily basis.

I hope you all enjoyed my mini Paris haul. This trip shall too be one I will never ever forget!
take care lovelies,
xx Gwen

Paris is always a good idea

Posted on May 2, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Another bank holiday has rolled around in England causing the urge to book a quick city break. I chose Paris! the city of lights, one of those most magical and romantic cities of all time (so I’ve heard). I am insanely excited! I wanted to quickly share with you all what I packed for my long weekend getaway. Focusing on makeup and some key pieces I felt were necessary. I also got some fun tips from “Parisian Chic” a style guide by Ines de la Fressange. Let’s begin!

Choosing what makeup to bring is always so hard for me, especially lipsticks I mean how can a girl anticipate what color she’ll want to wear for the next three days? (Champagne problems). I tried to focus on my holy grail products and a variety of what I consider to be classic lip shades.

For clothes I pretty much chose basics ie; jeans, a denim button down, striped t-shirt and a little black dress for a night out. Two pieces I want to give special attention to are my faux leather jacket and side slit blouse. I purchased them both at Newlook.

A motorcycle inspired jacket can easily transform an outfit into chic and edgy. I love the contrast of pairing it with something a bit more feminine to balance out the asthetic of the look.

This side slit blouse is all the rave in London (I’m assuming it is back home as well). I love the slight sexiness it posses as you’re mostly covered up in the chest area but can show off a bit of skin without being too much.

If you haven’t already noticed I am pretty much obsessed with wearing black. Normally I am all about color but lately black pieces have taken over my wardrobe. Wearing black makes me feel like I’m in a classic piece (even if it’s only a plain black t-shirt). This was also confirmed while reading the “Parisian Chic” book.

Stay tuned for my Paris adventures!

xx Gwen

All roads lead to Rome

Posted on April 22, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Whilst in the UK I figured I would take advantage and travel around Europe as much as my pockets will allow me to. Italy has always been on my top places to visit list, but having to choose what city to fly to was the hard part. So we chose Rome, the capital of Italy, one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe and home to an amazing array of historical sites. I thought I would share some photos of my time there as well as a quick look at two comfy outfits I wore while site seeing.

This city is absolutely breathtaking! To be amongst some of the most intricate and greatest works of architecture is such a humbling experience! Oh and I can’t forget to mention how delicious the food was! Splendido!

Before leaving I needed to pick up some lighter pieces of clothing and where better to find quick basic pieces than Primark! (I apologize for not having close ups of these outfits, but I’m sure you can still get the idea of what I’m wearing). I opted for comfort as we were going to be doing loads of walking. A cardigan is a must as there are times of the day when it feels a bit chilly or a gust of wind brushes by (especially while on the tour bus). I also picked up loose fitting tank tops and casual pants, once again perfect for walking.

I hope you all enjoyed my quick look into an amazing holiday! Have any suggestions as to where else I should visit? Leave them down below!

xx Gwen

All American OOTD

Posted on January 9, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

I’m semi satisfied with the amount of pictures me and my sister took for each other before we parted ways during the holidays. Usually we just end up having too much fun and messing around to the point where no actual work gets done! This was a quick outfit of the day right before one of our shopping trips while she was here visiting us in Florida. The main focal point is this amazing military “Michael Jackson esque” sweater from Ralph Lauren. The etched gold buttons and high neck make for a classic silhouette while maintaining warm in the cooler temps. I love the fact that it can be sporty and casual or dressed up as I did with dark wash jeans, Aldo booties and a structured purse (last two items soon to be solo featured on the blog as well). I bought the sweater at Marshalls as my #fabfound item of the month but also found similar sweaters below that can work to recreate this look.

Similar sweaters Here, Here, Here, Here, Here & Here!

Love, Ari

Casual Beach Day Essentials- Featuring Dove Dry Spray

Posted on January 5, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

New year’s resolution-take advantage of nice weather days more often! Of course the temps took a turn after my sister Gwen left (even though we did enjoy some slight warm days as well). Sunday turned into a sun filled day … Continue reading →

NYE Outfits

Posted on January 1, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

2015 is here! So many great things have happened this past year and we are so grateful to have been able to spend time together per usual for this holiday season. For our New Years celebration we decided to keep it low key this year (since Gwen is moving to London in a couple of days) and spend time at home with our loved ones. Needless to say, we still found the need to dress up of course. Get all the details down below!

Ari’s Outfit
Dress- Alberto Makali Nordstrom Rack
Shoes – Old season Forever 21
Clip in Hair Extensions –Bellami
Press on Nails- Static Nails

Gwens’ Oufit
Dress- Forever 21
Shoes- Sam & Libby Heels from Target
Press on Nails- Static Nails

Hats off to Shopping

Posted on December 29, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

The holiday season is almost over! I hope everyone has enjoyed every moment and spent it with loved ones. Now that Gwen is here and we are together, we have been busy catching up, spending time with family and of course shopping! For a full day of bargain hunting you have to be comfortable and weather appropriate. You can never go wrong with a band t-shirt with soft touches of feminine details, and this outfit is no exception. The look centered on my awesome new Mossimo Supply Co. hat I bought at Target. The fedora is the perfect neutral to tie together any look. I paired it with my Pink Floyd top, black maxi skirt (came in handy while constantly getting undressed to try things on in stores), old nine west backpack and my awesome studded gold and black Sam & Libby sandals. I was comfortable, stylish and it was perfect for the current nicer temps we are experiencing. Links to items below!

Pink Floyd Band T-Shirt

Black Maxi Skirt

Similar Sandals

Mossimo Fedora

Love, Ari

Glittery Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Merry Christmas everyone! I am currently down in the sunshine state with my family celebrating the holidays, eating, shopping and more eating! Being in the Christmas spirit and all I wanted to create a look involving lots of glitter. I chose the color green but kept the rest of my makeup pretty neutral. Check it out…

To create this eye look I used the two bottom brown shades in the Stila “mind” palette for the crease. I then used the green eyeshadow called Jade from the Lorac Pro two palette for the eyelid. Followed by some Urban Decay bondage weightless makeup adhesive I proceeded to wet my eyeshadow brush with MAC fix plus and gently patted the glitter onto my lids, (Glitter is from the craft store Michaels).

There are you have it my friends a fun and festive Christmas look (you can use any color of your choice).

Hope you all are having a wonderful day!
-Gwen

Gift giving guide

Posted on December 21, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

It’s that time of year again where everyone is busy running around looking for the perfect gift to give, we figured why not come up with our own ideas on what to get all of the special people in your life. We created four categories below: the college student, the foodie, the makeup beginner and the picky mom (but feel free to swap them out as you see fit). Hope this helps! -Links Below

College Student a.k.a busy/broke/exhausted young individuals: What a better way to go back to school than with a new planner for the year! A handy key chain for those that lose things all the time (like me), Headphones for those walks to class or when you want to tune out your roommate, Flawless mug because, well Beyonce duh! and lastly Coffee, Coffee and more Coffee for the late night cramming sessions (or that night you partied way too hard).

Foodie Friends- Groupon deals and this other hot sauce link are also great alternatives. Hot sauce, because for those that love it they REALLY love it and the hotter the better is what I usually hear people say, Star wars light up chopsticks, need I say more? A picnic basket for those yummy outdoor lunches, A roomy enough back pack for those on the go (say NYC) and need to carry their food everywhere, and lastly no man wants to barbecue in a girly apron, in comes this manly one.

College Student by ari-pena featuring a ceramic cup

Foodie by ari-pena featuring a pic nic basket

Mom gift guide: Pajamas,I mean who doesn’t need them? Jewlery: If your mom has a pandora bracelet she would love the mom charm to add to her collection.A monogrammed mug for the tea and coffee lovers. For the mom who loves to cook an engraved cutting board is such a nice personalized way to go, you can even engrave one of her favorite recipes on it! and Lastly a spa day because we all know moms are the superheroes of the family who need a break from time to time.

moms by gwendolyn-pena featuring stoneware mugs

New to the makeup world: Some sort of palette is the best way to go when buying for a makeup beginner. It is so convenient to have everything all in one place. A compact mirror and makeup bag is always needed as well.