Sisters in London

Posted on March 11, 2015 by itsapplesandorangesblog

First and foremost we would like to apologize for going so many days without posting (we have a good reason, promise!). Ari and our mom came all the way to London to visit me for a few days, it was a short trip but none the less packed with loads of fun! They spilt their time between London, Barcelona & Paris (insane I know).

In this post I want to share an outfit I put together for a day out in London as well as our amazing time at Kettners for Afternoon Tea.

I knew our day in London consisted of loads of walking so I wanted to be comfortable yet polished as we were going to be having Afternoon Tea. I chose this “nothing to wear” tee shirt from Asos which I think is utterly adorable, don’t we all have this problem ladies? Because I chose such a simple top I decided to pair it with my blue velvet skater skirt from Forever 21 which gave the outfit a nice twist to a mostly all black look. I then threw on some tights, my trusty studded boots and my new baby, the Cambridge satchel.

Afternoon Tea at Kettners was absolutely fabulous! I was highly impressed with the array of sandwiches and delicious pastries we were served. My drink of preference is normally coffee but the peppermint tea at Kettners tasted like no other!

It was such a great weekend! One we will never ever forget! I leave you all with a photo of Ari and I in front of Buckingham Palace.

Till next time!

Gwen xx

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

Dark Floral

Posted on November 10, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

I am currently loving how Spring/Summer trends are sneaking their way into Fall/Winter pieces. Which brings me to talk about my recent H&M purchase, a floral blazer with a black background color. Adding a floral pattern to a dark base color makes a clothing item a bit more wearable for the colder months. The style of this blazer is a wider cut with pockets on the side giving it a more relaxed feel. I paired it with an all black outfit, making it the focal point of this look. Check it out…

I also wanted to show you all a close up of my lovely Sam and Libby pumps from Target. The minute I saw these I fell in love! I love a classic pointy shoe but these have a bit more flare to them because of the tie around ankle cuff. The heel height was also a huge selling point for me since I no longer enjoy wearing super high heels (I am old now). Here’s a closer look…

Stay tuned for some of my upcoming “wintery” looks.

Blazer

Pumps

-Gwen

Wine oh wine

Posted on October 27, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

There’s something about chilly weather that gives us the desire to wear darker shades of color such as plums, wines and berries. Whether it be on your lips or a clothing piece these richer hues really compliment all skin tones. Below you will find an outfit I put together using a plum colored flared skirt, a floral patterned top (both from H&M), black booties and a wine colored lip (Maybelline’s Divine Wine).

This past weekend was once again a nice one so I was able to wear this outfit without any tights underneath, but this look could easily be transitioned into a winter outfit with some thick tights and a chunky sweater to keep warm.

Stay tuned for more outfit of the day looks.

Same/Similar items:
Skirt
Blouse
Shirt
Booties
Chain Clutch

-Gwen

Last call before “Fall”

Posted on October 21, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

The weather in NYC is all over the place, one day its warm next day you have to bring out your turtlenecks, but I have a feeling that this past Saturday was one of the last “warm” days we will be having. Taking that into consideration I brought out my faux leather shorts. When the temperature drops these would look great with a pair of tights underneath, but showing off a little leg one last time won’t hurt anyone right? The lion print top is such an eye catcher! Being a Leo and all I had to get it! The sweatshirt like material gives this outfit nice texture variation. I also threw on my beloved Zara studded booties, a chunky necklace and my panama hat. Get a closer look down below…

Shorts, sweatshirt and necklace are from H&M, Hat from Urban Outfitters, Booties from Zara (old)
Quick links to the same or similar items:

Leopard Top
Faux Leather Shorts
Panama Hat
Studded Booties
Bold Necklace

Hasta Luego,
-Gwen

Breakups to Makeup/Smashbox

Posted on October 13, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

This past weekend I attended an event hosted by Sephora at the Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City. Smashbox cosmetics was there doing makeovers and demonstrating new products. I of course jumped on the opportunity to get my makeup done by one of their artists. I learned some new tricks on how to create a cat eyeliner (God knows I needed the help).
The creator of “Breakups to Makeup“, Angelique Velez was also there. Angelique launched Breakups to Makeup in June of 2013 with the intent to spread this message: “makeup serves as a creative outlet to those applying and livens the spirit of those wearing it” I couldn’t agree more!. Angelique has quickly made a name for herself with a bunch of fun merchandise. She is well-known for her catchy slogans such as “loved raised me lipstick saved me”, “I would cry but my mascara is designer” and so many more! Angelique was gracious enough to let me ask her a few questions about her brand:

Gwen: What inspired you to come up with “Breakups to makeup”?
Angelique: A few years back I went through a terrible breakup, but the only thing that enabled me to get out of bed was makeup. I have been a makeup artist for many years and I found comfort in knowing that I was getting out of bed to not only make myself happy by putting on my favorite lipstick but also because what I did made others happy as well.
Gwen:How do you come up with your slogans?
Angelique: My slogans come to me through day to day life experiences, for example one day I was getting my nails done at the salon and I thought wow I am totally useless right now (my nails were of course wet) which was when I came up with the “I’m only helpless when my nails are drying” slogan. I also like to carry a journal with me to jot down whatever pops into my head.
Gwen: What advice would you give to someone who is an up and coming artist/entrepreneur?
Angelique: I would say to listen to your heart and keep going. Not everyone is going to understand your path but its ok don’t listen to them, you’ll find your way.

The lovely Angelique and I

Here are the goodies I picked up from her collection as well as some Smashbox goodies.

Angelique will be at the Orlando Makeup show next. Go check her out if you’re in the area, you know Ari will definitely be there!

Quick Links: Breakups to Makeup
About
Merchandise
Products on Etsy

-Gwen

Fall into Fall

Posted on September 24, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Happy Fall everyone! Although I am a bit sad the summer is officially gone I am also very excited for my new Fall wardrobe! I’ve already done some shopping and cannot wait to post a few more outfit ideas for all you lovelies. Well then, shall we get started?

The weather can still be somewhat unpredictable in the beginning of Fall which is why layering or wearing pieces that have a bit of a thicker material will come in handy. In the outfit below I paired a gray and black hummingbird sweatshirt from H&M with a textured skater skirt from Forever 21. Here’s a closer look…

I also wanted to add a bit of fun to this outfit by adding a floppy brim round top hat and my black fringe handbag. Adding accessories with various textures can make all of the difference on a once seemingly simple outfit.

Here are quick links to where you can find these exact or similar pieces.

Sweatshirt
Skater Skirt
Fringe Bag
Floppy hat

Special thank you to my hopefully new-found photographer, my best friend Emily.

Stay tuned for more outfit of the day looks!

-Gwen

NYFW Spring 2015

Posted on September 12, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

“Every Year the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future… this is known as Fashion week”- Carrie Bradshaw Sex and the City

New York City is at the forefront of fashion innovation which was beautifully displayed during Fashion week. Although I did not attend any shows this year I made sure I walked by Lincoln Center to catch a glimpse of the amazingly dressed people. Here’s a quick look at some of the designers I think did an amazing job to get us ready for this upcoming spring.

First up is Delpozo his collection displayed soft pastel hues, embellishments and pops of neon, great focal points if you ask me. Also we cannot leave out the beautifully floral embellished chunky oxford shoes.

delpozo by gwendolyn-pena featuring sandals

Next up is Ralph Lauren, a timeless man who I feel can never do any wrong. A glamorous safari is what I feel was the look he was going for and he accomplished it very well.

Ralph Lauren Spring 2015 by gwendolyn-pena on Polyvore

Then we have Marc Jacobs waist conscious jackets with a bit of military appeal which I think are to die for!

marc jacobs 2015 by gwendolyn-pena on Polyvore

And lastly Nanette Lepore’s collection was super fun and vibrant. A yellow laid back dress with pockets has my name written all over it!

nanette lepore by gwendolyn-pena on Polyvore

On to Street Style! Now we all know New Yorkers have hands down the best street style there is! (Sorry to everyone else all over the world. I am only kidding) Seriously though there were so many amazingly dressed men and women, I literally could not take my eyes off of some people as I was walking by.

street style by gwendolyn-pena on Polyvore

And there you have it my friends!
Waiting not so patiently for Fall fashion week 2015.

-Gwen

Deborah Lippmann Summer Lacquers

Posted on July 26, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

One of my favorite parts of summer is being able to brighten up not only your wardrobe and makeup but also your nail polish. Bold colors are an instant pick me up when looking down at your hands and toes. You can all imagine how excited I was when I received the Deborah Lippmann 80’s rewind summer collection nail lacquers. These colors are super pigmented and the crème formula has a great consistency. There are some lacquers that are a bit runny or too thick but these are very easy to work with. I actually painted my own nails which is something I cannot do with every nail polish.

Here’s a closer look at these gorgeous colors

Left to Right: Whip it, Walking on Sunshine, Don’t stop believing, She drives me crazy, Maniac, Video killed the radio star

I am currently wearing “Don’t stop Believing” the perfect red-orange color

These Nail Lacquers are available online or at your local Sephora, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.

Quick Links:
Deborah Lippmann
Sephora

* Special Thank you to Diana from Deborah Lippmann’s PR department for reaching out and being so kind to send samples over.

Happy weekend everyone!
-Gwen

Orange Lips

Posted on July 15, 2014 by itsapplesandorangesblog

Hello lovelies today I will be talking about a fun lip color trend, and I’m sure you’ve already guessed what it is due to the title of this post. I am a girl who loves a bright lip, especially during the summer months. Whether you have a fair complexion or a deeper one there is an orange that will work for you. Below you will find product names and swatches. I have a mix of drugstore and higher end options giving everyone an idea of what would work for their budget. Lets begin!

Left to right:
NYX butter gloss in Peach Cobbler
NYX lip butter in Hot Tamale
Maybelline Vivids in Vibrant Mandarin
Milani in Sweet Nectar
Revlon Just Bitten balm in Rendezvous
MAC amplified lipstick in Morange
Limecrime lipstick in Cosmopop

Top four hand swatches from left to right:
NYX butter gloss in Peach Cobbler
NYX lip butter in Hot Tamale
Maybelline Vivids in Vibrant Mandarin
Milani in Sweet Nectar
Bottom hand swatches from left to right:
Revlon Just Bitten balm in Rendezvous
MAC amplified lipstick in Morange
Limecrime lipstick in Cosmopop

NYX Butter Lip Gloss in Peach Cobbler

NYX Lip Butter in Hot Tamale

Maybelline Vivids in Vibrant Mandarin

Milani lipstick in Sweet Nectar

Revlon Just Bitten lip balm in Rendezvous

MAC amplified lipstick in Morange

Limecrime lipstick in Cosmopop

NYX, Maybelline, Revlon and Milani products are sold in your local drugstore as well as Ulta. MAC products are sold in MAC stores or online. Limecrime products are sold online only. Links can also be found above under the first picture!

What are some of your favorite summer lip colors? Leave your suggestions in the comments section.

-Gwen