The Caro Diaries: July 2014

July 30, 2014

The NOW Generation

This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed, however, are my own and that of The Caro Diaries.

No, the title isn't a typo. I'm talking about the NOW generation. You. Me. Those who work for what they want. Who aren't afraid to chase their dreams. And those who certainly aren't afraid to do it looking fashionable. I'm a part of the Now Generation, and chances are so are you. And what I found out on Monday, so is Aeropostale.

Aero is a store I'm pretty sure you haven't walked into since middle school, am I right? I didn't grow up in the US, but my yearly trips to Florida, New York or Boston gave me some basic knowledge, and I outgrew the brand by the time I was 15 - and that was a stretch. I've walked into the store once in the last five years, and it was to pick up a cheaper fleece jacket to throw on when I was going out that I didn't care about ruining (on a side note: RIP fracket.. you were good to me).

So when I was asked to cover Aeropostale's new re-launch, I was a little hesitant, but excited. I had heard great things about their new stuff, and the teaser pictures they emailed me only helped get me excited for the event. I shared with you that every store was blacked out on Sunday in preparation for the launch on Monday, and that between 4-6pm there would be a launch party. I headed to a VIP launch party of my own, over at the Manhattan Mall, and I had such a great time shopping and mingling and snapping photos.

The party I attended was fabulous - there was a DJ, there were drinks and there was even a nail station, plus people shopping around and trying on the newest clothes and latest styles.

Plus, when you walked in, there were girls at the door handing out $10 gift cards - an added bonus!, and a scratch off ticket that would give you a deal.. mine gave me an additional 10% off my purchase! As if that wasn't enough, there were sales left, right and center.. even jeans were buy one get one free!

Aeropostale's launch of the Bethany Mota collection also was something to write home about because the styles were SO cute, and made me 100% jealous of the fashionista and mogul.. I mean, she's only 18! They also unveiled their Live Love Dream collection - and I'm loving it.. especially their workout clothes! I picked up a pair of pants, and I already wore them to the gym yesterday!

The theme of the day, and of their new launch is: you've changed, so we've changed. And it's true.. I'm not who I was a year ago, and our clothing brands should change to reflect that. Gone are the days that Aero can be considered a middle school or high school brand.. especially with the pieces I picked up, but you're just gonna have to wait to see those ;)

What do you think of the new Aeropostale?

P.S. Don't forget to use the code "Her Campus" at checkout for 30% off your highest priced item! It saved me $15!

Before I forget, I want to introduce you to a fabulous lady whose name you may recognize by now. Rebekah from Blue Giraffes and Concrete Jungles was one of my sponsors this month, and I loved learning about her life in the city - especially as I can understand it now that I've lived here.

Hi! I'm Rebekah from Blue Giraffes and Concrete Jungles, a lifestyle blog about myself and my adventures in the NYC jungle. I'm a nanny who loves to read, cook, and explore this beautiful world! I also plan to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2016. My blog is a mix of reviews, yummy recipes, and just some fun stories about the NYC nanny life. Come stop by and say hello!

Interested? You should check out these first!

Harry Potter is my Homeboy // I May Have a Child

Loving Rebekah? Follow her!

blog // bloglovin // facebook // twitter // pinterest

July 29, 2014

Apps Every New Yorker Needs

This post has been jumping around my planner for as long as I can remember. I'd have it written in for a set date to write and publish, and then life will happen and I'll change the date. Two months later, I think it's about time I shared it with you.

New York has been an absolute blast this summer. I've spent the last two months exploring the city, meeting new people, working my butt off, and hitting the hottest spots, and I can't believe that in less than two weeks, it's over. Isn't that crazy? I feel like it was just yesterday I was packing up and moving into my little apartment in Brooklyn, and now it's almost over. I'm borderline panic attack right now because I haven't even finished my NYC bucket list yet.. but I will before the next two weeks are up!

Anyways, living in NYC for the summer has qualified me (not really) to suggest some of my favorite apps. Okay, so you should all know by now that my iPhone is always glued to my hand, so I had to find some apps to help my transition to the big city, and I am so glad I discovered some of these when I did because it saved my butt many a time!

HopStop // HopStop is hands down my most used app in New York. The app asks you to type in a start and end address (or you can use your current location for starting!), and it shows you all the ways to get there - including subways, buses, walking and cabs. The only thing I'm not fond of is that you need internet access to search, so if plans change mid-subway ride, you're forced to wait until you get to a station boasting internet access/3G coverage to figure it all out.

CabSense // The absolute worst thing in the world is waving down a cab, or waiting on an empty street for a cab to drive by. It happened to me on Saturday after leaving the club, and I couldn't find a cab for the life of me! CabSense uses your current location to show you where the most cabs are driving nearby - so if walking one block up means catching a cab easily, then I'm all for it!

Uber // Speaking of cabs, Uber is the perfect tool for any city anywhere! It's essentially a cab service at your fingers, and you can pull out your phone and request a cab via the app. The cool part is that you link your credit card via the app, so you can pay automatically - leaving you no hassles to deal with, not even the tip! You can track the cab, share your ETA and even split the fare with other passengers - no more IOU's! (Bonus: sign up now, and use the promo code 'ubertcdnyc' for a $30 credit!)

Seamless // Seamless is the lazy girl's dream app. Remember that restaurant you stumbled upon and loved, but it's a little out of the way or you had a long day at work.. yeah, that's essentially what Seamless is for. You log on (either using the app or the website - I prefer the website, shh!) and you can search by restaurants, price or even cuisine, and once you've chosen your restaurant, you click your order and wham, bam, thank you ma'am, Seamless is at your door. (Bonus: If you sign up through this link, you'll get $7 off your first purchase!)

Breather // New York can be a little overwhelming at times.. okay, understatement of the year. But sometimes we just need a little space in a crowded city like this, and that's why the app Breather was created! Breather allows you to rent a quiet space for $25/hr for when you need to escape work, your roommate, or just have some sort of alone time. You can rent for as long as you please, just to escape the concrete jungle around you. I get it, don't worry!

Sit or Squat // We've all been there - we need to pee, and we're 45 minutes away from our apartment, or we're on our way to a meeting, or we're late for something or the other, and that subway bathroom is starting to look really tempting at the moment. Enter Sit or Squat (appropriately sponsored by Charmin) - to help you find a (clean) rest room that you can use nearby - rated by real people who needed to pee just like you!

I wasn't lying when I said I was the app Queen, y'all.. I know my stuff! Honestly though, thank goodness for technology, because it has saved my butt many times when I've been lost, alone and scared - and 3G is a marvelous things!

What apps do you swear by for city living? Are there any I missed?

P.S. Check out the apps you should have if you're a college student!

P.P.S. Like working out? You can't leave without reading this and downloading these asap!

July 25, 2014

HerConference Recap

I know I've been a really bad blogger this past week, but I don't feel the need to apologize cause it was my birth-week, and we all know that it was important.

JK. what really was important was that my mom flew up to NYC to spend the week with me for my birthday, which was fantastic getting to see her, and shopping.. that's always fun. I said last week that I actually despise shopping in a store, because it takes so long and I can never find anything I love and yada yada yada, and after I hit publish, I decided to join my mom at a few department stores and I was miserable. At one store, I waited an hour for the dressing room, and by the time I got in, I was so fed up I tried on one thing and left the store, empty-handed.

I did pick up a few items though, and you'll definitely be seeing those soon as well. But first, I wanted to talk a little bit about the HerCampus #HerConference that I went to a few weeks ago. I've been a part of the HCBN for more than a year now, and I am a part of my school's HC chapter, so when I got the email about the conference in NYC this year, I knew I couldn't miss it.

I'd had my business cards made just in time (more on that later), and I was so excited to meet the HC Founders (they're perfect!!), some of my favorite bloggers, and connect with some amazing people in the industry! The day included speakers like Carley Roney from the XO Group, well-known bloggers from blogs like The College Prepster, Bows & Sequins, Design Darling and Corals & Cognacs, plus many more.. so I was definitely in the right place!

the hilarious and talented Carley Roney

Hallie and Jess

Carly and Mackenzie

I was feeling super inspired when I was choosing my outfit too, and I'd been meaning to give these shoes a NYC whirl, so it was a no-brainer on what to wear for the event.

I picked up this Cynthia Rowley dress from a department store a few months back, and it's the perfect length to dress up or dress down. I rocked them with my good old Tieks on the subway right up to Columbia University where the conference was being held, and I can totally see myself rocking these with a pair of Jacks or even some comfy sandals for a summer day. But they also were a match made in heaven with these striped wedges, and it was the perfect way to "dress up" a little black dress.

excuse my duck face.. I'm clearly not a good poser

My go-to Michael Kors bag was the perfect pop of color for this outfit, and held everything I needed and more, like my planner, my camera and a ton of business cards for the whole day.

| Cynthia Rowley dress (similar) | Schutz striped wedges (on sale!) |

| Michael Kors bag c/o | Anoushka by Ilmes jewelry |

Photos by The Darling Daily

Love this look? Shop it below!

July 18, 2014

20 Things You Don't Know About Me

Today's July 18th and anyone who's anyone knows that's a special day: MY BIRTHDAY.

JK, you're still someone even if you didn't know that..

But now that we've established that, aren't you excited?! I know I am.. I mean, it's my birthday for crying out loud! And what better way to celebrate my 20th birthday than by telling the whole world 20 things they don't know about me!

1) I come from a huge family. I have five siblings, and too many cousins to count!

2) I'm actually a lot shier than people realize and than I let on sometimes. If I'm not comfortable around someone or somewhere, I'll be very quiet and closed off.

3) That being said, if I like you or I'm comfortable with you, you can't shut me up! I'm a ball of energy and I'm always a little crazy which is a fun time.

4) I hate eating breakfast. I get hungrier after I eat breakfast which is so weird to me, and so I try to avoid it at all costs although I know how bad that is for my health. (per my mother's request, I ate breakfast today!)

5) I love the idea of amusement parks - they always appear so fun and romantic, like the Beyoncé XO video. In real life, I wanna throw up because roller coasters terrify me and I get anxiety before I go on them, yet regret it if I don't go on them!

6) Speaking of being scared of roller coasters.. Ironically, I want to go sky-diving within the next few months! My friends and I have been planning it for months and if anyone in the North East region has any recommendations, let me know! (Shhh.. don't tell my mom!)

7) Ever since I went to the Tony Awards, I'm somewhat of a Broadway snob, and I only want to see my favorites from this year's broadcast! (If anyone wants to hook me up with Hedwig or Aladdin tickets, I'm all yours!)

8) I looooove champagne. Champagne is my liquor of choice 24/7. And yes, I can say this at 20 years old because in Trinidad, I'm legal and that's all that counts ;)

9) I love new clothes.. obsessed with them, but I hate shopping. I absolutely hate looking for clothes in a store. Give me a credit card and a laptop any day and I'll come out with a whole new wardrobe, but for some reason in a store, I can't find anything for the death of me.

10) When I was younger, I dreamt of being a travel writer. Now that I'm older, I still love the idea of traveling for work - but not necessarily writing about travel. I'd love to work in features.

11) I ran into Anna Wintour in NYC and almost died when I saw her.. she is so ridiculously intimidating!

12) When I read books and finish a great one, I go into an intense depression because the story is over, or because I don't get to pretend to hang out/follow the lives of the characters anymore.

13) I LOVE Pinterest. Okay, maybe that's not a secret. But I have a ton of boards and ideas I want to create or try, and I've never done a single one. Maybe one day? I'll still be pinning though..

14) I love a good pair of shoes and an expensive handbag. As long as I have a nice pair of shoes and a beautiful handbag, I'll be a happy camper.

15) I've had, I think, 5 surprise parties in my life, and for some reason I never expect it. You would think after 5 you start to expect it, but I never do!

16) I cannot eat any meal that crunches. It stems back from when I was a kid (and a very picky eater), we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner and I insisted that I wanted a hotdog, so they whipped one up for me and it crunched, and since then my life has changed.

17) I'm Lebanese, and I took Arabic for two years, where I learned to speak and write it, but I don't remember anything but the alphabet. All the conversational Arabic I know, I've picked up from my parents. But last night I went to a Lebanese restaurant and the waiter called me by name.. it took me a minute to realize he looked at my Arabic name necklace. Dumb moment!

18) I got a concussion from B.o.B. Yep.. that happened.

19) I am deathly afraid of creatures - spiders, cockroaches, snakes.. you name it. Ew..

20) It's my birthday!!!!! Wait, we established that already.. whoops!!

Happy Friday to all of you, and happy birthday to me!

July 15, 2014

What's in my eBag: a giveaway

This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed, however, are mine and that of The Caro Diaries.

When I was preparing myself to make the move to New York for the summer, I knew I needed a fantastic bag for the office. Something that said serious, but not trying to hard; fun, but gets down to business; fashion-forward, but I have other strengths. And I looked and I looked and I looked and I couldn't find a bag that was a) big enough to hold my laptop, planner, and everything else I would take with me on a daily basis, b) cute enough for my standards, and c) within my very limited unpaid intern lifestyle budget.

So when I discovered eBags, it opened up a whole new world of affordability and fashion for me. I knew I loved the look of some of my favorite designers like Kate Spade New York, Rebecca Minkoff and Michael Kors handbags, but I couldn't justify the price on my salary of $0/month, and so discovering eBags was a dream come true! eBags has a variety of designer handbags for a lot less than department store prices, and a special rewards program where rewards members receive at least 5% back in rewards on every purchase! You can then use these points towards another purchase, so you're practically saving yourself money which I love!

So when eBags offered to send me a bag for the office this summer, I knew I had to choose this Michael Kors bag that I've had my eye on for months - and at that price, how could I say no?! Plus, I got to check off 'pop of color' off my summer bag checklist.

Check out how I stuff my bag every morning!

My wallet, cosmetics pouch, hand sanitizer and gum go with me everywhere - this is New York after all! My sunglasses are usually perched on top my head, but I'll usually throw my sunglasses case in there too. If I'm working, my laptop fits perfectly in the laptop pocket (yes, this handbag has a laptop pocket!), and depending on if I'm at work or not, I usually have at least one of my planners. (If I'm exploring or using my days off to blog, my KSNY planner jumps right in the bag too!)

My trusty Venus Snap stays in my purse too because you never know when you need a quick shave, and like I said.. this is New York! I also, obviously, throw my fave lip color at the time in too because you never know when a photo op comes up! Lastly, my business cards are a must-have in my handbag, and I usually keep them in an inside pocket just in case I run into someone or bring my blog up in a conversation (although I think the only time I've used these are at the HerConference last weekend!)

So this bag fits just about everything in it - including my kindle for subway rides, headphones so no one bothers me, and hundreds of mints and pens because it's my handbag let's be real.

Obsessed with this bag as much as I am? Well lucky for you, eBags and I teamed up to give away a $100 gift card for eBags! That can either buy you something nice, or you can add your own cash to it and buy yourself something bigger like this MK must-have! The giveaway runs until next Tuesday at 11:59 pm.. good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

July 10, 2014

3 Ways to Work Your Naked3 Palette from Day to Night (and win one too!)

Over the past year and a half, I've stuck pretty much to lifestyle blogging, and for a very good reason: I suck at a lot of things. Fashion blogging aka OOTD blogging, while I admire and adore the blogs and their outfits, I just don't have what it takes to do it everyday (um, did you not see my awkwardness yesterday?)

Another thing you probably won't find on my blog, at least until I improve my skills (or lack thereof), is makeup tutorials. I'm not gonna lie.. I suck at doing my makeup. And it's not that I'm not committed.. I honestly do want my makeup to look airbrushed and perfect 24/7, but I'm just not good at it. That doesn't stop me from sharing from time to time though.. remember the 6 makeup hacks I posted last year? still getting hits on that one!

No matter how bad I am at these things, I'm committed to trying them a little bit more, shaking up what's on this blog every day and keeping you guys excited and entertained! It's even on my bucket list for the summer: step outside of my comfort zone. But not just yet..

But to help me out, I asked my friend and sorority sistaaa to help me out. Madison is a super talented makeup artist, who started her own YouTube channel this year, and it is fab! She's also kind of hilarious (just read her tweets, you'll pee your pants!), and totally gorgeous (she gets tons of likes on Insta.. #jealous.. jk but she really is flawless!)

Since Urban Decay's Naked3 Palette came out, I've been wanting it, but knew I should save my $54 because I barely use the first Naked Palette that I insisted on buying. I was pretty convinced I didn't need the Naked3 until Maddie showed me these looks, and now I'm one step away from stopping by Sephora on my way home tomorrow..

Whether you are headed to work or a night on the town, the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette is so versatile, it may be the only one you ever need! These three looks build off of each other, starting from very simple and natural all the way to smoked out and sassy. Take a look..

Daytime

Used for the inner lid: 'Strange'
Used for the center lid: 'Buzz' and 'Burnout'
Used for the crease: 'Limit'
Used for the waterline: Use a white liner on the bottom and a black liner on the top. The white will make your eye larger by extending the whites of your eyes, while the black will make your lash line look fuller without the appearance of wearing liner at all!

After-Work

This look is a little more dramatic using a black liner on your upper lid and a brown on your lower waterline. This look builds right on top of the first one, just incase you want to dress up your after work look without taking all of your makeup off!

Used for the inner lid: 'Strange'
Used for the center lid: 'Buzz' and 'Burnout'
Used for the crease: 'Limit' and 'Nooner'
Used for the outer corner: 'Factory' and 'Mugshot'
Used for the waterline: Use your favorite black liner for your upper lid, and a soft brown for your lower waterline.

Night on the Town

This look is by far my favorite! It’s so glittery and brightens up the face. It is dramatic enough for a night-time smokey eye without being too dark!

Used for the inner lid: 'Strange'
Used for the center lid: 'Buzz' and 'Trick' (Makeup by Madison Tip: Dip your brush into some eyedrops or MAC Fix+ before pressing 'Trick' to the center and inner corner of your eye. This will allow the shadow to be more pigmented and last longer so you don't get any fallout!)
Used for the crease: 'Limit' and 'Nooner'
Used for the outer corner: 'Factory' or 'Mugshot' and 'BlackHeart'
Used for the waterline: Use your favorite black liner for your upper lid and lower waterline, and smoke out the bottom lashes with 'BlackHeart'.

Isn't she fabulous?! I always want her to do my makeup, but until then I have her channel. If you haven't yet, make sure you follow Makeup by Madison on YouTube, or tweet at her and tell her I sent you!

Anyways, because you're all prob dying over these looks and you want a Naked3 Palette of your own, my sponsors and I decided to hook you up. Actually, we one-upped it, and decided to hook both you and a friend up. Yes, that's right. If you win, you actually win TWO Naked3 Palettes - one to keep, and one to share!