As you may have noticed by how quiet it’s been around here, last week I was on holiday! I’m so sorry that I didn’t get around to posting Things I Love Thursday or the Carousel! It’s really important to me that we are able to connect, & reading your TiLT lists is one of the highlights of my week. I have a half-completed TiLT sitting in a text file but was so overwhelmed that I just didn’t get around to finishing it! I was so exhausted & overstimulated that all my regular schedules & routines went out the window. Boo! I hope none of you were disappointed or let down, I will do my best never to let that happen again!

On Tuesday I flew to Las Vegas to meet my best friend from Australia, Jess! She turned 30 in April & is in the U.S.A. for a month (spending it mostly in Austin), ’cause she’s an international playgirl like that! We only get to see each other about once a year, despite speaking almost every day, so it was SO GREAT to see her again! I miss her so much when I don’t see her, she has been an incredible friend to me, & we have been through many many chapters of ridiculousness together. After considering Austin & NYC as potential meeting places, we decided to go to the land of sequins & flashing lights. Why? We wanted to make the most of the Memorial Day sales, get some sun & enjoy the kind of ridiculousness only Las Vegas can offer!

It was fantastic.

Our first two days were so action-packed that by the time the sun went down, we were too exhausted to do anything else, but on our last night, we decided to do it up. Vegas is the perfect place to dress up, because nothing is really ever “too much”! Even despite the fact that our feet & legs were already in agony, we were severely dehydrated & perhaps suffering from a little sun-stroke, we blasted Frank Sinatra as we got dressed. We both applied copious amounts of glitter to our eyelids, wore fun heels & had the best time!

I wore…

Black wire & crystal headband from Claire’s
Dangly silver star earrings, also from Claire’s
Black Shine After Shine sequinned dress from ModCloth
Crystal shoes by Chinese Laundry
Pink handbag by B. Makowsky (bought on eBay)

I have had this dress since last year & I absolutely love it. Thank you so much ModCloth! I have worn it on multiple occasions & every time I do, I feel like a million bucks. Dresses like that are worth their weight in gold, it’s true!

I usually wear it strapless & tape the dress on to my strapless bra underneath, because I am not Queen Boobage & if I didn’t tape my clothing to my body, I would be Queen Peepshow. However, I had just run out of Hollywood Tape so decided to go strappy this time. I like it just as much!

The shoes are from Chinese Laundry, & they are insane — like wearing a chandelier on your feet. Jess & I went to Fashion Show Mall on our first full day in Las Vegas & when I saw them glittering in the window, I made a beeline! The style is “Money Maker” (WORD UP to that!) & they couldn’t be more Vegas if they tried…

Jess wore…

Strapless dress from J. Crew
Headband from Claire’s
Strappy stilettos by Jimmy Choo

Isn’t she such a mega-babe?! The way she dresses is so Charlotte, & I totally love it! It is somewhat of a miracle to me that we are perfect shopping partners, even though our styles couldn’t be more different if they tried!

It was super-hard to get good photos of our make-up in weird Vegas lighting, but this is the best demo I’ve got. I am wearing…

Make Up For Ever All Mat primer
Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover foundation
Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Brunette
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Make Up For Ever Eye Seal (to keep the glitter on)
Make Up For Ever glitter (#13)
(…Which I applied with an eye glitter brush from Sephora which is AMAZING, you totally need one)
M·A·C Cosmetics Eye Kohl in Fascinating (along lower waterline)
M·A·C Cosmetics Fluidline in Blacktrack
M·A·C Cosmetics Plush Lash
M·A·C Cosmetics eye shadow on the inner corners of my eyes in Pink Freeze
M·A·C Cosmetics Lipgelée in Cellopink
Too Faced Caribbean In A Compact in Snow Bunny

Phew!

I love & recommend every single one of those products (& clearly, I am a Sephora addict)!

Unfortunately, aforementioned beautiful shoes were extremely painful, as is often the way. I sat down on the ground to affix some much-needed BandAids to my heels. I am a class act for sure!

To celebrate Jess’ birthday, I took her for dinner at Mesa Grill. It was incredible, the service was impeccable & we both ate the perfect amount of food, unlike the rest of our time there. (Please don’t ask us about the 24-hour buffet pass included with our room! It was the source of much joy & grief!)

After our meal, we walked along the Strip before Jess decided to try her luck at the roulette table. While I watched dancing girls, she quadrupled her money! Luck be a lady INDEED!

Pretending to gamble & enjoying the weird reflections. I am not much of a gambler. I put $2 in a slot machine, won nothing, & got bored!

Admiring the view from our hotel room. C’était très bien!

Real live showgirls!

Extreme close-up!

After admiring the Bellagio fountains, we made our way back to Caesar’s Palace. We sat on a bench drinking coconut water, did some quality people-watching (Vegas is one of the best places in the world to do this), snapped photos with showgirls & then went to Pure for a hot minute before retiring to our room.

We had such an incredible time in Las Vegas, & Caesar’s Palace (or as it is otherwise known, Caesar Polache) treated us extremely well. More updates on that to come!

For now, it’s just good to be back in New York City, cuddled up with The Dish, Hank Williams & Dolly Darling. More updates on THAT to come too!

Photos taken by Jess & myself!

By the way, if you’re going to be in Austin between the 22nd & 27th of June, Jess is going to be guest-baking at Sugar Mamas! Despite the fact that she is one of my closest friends, I speak with an entirely unbiased palate when I say that her cupcakes are THE BEST I have EVER tasted. So you should go, because I would if I could!