As you might’ve seen, I went to New York for Labor Day Weekend. I made makeup shopping one of my trip’s main objectives ? I also threw in some clothes shopping. Below is my itinerary and some tidbits from the stores I visited!
Day 1
- e.l.f. Studio
SO BEAUTIFUL! Wow, this store was breathtaking! It was tiny, but it suited e.l.f.’s vibes and product range. e.l.f. has a lot of products, and I feel like the store layout emphasized that. Is it weird that their store reminded me of their website lol?
- Superdry
This was across the street from the e.l.f. Store. The Japanese letters on the outside caught my attention because my boyfriend visited Japan and loved it. I wanted to go inside to see if I found him something, and I ended finding things for myself instead lmaooo. Got him something, too ?
- SoHo
OH. MY. GOODNESS. SOHO IS A DREAM.
I didn’t stay for long because I was hungry, so I went to get some food. I came back afterwards.
- Tacombi Fonda Nolita
BEST MEXICAN FOOD OF MY LIFE. HANDS DOWN. AND AMAZING SERVICE. Learn, Miami!! It was very spicy. I can’t even handle mild spiciness lmao, but it was delicious!! I don’t even know how I handled it. It was the perfect touch for my quesadilla.
I also had the BEST guac of my life here. So fresh and so perfect. I’m so speechless. Chipotle guac feels soooo mediocre now compared to this. This food was so authentic overall and now I can’t settle for faux Mexican food.
And I tried my first Modelo beer. I’ve had better lol, but it was still a great touch for the meal!
And we’re back to shopping!
- Uniqlo SOHO
I loved this store in France. I prefer that one over this one in SOHO, but it was still nice to look at. Maybe it’s because all the winter clothes were rolling out here, and I don’t need that in Miami lol.
- Forever 21
Cutest Forever 21 I’ve ever been to! It has an additional floor below, which was so cool to me. There was so much variety and even the men’s section had a great selection. I like this one more than all of the ones in Miami.
- Ricky’s NYC
It’s been a dream of mine to visit Ricky’s because they’ve liked my Instagram pictures a few times. When I say this is makeup heaven, I’m not exaggerating! So many great online and professional brands are sold here. The staff is also super friendly and knowledgeable.
The best part of all is that mostly everything was in stock! Similar stores to this back home, like The Makeup Club Fl. in Hollywood has almost everything out of stock consistently and that’s so annoying ?
- St. Ives Mixing Bar
I was super excited to visit the St. Ives Mixing Bar, but I was gravely disappointed when I realized the products were over the carry on travel limits. I traveled with a carry on because it was a weekend trip.
You can basically create your own lotions, face scrubs and face washes here!
I love St. Ives’s products, so I was nearly crushed that I couldn’t make my own products lol.
- Artists & Fleas – Chelsea
I was also super excited to come to Artist & Fleas to buy some Pamela Barsky (@pamelabarsky) goodies! I found her on Instagram, and I love her work. She makes the cutest pouches with hilarious phrases. Check her out!
- Carlo’s Bakery – Hoboken, NJ
I’ve seen snippets here and there of Cake Boss and I was also curious about his desserts. I decided that if I were to visit the Cake Boss, it had to be the original one ?
I took a PATH train to New Jersey and eagerly waited in line to try his cannoli. He’s said on his show to try it. There was even 2 TV screen inside on loop talking about the shop and how the cannoli is a must-have…It was okay lmao. It was my first cannoli ever, but i expected more ☹️
- Whitney Museum of Art
I was the most excited to visit the Whitney Museum of American Ar! I’ve seen some of their pieces thanks to my Instagram feed, and I was so intrigued.
The museum was way better than I imagined. The first floor I visited, the top one, had Alexander Calder works. I nearly died!!! I’ve been dying to see his art. I wanted to see his exhibit at the Tate. I had no idea his works were in NY, so I was pleasantly surprised.
The other floors were just as amazing or even better. This museum chronicles pivotal moments in American history. There’s even works in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement and police brutality. It was beautifully curated and displayed. These works are so relevant and capture the triumph of socio -political movements. It’s interesting to see the year these were made because some of these issues and movements still persist. This is a must-see. It totally puts the American experience for non-white folks into perspective. It’s an amazing way to expand your horizons, so check it out if you’re ever in New York!
Even the stairs showcased an exhibit!
- Vinnie’s Pizzeria
After a long day of shopping and indulging in fabulous art, I scarfed down the best pizza I’ve ever had. This lil spot is almost easy to miss because it’s tucked into a shopping center. There aren’t many seats inside, so I was lucky to snag a booth. The only downside is that they only accept cash, but they conveniently have an ATM right inside the restaurant. You gotta have the chicken parm pizza and barbecue pizza like I did! ?
Don’t forget the garlic knots!
Day 2 – Sun. Sept. 3
- Food Tour of NYC — Murray’s Cheese Shop
I really wanted to do something different in New York this time around. I wanted to learn more about New York’s culture and history, so I stumbled upon Foods of NY Tours. I actually searched for things to do a second time in New York.
I’m a very picky eater, so I was looking forward to expanding my horizons! I was pretty nervous if I must be honest lmaooo. I also wanted to have New York’s best eats and this was great way to do it.
Meatball in marinara sauce
Eggplant rollatini
Chocolate chip cookie
Cannoli
I won’t share the names of these places just so you can check out the tour. Support a local business! ?
This tour shows how New York came to be the melting pot it is today. My tour guide Steven was excellent. He was very informative and made the tour very lighthearted. He had great recommendations outside of the food tour as well. I also enjoyed interacting the people on the tour. They were so friendly!
I highly recommend the specific tour I did — Greenwich Village. It’s some of the most diverse and delightful food I’ve ever had!
- SoHo
Of course I went back to look at what else I can snag ?
- Palma
Steven highly recommended eating at Palma. He said it was so romantic and the type of place you take the love of your life too lol. I agree with him. It’s such a nice and sultry atmosphere. The ambiance feels so chic. I felt important there lmao. The service and food were fantastic. I also had the best rosé I’ve ever had here.
I left my heart in Greenwich Village! ?
Day 3 – Mon. Sept. 4
- Joe’s Pizza
I thought Vinnie’s Pizzeria was the best. Girl, I was wrong. Joe’s Pizza is on another level. I loved it so much on the food tour (only place I’ll share lol) that I had to have to again. It’s indisputable why this is considered the best pizza in New York. And of course I had it for breakfast [upside down smiling emoji]
- Sephora
You know I had to visit Sephora on this trip. Naturally, I had to go big, so I went to the one in Times Square ?
Biggest one I’ve ever been in!
- Superdry Times Square
And of course I had to visit Superdry…again… ?
- MET Museum
And the last thing I had to do before jumping on a flight back home was visit an art museum. I checked it different exhibits this time around — Chinese art, Japanese art, Korean art, Egyptian art and some Australian art. I swung by for a bit around the modern art exhibit and found some works I didn’t see last year in New York.
I love you, New York!
What are your favorite thing to do in New York? Do you love it as much as me and want to plan an annual trip lol?
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Thanks for reading! ?
Yum… how coooool!
It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done on a trip!