Cute Sundress for Less than $20?

I love weekends.  I really love three-day weekends.  I slept till 11 today.  It was beautiful.  Anyways, here are some pretty things:



Forever 21 Summer Tiki Dress, $17.80 at forever21.com, Frye Kara Trapunto T-Strap, $136.80 at zappos.com: I picked up this dress a week or so ago at Forever 21, and I love it.  First off, it's less than $20.  That's a win in my book.  It's not the sturdiest dress in the world, but it costs less than going out to dinner, so I've accepted it.  The cut is adorable, a flattering sweetheart neckline, fitted to the waist, a-line skirt.  The print is a little on the funky/tribal side, but I think it's really fun and festive.  Plus, since the print has so many colors, it makes the dress easy to accessorize.  I like to pull out the brown in the print with a brown leather belt and a pair of brown heels like these.  It feels very summery and easygoing, but at the same time it looks very polished and chic.

 Mod Cloth Object of Confection Dress, $94.99 at modcloth.com: Last night I was telling a friend about how I'm making pumpkin spice cupcakes today, and mentioned how I'm really a closet '50s housewife.  And then she turns to me and goes, "sweetie, you've been out of the closet on that one for a while."  So, in keeping with my repressed retro tendencies, how cute is this polka dot dress?  I love the shape, with the sweet little neckline and the slight a-line skirt.  The polka dots and layers on the skirt make it look like a little wedding cake, but the red hue keeps it from feeling to formal and bridal.

Images via forever21.com, zappos.com,

What I'd Like to be Wearing to Work

I am the worst with dressing for work.  In theory, I have all these adorable outfits that I'd wear, but in reality, I just wear what I already have, which is lots of cardigans and sundresses.  Gah.  But people at my office wear JEANS.  It's so weird to me.  Anyways, here's one of those theoretical outfits I'd wear to work.  I really like slightly '50s, retro work ensembles (Joan Holloway = my icon) with a slightly modern twist.


J. Crew Ruthie Shirtdress, $118 at jcrew.com, J. Crew Skinny Patent Belt, $34.50 at jcrew.com: This J. Crew shirtdress is ADORABLE.  It's a lovely camel color, which is very of the moment but also flattering and versatile.  The cut works well for a lot of body types--it's fitted through the smallest part of your torso, and glides over the lower body.  The elbow-length sleeves add a hint of sweetness to the utilitarian feel of a shirtdress.  To add even more emphasis to the waist, I'd do a skinny patent leather belt.  The patent gives it a bit of an urban edge, and a cinched-in waist is always a good look.

GUESS Osten Heels, $99 at zappos.com, J. Crew Oval Heirloom Locket Necklace, $50 at jcrew.com: For a bit of modern sass, I'd do a suede platform heel in this lovely ruby red.  The rich visual texture of the suede adds a sense of warmth and luxury that livens up the shirtdress, and the pop of color from the red is just so fun and girly.  To top it all off, I like this vintage-y locket necklace.  It works with the general '50s feel, and adds a personal touch (since generally you put adorable family/pet pictures in lockets.  I would totally have my dog and my pony).

So what do y'all wear to work?  Jeans? (just kidding)

Images via jcrew.com, zappos.com.

Modern Wayfarers

So I bought myself a birthday present.  I'm really good at doing that.  In fact, I do it year-round.  Aha.  Anyways, I got myself some Ray-Ban sunglasses, and they finally came, so of course I had to take pictures of myself wearing them and making silly faces and blog about it.


#1: see, we're doing pretty well, I'm making a normal face (which I totally struggle with that close to a mirror).  #2: I can't resist the urge to make silly fish faces.  Ever.  Cute.  I know.

These are the Modern Wayfarers from Ray-Ban in brown.  Now, I've had bad luck with Ray-Bans.  My aviators fell apart, and my Wayfarers were always way too big, and also fell apart.  But Shopbop has a great return policy and free shipping, so I took the plunge.  They're a sturdy plastic frame with gradient lenses.  What I loved right off the bat is that these fit very firmly on my face.  They aren't slipping off.  I could probably go running in them.  They're a nice, warm dark brown, which I find a lot more flattering than black.

My favorite part, though, is the shape.  They're an updated Wayfarer, meaning that they're a slightly larger lens with a more rectangular shape instead of the usual circular.  Plus they go out more at the temples for a slight cat-eye effect, which I love (so sassy!).  I think the more rectangular frames are much more flattering on my rounder face.  They still have the iconic Wayfarer look, but with a bit of a Jackie O twist.  Overall I'm super pleased with this purchase.  I've been wearing them every day, and have gotten a ton of compliments.


I got these from Shopbop because they have fast free shipping and free return shipping.  They come with a Ray-Ban case and a cleaning cloth.

LUSH Head Case

Confession: I am a total LUSH junkie.  If you don't know LUSH, it's an eco-friendly/natural body shop.  You'll be able to smell it down the block.  They're most famous for their soaps and ball bombs/bubble bars, but since I hate solid soap and I don't take bathes, I've been struggling to find something for me at LUSH.  I really wanted to like something from the store, since I love their brand mission and their products smell amazing.

Well, I found four new favorite things!  Right now, LUSH has 3 limited edition 'Head Case' sets for sale.  They're sets of 4 hair products, each with three sample size products and one full size solid shampoo bar, and they're all just under $24.  There's a Volume & Shine box (which I got), a Protect & Nourish box (meant for curly/frizzy hair) and a Balance & Repair box (for damaged hair).


The Volume & Shine box has a 3.4 ounce tub of Marilyn deep conditioner, which is about an $8.50 value (look at me doing math), a 1.6 ounce tub of Big shampoo, a $3.20ish value, a 3.3 ounce bottle of Veganese conditioner, a $5.25 value, and a full size Total Shine solid shampoo bar, which retails for $10.  So that's about a $27 value.  It's not an amazing deal, but it is a good chance to try out a ton of LUSH hair products and find out if any of them work for you.


So here's the Marilyn deep conditioner and the Big shampoo.  Marilyn was the one thing that I was least excited about.  It's a deep conditioner and brightening treatment for blondes.  I am a natural blonde, but I dye my hair for a reason.  I most certainly do not want a mask that makes me blonde.  So I did a little Googling, and it turns out that this can lighten you a little/add a few golden tones if you have actual blonde hair, but on my dyed dark hair it won't do anything.  It's packed full of chamomile, olive and linseed oils, and a bunch of citrus oils and juices.  It has a very thin, goopy consistency that made it hard to get out of the pot, and smells like olive oil with a hint of lemon.  Now, LUSH doesn't use silicones, which are what make your hair feel all slippery and smooth with normal conditioners and masks.  So this may not feel very effective--it really feels like runny lotion.  But once your hair dries it does add a lot of shine and softness.  The smell lingers pleasantly, and my hair feels happy, so I'm pleased with it.  I probably wouldn't purchase the full size just because I don't want lightening agents anywhere near my hair, but it is a lovely conditioner.  Big shampoo is my favorite product from this box.  It also looks the weirdest.  It actually looks like a salt scrub in the tub, and it honestly smells like laundry detergent to me (very cottony and clean).  I stared at it for a while in the shower before I could work up the courage to use it.  You need about a nickel sized amount, and you rub it vigorously into very wet hair.  It lathers up a lot, and the salt kind of melts away, leaving your hair and scalp feeling very refreshed.  I was a little scared of the idea of washing my hair with a shampoo that has salt and salt water and seaweed infusion in it, since my hair does not do beach hair well, but this stuff is MAGICAL.  It makes my hair feel so soft and look so shiny, and gives it a TON of volume.  I have thick, flat, normal/not-oily hair, and this manages to add texture while still making my hair feel clean but not dried out.  I imagine it would be wonderful for oily, thin or limp hair.  The only downside is that Big isn't cheap (the full size tub is $23), but this is a once or twice a week shampoo.  It would be very drying it used on a daily basis, since it's meant to strip all the product residue out of your hair.  That means even though it ain't cheap, it will last you a long while.

Here are Veganese conditioner and Ultimate Shine solid shampoo bar.  Veganese is a 100% vegan conditioner (no lanolin), and is full of rosemary, lavender, and seaweed infusion.  It's a pale creamy yellow with the consistency of thin lotion, and smells like rosemary and lavender.  The herbal smell doesn't linger long, however.  Again, since this has no silicones it doesn't feel like it's doing much in the shower, and it certainly won't work out any stubborn tangles.  This is LUSH's lightest conditioner, so it's great for keeping your hair from getting weighed down when you want a lot of volume.  I have dry ends, and this is a little on the light side for me.  It made my hair really soft and shiny and happy, but my ends were still a little parched.  I think Veganese could be great for girls with thin hair that's easily weighed down.  Ultimate Shine shampoo bar is my second LUSH shampoo bar.  They're these little hockey pucks of concentrated solid shampoo, and once you get used to using them they are AMAZING.  I like them for traveling, since you can put them in your carry-on, and they'll never spill all over your luggage, plus they're so much lighter than a bottle of shampoo.  Plus, they last forever.  My only issue is storage, since these need to dry completely before being put into any, or they'll basically melt onto whatever surface you put them on.  The Ultimate Shine bar has glitter (?!), violet leaf, gardenia extract, elemi tree oil, and smells just like eucalyptus to me.  The scent doesn't last, however, and neither does the glitter, thankfully.  Ultimate Shine lathers up really nicely, and leaves my hair feeling clean and soft.  It doesn't add texture or body, but it does get rid of any excess oil without stripping hair dry.  My hair is naturally very shiny, so I can't say if it adds shine.

You can only get these sets in store, so hop over to your local lush now!

Overall I'd give this set an A-/B+.  I'd give Big an A+, since it's possibly my favorite shampoo of all time, and Ultimate Shine a B+ for being a good, dependable (if not mindblowing) shampoo.  I'd give Veganese an A-, because even though it's not great for me I think it's still a great conditioner for most people, and Marilyn gets a B for being a decent deep conditioner.

Images via amazon.com, beautyjunkielondon.com.

Tumblrrrr!

I'm playing with Tumblr today.  Here's mine: http://awkwardchic.tumblr.com/.  Come play on Tumblr with me!

Outfit of the Day (In My Head)

Sorry for not blogging yesterday, y'all.  It was my birthday!  I'm 20.  I feel old.  It's freaking me out not to be a teenager anymore.  Ack.  Anyways, here's what I wish I was wearing today (and what I actually wore at the bottom):

 Cool as Icing Dress, $79.99 at modcloth.com, Ray-Ban Modern Wayfarers, $139 at shopbop.com: Ahhh this is dress is so cute.  It reminds me of a Taylor Swift music video, but less corny.  The cut is extremely flattering--anything fitted through the torso and waist like that will emphasize the smallest part of you, and the slightly flared skirt creates an hourglass silhouette without overemphasizing what's already there.  And then you have the adorable detailing, with the cutout geometric and lace shapes.  It's a bit like those paper Day of the Dead garlands, but wearable.  I'd do a cute little sundress like that one with sassy, big sunglasses.  I actually just got these for myself for my birthday (they should be here in a day or two!  Yipee).  The soft brown of the shades works nicely with the sweetness of the dress.  I really love the shape of these glasses.  It's a little retro-cat-eye/sassy, and has the same classic but modern feel as the original Wayfarers, but the shape isn't as round, so they'll work better on rounder faces.  I have a squareish-oval (squoval?) face, so round sunglasses just make my face look rounder, whereas more rectangular frames like these are more flattering.  The inverse works if you have a really angular face, rounder sunglasses can soften that up.

Club Monaco Harper Braided Belt, $79.99 at shopbop.com, Frye Kara Trapunto T Strap, $159.60 at zappos.com: I belt everything.  I'd add a belt here for some visual contrast.  The skinny belt works because it doesn't detract from or cover-up the intricate detailing at the waist, and the warm brown and homey vibe of the braid go perfectly with the rustic, simple feel of the dress.  Ahhh I also want these shoes.  I can't justify buying them, but aren't they so sweet?  I love the idea of daytime heels.  These feel so sweet and retro with the t-straps and the soft brown leather, but the platform and chunky heel add a bit of sass.  All in all these heels would add a little height and glamour, but still keep the overall vibe down-to-earth.

And here's what I actually wore today: the shirt is from H&M, the skirt is Ann Taylor Loft, the belt is vintage, the necklace is Forever21, and the sandals are Franco Sarto.  Yayyy for work-appropriate outfits.

Images via shopbop.com, zappos.com, modcloth.com.

Tribute to Hermione Granger

I'm freaking out a little about the last Harry Potter film.  But more on that in a bit.  First a piece of randomness.

I picked this up at Paper Source yesterday.  It's technically a piece of wrapping paper, but I got it to hang on my wall because it was wayyyy too cute to be ripped apart while someone opens a present.  It's an old school map of Paris, and it was about $4.  If you wanted to go all out with your affordable wall art, you could get a couple different ones of these and frame them (Paper Source also had some really adorable London-themed ones).

On another note, I'm seeing Harry Potter tomorrow night and I am SO PUMPED.  I know this sounds melodramatic, but that series was actually my childhood.  The first one came out when I was six, and I literally spent ages 6-16 reading the books, watching the movies, waiting for new books to come out every summer.  Plus Hermione was kind of my role model--the slightly awkward smarty pants who none-the-less still gets to be girly and kind of badass.  Also she has my awkward brownish-blonde natural hair color, so I have to love her for that.  I broke down and I'm rewatching a lot of the movies in preparation (since I left the books at home, sad face), and thought I'd share with y'all how I'd dress up as Hermione to go see the movie.


Now, my thing with dressing up for movies is that I like to interpret the character's looks, not go in a full-out costume.  So Hermione's uniform is the pleated skirt, flats, grey v-neck sweater, and then Gryffindor accessories.  


J. Crew Merino V-neck Sweater, $59.50 at jcrew.com, Miu Miu Pleated Wool-blend Mini Skirt, $565 at net-a-porter.com: The grey sweater is easy enough to work around.  I'd do this incarnation from J. Crew because it's nice and fitted, so it doesn't feel frumpy, and it's just the right length, not too long or too short.  I'd pair it with this Miu Miu mini skirt.  The pleated skirt is a little harder to work with.  You don't want to go too literal and have it actually look like a school uniform (high school flashback.  Ack), which is why I like that this one is black and short.  It has a little bit more of a grown-up vibe to it.  The fitted sweater and pleated mini combo has the same bones as Hermione's uniform, it's just a little sexier.

Forever 21 Asian Inspiration Necklace, $8.80 at forever21.com, Tory Burch Nappa Leather Reva Ballet Flats, $195 at shopbop.com: As for accessories, I like the gold and red Forever 21 necklace.  It has the Gryffindor colors, which is fab, and a bit of an exotic vibe that I think Hermione would appreciate.  Plus the pop of color helps take the outfit out of drab, school uniform territory and gives it a fun twist.  I'd do this simple pair of ballet flats to cap it all off.  Boots or heels with a skirt that short can be a little much, and I think Hermione would do a clean but cute shoe like this pair.

Have any of y'all seen the movie?  What did you think?


Images via shopbop.com, net-a-porter.com, jcrew.com, forever21.com.

Channeling Mad Men

I came to the realization today that I need more big girl work clothes.  Like sheath dresses and pencil skirts.  Those things scare me.  But it had to be done.  So I went into Anne Taylor Loft today (I know, I know, but they have cute work clothes) and picked up a pencil skirt and some other basics.  I felt very old.  It was weird.

Anne Taylor Loft Sateen Straight Skirt, $49.50 at loft.com, Schutz Open Toe Nubuck Pumps, $152.60 at shopbop.com: So I picked up this skirt today.  It's really much cuter in person.  It's a medium grey with a little bit of a sheen, it has a little stretch, it's a nice length, and it's comfy.  My only issue with it is that it's built for someone with a little boy's torso.  Seriously.  Straight up and down.  I dropped it off at the tailor today to get almost 6 inches taken out of the waist.  Yeesh.  Anyways, I've been thinking of cute little outfits to wear around this skirt.  I'd add these mauve platforms.  They're neutral enough to be work appropriate, but the color is still a little offbeat, and the platform makes them comfy.  Plus the suede texture adds visual interest.

Anne Taylor Loft 3/4 Sleeve Crew Neck Cardigan, $39.50 at loft.com, Anne Taylor Loft Rib Tank, $7.25 at loft.com: Obviously if you're going the retro, pencil skirt, Mad Men route, you have to have a little cropped cardigan.  I picked this up today too, and I really like it.  The sleeves are nice and fitted, and it actually hits me at the waist, which makes for a much more flattering cut.  The black and the slate from the skirt play together nicely.  For a pop of color, I'd do this coral tank.  It's fitted and simple, so it'll fall cleanly under the cardigan, and the pretty pink is sweet and feminine, but not too much to wear to the office.

Anne Taylor Loft Braided Jeans Belt, $39.50 at loft.com, Adia Kibur Jumbo Pretzel Necklace, $48 at shopbop.com: To highlight the waist even more (can you ever do that enough?), I like this braided belt.  The black keeps it from being too over the top, and the rustic, braided texture adds a slightly earthy twist to the ensemble.  Lastly, I'd finish it off with a piece of statement jewelry.  This twisted, knotted necklace gives the outfit a quirky vibe.  It's a little offbeat, but not so much that you can't wear it to work, and the gold would be lovely with the pink tank.

Images via shopbop.com, loft.com.

Birthday Wants

It's my birthday next Monday!  I'm gonna be 20!  I feel old (I know that sounds dumb, but still).  Anyways, here's some random stuff that I've been eyeing for gifties (in my head.  Not for reality.  But still).


Los Angeles print by BirdAve, $20 at etsy.com, J. Crew Jenna's Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com: This Etsy shop has the cutest, CUTEST prints.  There's a whole series on skylines of different cities, and I had to pick my hometown.  I love the retro, slightly faded classic skyline against the neon blue.  It feels very fresh but very old school at the same time, and I want to frame it and hang it up in my room.  And it's only $20!  That's why I love Etsy.  That such a great price for an original print.  I'm in a cardigan collecting phase right now, and I have my eye set on this little guy.  I've blogged it already like ten times, so I'll just say that it comes in a good range of neutral colors, the cropped body and 3/4 sleeves are very flattering and sweet, and it will go with everything.

Ray-Ban Modern Wayfarers, $139 at shopbop.com, Fallon Jewelry Loved ID Ring, $75 at shopbop.com: I have two pairs of Ray-Bans, and they're both broken.  Ugh.  It's definitely my fault, but it's still annoying.  I love oversized wayfarers, but this modern take on the shape is refreshing.  The shape of the glasses works for a lot of different face types, the gradient lenses have a slightly retro feel, and the dark brown is a great, less harsh alternative to black.  I know this ring looks giant, but it's much smaller in person.  I love how it looks relatively simple from afar, but up close it has the adorable writing across the band (this one says 'loved,' and there's another one that says 'adored').  It's just a fun, sweet little piece of jewelry that you can wear everyday, and it's gold-plated!  Gotta love the little luxuries.

Foley + Corinna Jet Set Bag, $495 at shopbop.com, Gondolier with the Wind Dress, $47.99 at modcloth.com: I have a Foley + Corinna bag.  I've had it since 8th grade (SEVEN YEARS Y'ALL) and it's in great shape.  It actually looks better, aside from the minor stains I may have made, so I trust the quality of their bags.  I want this one.  I like the shiny black leather, and I love the shape.  It fits so perfectly under your arm, but it's big enough to hold all my junk, and it has a slight equestrian vibe.  Plus, one of my favorite parts is that it looks like it has an open top, which I like, but it actually zippers beneath the straps, so nothing is falling out of this baby.  It's very chic and polished, so you could wear it to work, but it's also a little edgy, so you could wear it out and about.  I know I won't actually get this for my bday, but in theory I want it.  How adorable is this dress?  The shape is very flattering, with the fitted bodice and slightly flared skirt, and I love the zig-zag stripe pattern.  It's a little geometric, a little French girl, and a little retro.  I want to wear it with a cobalt blue belt, cute little boots, and a cropped cardigan (plus the price is great!).

Images via shopbop.com, etsy.com, jcrew.com, modcloth.com.

Beauty Cravings

I'm in the middle of this mental battle with myself over whether or not to buy a window AC unit.  My apartment doesn't have AC, and it's been in the 90s in Boston and crazy humid and I kind of want to die.  GAH.  Let's look at pretty makeup.

TanTowel Classic Self-Tan Towelette for Fair to Medium, $24 at sephora.com, Essie polish in Mint Candy Apple, $3.75 at amazon.com: Guys, I want to be tan.  I really do.  But my Scottish-English-German heritage wants to be all 'I burn immediately once you step outside and will only maybe after months of constant sun exposure turn a slightly darker shade of brown.'  It ain't gonna happen the natural way.  Also I'm really, really paranoid about skin cancer (REALLY PARANOID).  So I'm more of a fake tanner.  But it's really difficult to find good self-tanners that don't streak, turn you orange, smell weird, and last more than a day.  I usually use Jergens, which is fine, but it takes forever and it's really easy to do unevenly.  Someone recommended these TanTowel things, and I have to say, I'm intrigued.  They're these little towels soaked in fake tan, and you basically rub them all over and let them dry for a few minutes.  You get 10 half-body sheets for $24, which isn't cheap but isn't terrible.  The reviews were all really positive.  Maybe I'll treat myself to these...And what goes with tan skin better than funky nail polish colors?  My friend just bought Essie Mint Candy Apple, and I am NOT a blue or green polish girl, but I want this color.  It's like a light Tiffany blue.  It's a pastel, but it's edgy, and it looks soooo good with a tan.

Images via sephora.com, amazon.com.

MUFE Aqua Liner and Tarte LipSurgence Stain

I've just realized how close my work is to Sephora.  Which is dangerous.  I'm putting myself on a shopping embargo as of today.  However I do have two beauty products to talk about...


Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner, $23 at sephora.com: So I popped into Sephora after work yesterday to pick up this Aqua Liner from MUFE.  And then today I promptly returned it (yay for Sephora's generous returns policy!).  This liner got rave reviews from all the beauty blogs I saw it on, so I thought I'd love it.  I use a gel liner from MUFE everyday currently, and have for the last 18 months or so.  I've never done liquid liner, and I thought it would be fun to try it.  I was wrong.

Let me break it down by category:

-Packaging.  There's nothing great or bad about the packaging, it's very simple.  You don't get a lot of product for the price, though.  I'd go through this liner in about a month, and the gel liner I use is the same price and lasts 4-5 months.  So...As far as the brush goes, I really don't like it.  It's a very short, firm, pointed foam tip, and I found it really difficult to lose.  I need a brush with more flexibility.  This I struggled to get to apply liner in straight lines, and I gel-line my eyes every day.  

-Formula: I got this liner in matte black.  My first issue is that it wasn't matte.  It dried shiny.  Also it wasn't the darkest black, and it wasn't very pigmented.  It took me two layers to get it opaque, which is just annoying.  It dried relatively quickly, and didn't transfer onto my lids or crease during the day.  That beats my normal gel liner.  However, this liquid liner doesn't wear well.  It flaked off throughout the day and disappeared completely from the inner half of my eyes.  It took me forever to remove, even with waterproof eye makeup remover.

-Overall: Maybe if you like one of the glitterier colors and you only wear liner along your lash line, then this might be a good option.  But for most people, I strongly don't recommend this liner.  I'd give it a D+.

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Lip Tint in Enchanted, $24 at sephora.com: When I returned the liner, I picked up this Tarte lip-stain in Enchanted.  I've wanted one of these for a while now.  I don't really do lip products.  I own four lip-glosses and one lipstick, and that was a recent purchase.  What I love about lip-stains is that they give a sheer wash of color.  It looks much more natural than a creamy lipstick.  This lip-stain comes in a four-inch long tube that looks like an oversized crayon.  It twists up from the bottom, and you get a good amount of product for the price.  I really like that the name of the shade is in the middle of the tube instead of on the end where it rubs off quickly.

Sephora calls this shade a rose.  I'd add that it's a medium hued, bright rose.  It claims to be ridiculously moisturizing (increases moisture content of the lips 60x.  I don't think so.), which I think is just silly.  Most lip-stains are very drying.  This one adds a little moisture to my lips (not a ton, but a little), so it wins on that front.  It applies very smoothly--like butter!--and feels very comfortable on the lips.  The color goes on in a sheer wash, and is easily layered for more or less impact.  My lips are decently pigmented, so on me this looks like I ate a strawberry popsicle.  It's just bright enough to be noticeable and feel fun, and it adds a little depth to my natural lip color.  For someone that's afraid of non-nude lip colors, I really like this.  You can see the color pretty accurately in the swatch, and how pretty and shiny it is.  Once the glossy wears away, the stain is left behind.  You can see the stain very well for about 5 hours, and then it really starts to fade away.

Overall I'd give this lipstain an A-.  I wish it was a little more moisturizing, but it definitely beats the other stains I've tried in terms of moisture and lasting power, and plus I love the color.  These stains also come in a shimmery finish and a matte finish.  The packaging makes me feel like I'm painting my face with a giant Crayola, which I strangely enjoy.  Oh, and these are certified animal cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and sans nasty chemicals, which is always great.


Images via sephora.com.

My Three Favorite Things Today

I went by Sephora today and grabbed a new liquid liner, which I am currently testing and will review tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are my two favorite things from today.


See by Chloe Embellished Velvet Sandals, $315 at net-a-porter.com, Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower Gel, $16 at sephora.com: I love velvet.  I love glitter.  I love platform heels.  These shoes are the trifecta of happy for me.  They're cute and slightly retro, with the ankle strap, they're a little opulent with the velvet and a little glam with the crystal, and the price is decent.  Me want.  Since it's my birthday month, I got this free little gift at Sephora.  It's Vanilla Birthday Cake scented shower gel from Philosophy, and I got a six ounce one for free (the picture is 16 oz).  It smells like cake.  Like it actually smells like the birthday cake I got when I was little.  It's making me very happy.  It's also making me crave cake.  Really badly.  Kind of a problem.  It's actually a combo shower gel-shampoo-bubble bath, but since I have color treated hair I'm not using it as shampoo, and I don't really take baths, so it's a shower gel.  As for as being a shower gel, I really like it.  It lathers up really nicely, it moisturizes pretty well, and it leaves just enough of a yummy cake smell behind to make me happy.  All in all, I would buy a Philosophy shower gel if I liked it enough.  Maybe not this scent, since it's kind of sweet and not that exciting, but another scent definitely.

This is a little on the random side, but I made cookies the other day and I'm eating one now, and they're just so good that I had to share the recipe with y'all.  I know you're rolling your eyes at me, but SERIOUSLY.  MAKE THE COOKIES.

Recipe for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER:
-cream 1 stick softened butter with 2/3 cup packed brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar until light and fluffy
-stir in 1 egg and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-in another bowl sift together 1-1/3 cups flour (I like whole wheat or unbleached), 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp. sea salt
-stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined
-stir in 1-1/3 dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips (and optional, 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped)
-chill (in the freezer is fastest) for at least 1 hour.  This prevents spreading and keeps the cookies fluffy.
-bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown (take them out right before you think they're done, since they'll still keep cooking for a minute or two).


No joke, these cookies are magical.  They will turn out perfectly every time, and they will make you new friends and make people fall in love with you.  You thin