Review: Orly Red Flare

This hurricane messed up all my plans for the weekend, so I ended up with way too much time on my hands and nothing to do.  Blah.  So I found an excuse to run into town this morning and picked up some polish at CVS.


Orly Polish in Red Flare, $5.70 at amazon.com: I didn't see the need to take swatch pics of this color because it's so basic.  It's a red creme, no shimmer, with orangey-brown undertones.  It looks a bit like blood, actually, brighter in artificial light and more like dried blood in sunlight.  I did my toes with this today and it looks fab.  I really like vampy colors on my toes, and this one is light enough not to be too harsh but still intense enough to have that edgy feel.

Red Flare is a very smooth, pigmented creme.  I find the Orly brush to be a little on the long/skinny side, but Red Flare is very easy to apply.  It goes on smoothly, doesn't bleed, and only takes 2 coats to become opaque--you could probably get away with one thick coat.  It dries to a nice, shiny finish, and if it wears like other Orly polishes, I can get at least 2 weeks of good wear out of it on my toes.


All in all, I really like this color.  It's more interesting and offbeat than a traditional red, but it's still in relatively classic territory, and would look equally great on fingers and toes.  Awkward Chic rating: A+.


Image via monstermarketplace.com.

Forever 21 Steal

So I'm supposed to be keeping myself from buying anything until I got to Spain next week so that, you know, I can buy clothes in Spain.  Well, when it comes to self-restraint, I am TERRIBLE.  I went shopping today.  But hey, I was practical!  Kinda.  Here's one of my favorite things I got:


Forever 21 Ruffle Trimmed Woven Dress, $17.80 at forever21.com: This Forever 21 dress comes in a bright, coral/petal pink, a blush pink (not on the website) and a teal/turquoise blue.  I got the bright pink and the blue because when they're less than $18 a pop, you can get all your favorite colors!  It's a rayon dress, so it has a nice drape but has to be hand-washed, and has an elasticized waist with a ruffle around the front and the back of the neckline.

Dress: Forever 21, boots: Frye, belt: vintage, jewelry: Tiffanys.  I really like this little dress!  It's lightweight, easy to style around, and very comfy.  I think the shape is pretty flattering for most body shapes because it floats over the hips/butt without clinging or adding too much volume, and the ruffle fills out the chest area.  If you're like me and have enough going on in that area, the ruffle can still help balance you out if you're a little bottom heavy, like me.  This dress is also adorable with a little leather jacket, or you can go a sweeter route and add a cardigan.

Images via forever21.com.

Current Cravings

I've been packing and cleaning all day today.  I hate packing and cleaning.  I really, really do.  So, to make me feel better, here are some pretty things.


Melinda Maria Gwyneth Ring, $42 at shopbop.com, Rachel Zoe Zoe Tote, $450 at shopbop.com, Rachel Zoe Pamela Satchel, $495 at shopbop.com: How cute is that skinny ring?  It comes in turquoise and black, and it's got stones set in 18K (plated, not solid) gold.  That's pretty good for $42, no?  I love it because it's skinny and basic enough to wear every day, but the alternating stone sizes and geometric feel keep it interesting.  It would be cute and dainty with just one on the ring finger, and layered with a few other gold rings it could have a more rocker/Olsen twin vibe.  Apparently Rachel Zoe has a bag line now.  I think they're pretty cute, given the price point, even if they are a little heavy on the hardware.  I like the doctor/framed shape of this first bag.  It feels very ladylike, but all the black and the gold hardware and the little chain give it a bit of a rebellious vibe.  This would be a great work bag that transitions well to going out at night.  And how great is that shape of that tote?  It would be such a great school bag, big enough to fit some books and a laptop.  The buckles on the bottom have a bit of a biker feel, but the overall shape is simple enough to keep it all from being too busy.

Images via shopbop.com.

Review: Zoya Armor Top Coat

So when I did that recent Zoya promotion (buy one get two free), I got two polishes and a Zoya Armor top coat.  


Now, I have a favorite top coat, Seche Vite's fast-drying one.  It dries in seconds and has great wear time and is SO shiny.  So why did I get another one?  Well, Zoya polishes do NOT like 99% of top coats.  Apparently the chemicals in most top coats don't react well with Zoya's more eco-friendly formula.  I heard that the Zoya top coat works perfectly with their polishes, and since I have so many Zoya polishes at this point, I figured that the top coat was a worthwhile investment.


Zoya Armor Top Coat, $7.96 at zoya.com: It's the same price as the polishes, just about $8, and it comes in the same bottle.  I like that, for visual consistency at least. 

As far as topcoat goes, I evaluate it on a couple categories: shine, wear time, drying time, and application.  So, the breakdown:


-Shine: On a scale of 1-10, this gets a 6 for shine.  It's a little better than average, but it's no where near Seche Vite or Sally Hansen territory.  It's definitely not matte and it has a sheen, but this is no mirror/glassy finish.  It's not dull enough that it bothers me so much as to not use it as a top coat, but it's a definite downside to this product.


-Wear time: With Seche Vite and other top coats, I can get about 4 days out of a Zoya manicure before tip wear and chipping start to get to me.  With Zoya's Armour, I can get a 7-8 days before I start jonesing to change my polish (I generally break down before then, but still).  So this has everything else beat when it comes to lasting power.


-Drying time: I'd say the drying time is mediocre.  It's about five minutes before it's dry to the touch and about 30 before I feel safe grabbing things.  That's a bit better than, say, Sally Hansen top coats, but not nearly as fast as Seche Vite top coat.  So it's good, but I've seen better.


-Application: this is a very thin top coat.  On one hand, that's a good thing, because it means the top coat won't get stringy and thick in the bottle as it gets more air exposure (ahem, Seche Vite).  So you can actually use the whole bottle of top coat without it drying out too much.  On the other hand, since it's a thin formula, polish with any glitter or gritty shimmer doesn't feel smooth under this top coat.  Thicker top coats can give you a smooth surface over a glitter polish.  Even with two coats, this can't.


Overall rating: I'd give this a B+.  I wouldn't use it with a non-Zoya polish, but with Zoya polishes it works better than anything else I've used.  So if you have lots of Zoya polishes and wear them a lot, then this is a sound investment.  If you use mostly OPI or Essie, then I'd stick to Seche Vite or Sally Hansen.

Image via zoya.com.

Craving: Heeled Campus Boots

So I watched 'The Devil Wears Prada' this weekend, and there was this one scene in the intro where this girl is wearing heeled campus boots, just like the ones below.  Now, I'm not a heels person, I feel like a giant enough already, but that kind of heeled boot...it calls to me. I wants it.  I put together an outfit around a pair of boots like that to legitimize my cravings (of course).



7 For All Mankind The Skinny Legging Jeans, $168 at shopbop.com, Frye Harlow Campus Pull-on Boots, $358 at shopbop.com: How cute are those boots?! The stacked heel is just over 4", which would be a bit impractical if these boots didn't have rugged, easy to walk on soles and squishy foot beds.  I'll all about adding a little practical sexy to the daytime wardrobe, and these fit the bill.  The leather is a lovely, thick warm brown but has this amazing tumbled texture that keeps them from being too dominatrix and too polished for daytime.  In sort, they are perfect and I must has them.  I'd wear them with simple black legging jeans.  With heels that high, you need a basic color and a slim cut to keep them from being too over the top (plus those 7 legging jeans are ridiculously comfy).

Soft Joie Maitza Top, $98 at shopbop.com, tuleste market Tufted Diamond Pendant Necklace, $60 at shopbop.com: As far as tops go, the jeans and the boots have such structured, clean lines and basic colors that for the top I'd do something more fluid and in a fun, bright color.  This top has a lovely shape, with the oversized body balancing out the draped shoulders and scoop neckline.  It's flirty without showing cleavage, which is great, and it hits at a good place on the hip, not too low.  To top it all off, I'd add this tuleste market necklace.  It's a lot of look with minimal effort, the geometric shape contrasts nicely with the more Grecian top, and the black ties in with the black jeans.

Images via shopbop.com.

Burt's Bees Lip Tint and Pretty Clothes

So I was bumming around Target today picking up stuff for my next semester in Spain (apparently they don't have Tampax in Spain.  Um.  WHAT.) and I was meandering through the beauty aisles when I saw this little guy:


Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Honeysuckle, $7 at burtsbees.com: How cute is that packaging?  From the outside it looks like this giant, elegantly packaged lip balm and Target conveniently had no price tags up, so I bought it.

The cute packaging is much bigger than the actual lip balm (sob) which is normal tube of Chapstick-sized.  That said, the tube still looks pretty chic for a lip balm, and I love tinted lip balms that come in tubes instead of pots (so you don't have to germify them up with your fingers).  Here's what Burt's Bees has to say about them:

"Care for your lips with beautiful, sheer color. Our new tinted balms give you a hint of color with a soft, sweet flavor and natural ingredients that moisturize and condition your lips. Available in six flirty shades – Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Tiger Lily, Pink Blossom, Red Dahlia and Rose." 

It's packed full of shea butter and lots of plant/flower oils too.  I wish these had SPF, but you can't have everything.  Honeysuckle is a brownish-peach nude, similar to my favorite lipstick, MAC Shy Girl. It has no shimmer, and the pigmentation is sheer but noticeable.  I have medium-light pigmented lips, and this tones down my natural lip color a bit for a hint of nude color, but it's still too sheer for me to swatch and get it to show it.

The balm goes on very easily, and manages to have that nice texture between oily and waxy--it doesn't sit up your lips like Vaseline and it doesn't go on all dry and waxy like the Burt's Bees chapsticks.  It's not as moisturizing as, say, Aquaphor, but it's moisturizing enough to be me through the day.  Since the color is sheer, it doesn't last too long, maybe an hour.  The moisture lasts 2-3 hours, which is standard for me.

All in all, I really like this lip balm.  I've tried a fair amount, and this is one of my favorites.  More moisturizing than my Kiehls and Korres lip balms for sure, and a prettier color than my clear Aquaphor.  The only downsides are the misleading packaging, slightly high price, and lack of SPF.  I'd give this a B+.  I'd really like to try Hibiscus, which seems like a medium warm pink (they also have sheer reds, which would be so, so pretty with this formula).


On a totally random note, look at these pretty things I found on Shopbop today:


ADAM Leather Aviator Jacket with Shearling Collar, $895 at shopbop.com, Chan Luu Key Earrings, $62 at shopbop.com: I love little leather motorcycle jackets.  I also love shearling collars.  A little black leather motorcycle jacket with a removable shearling collar?  YES PLEASE.  The cropped waist and long, tight sleeves of the jacket create a flattering, streamlined silhouette but still have the inherent edge of a moto jacket.  The shearling adds some warmth and a wild, impractical glamour that I find strangely endearing.  I want to wear this with fitted black jeans, sassy harness boots, and a fitted olive green tee.  Okay, y'all know that I'm a sucker for old-fashioned key-shaped anything.  I have those Tiffany's necklaces.  I even have random old-fashioned skeleton keys hanging out in my room.  But antique key-shaped earrings?  WHAT.  These are so cute!  They're small enough to not be too over the top, and the keys have such a dainty, elegant feel to them.  Plus they're plated in rose gold, which develops the prettiest patina over time.

Happy weekend!



Images via shopbop.com, burtsbees.com.

Anastasia Beverly Hills

I'm a little bit of an eyebrow freak.  I dye, tweeze, pencil, and trim my eyebrows so that they look normal and not like two dark blonde blobs above my eyes.  I've used half the eyebrow pencils at Sephora trying to find one that gives me color and hold but doesn't look too painted on, and so far, this one's my favorite (my mom's too!).  So when Anastasia Beverly Hills got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to review some of their products, I jumped at the opportunity.


Here's the Anastasia logo (isn't it cute? I love anything with crowns on it).  The brand started out with just brow products, but now they've got a whole range of makeup, as you can see from Blake Lively's look on the cover of Glamour--how adorable is that eyeshadow palette?

Hopefully sometime early next week I'll have this ILLUMIN8 With Youthful Synergy™ Complex Bronzer to review for y'all.  I may be pale, but I love my bronzer, and this one promises lots of skin enhancing benefits:

"Illumin8 Bronzer gives skin an instant sun-kissed glow without the sun. This clinically and consumer-tested bronzing powder hydrates the skin and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Youthful Synergy™ Complex features: brown algae, a key ingredient that smoothes, firms, hydrates, and revitalizes the appearance of skin; diamond core powder, which diffuses shadows and minimizes the appearance of pores and wrinkles; sea whip extract that soothes skin; macadamia derivative, a natural hydrator capable of holding up to 300% more water; and vitamins A, B, C, E, and F. Balkan Botanical® Infusion, exclusive to Anastasia Beverly Hills, is an antioxidant-rich complex containing marshmallow leaf extract, lemon balm, bilberry extract, and green tea to soothe, soften, and hydrate skin."

Algae?  In bronzer?  I've never seen anything like it before.  So I'm pumped to swatch and review that for you all.  In the mean time, here's another Anastasia product I'm craving, the Youthful Synergy Complex Eye Shadow Palette.  My favorite eye shadow palettes are the ones that combine neutral and pastel shades, like this one here.  You have the neutrals to do a school/office appropriate look, and then you can add a little sass with the bright purple or cranberry red.

Review: Zoya Roxy Polish

Before you read any further, let me just say that I have had the WORST lighting for taking pictures of nail polish this week.  Like terrible.  These pictures do not do the polish justice at all.  Boo.


Anyways, I got Zoya Roxy with the latest Zoya promo.  The website describes it as "a sheer red-toned purple base loaded with bright purple glitter. A must-have shade for any rock star or glamour girl."


Awful pictures:

I really, really like this polish.  It is such a pretty polish.  I'd say the Zoya description is pretty accurate.  It is on the sheer side, almost a jelly, and it's a medium berry-red purple with fine matching shimmer.  The great thing about this is that the jelly finish makes the glitter seem to float on the nail instead of burying it under the base color.  It is actually the sparkliest polish I own.  It's opaque in two coats and goes on surprisingly easy for a glitter polish, although it does dry a little bumpy.  The wear time and formula are standard for Zoya (5-days and great).

 Overall thoughts: I adore this color.  It's bright and festive and glittery enough to feel girly and fun, but it's not so garish as to be office or age inappropriate.  It's almost a jewel-toned hue, and the glitter definitely adds to that.  I think this would work nicely on most skin tones and if you like sparkly things at all then YOU NEED IT.

Image via zoya.com.

Review: Zoya Neeka Polish

So I did that buy one, get two free Zoya proyo a while back.  I got a top coat (Anchor), Roxy, and Neeka.  Today I've got Neeka to show you all. 


Zoya polish in Neeka, $8 at zoya.com: So Zoya describes Neeka as: "A greyed amethyst with subtle red duochrome shimmer and bright gold glitter accents.? A fascinating, unique shade that manages to be glittery but not too flashy."  I'd say that's about right.  It's a medium, greyed purple (more purple than grey to be sure) with subtle pink shimmer and tiny gold glitter.  It is SO PRETTY.  It's showing up a little washed out here and I could not get the shimmer to show up FOR THE LIFE OF ME.  Stupid rainstorm lighting.  Here's a better swatch.  I adore this color.  It reminds me of Catherine of Aragon from RBL's The Real Housewives of the Tudor Dynasty collection.  That sold out before I could get it, but it was a very similar color--slightly lighter and dustier with a little more shimmer, but very similar.

There's something so regal about this color.  It has the richness from the purple and the elegant, worn-in feeling from the grey, and the glitter adds a fun amount of dimension.  It's almost like the shade of a dress you'd see in Tudor times, and I am all over that.  It's neutral enough to wear to work, but edgy enough to wear out while still staying in pretty category (it's not an unflattering brownie-grey-purple-taupe type polish at all).


As far as application goes, this is a two coater.  It's a little sheer on the first coat, but the second one fixes that up.  It's self-leveling (meaning it doesn't pool on one side of the nail) and easy to use.  The Zoya brush is a little thinner than an OPI brush, but it's not hard to use.  I got average wear with this and the Zoya topcoat, about 5 days, and I think it my nails were less peely I could have gotten even more.


Overall, I ADORE THIS.  It might be in my top five favorite polishes ever. The color is unique, flattering, and just straight up pretty, it's big 4-free (all Zoya polishes are free of the big-4 nasty chemicals), it was basically free with my promo, and it's just amazing.  I'd give this an A+.  Everyone needs to go buy this.  Now.  I mean it.

British Drugstore Cravings

For some reason, I'm convinced that drugstores in Europe have much better drugstore makeup lines than we do in the US.  I think it's because of all the British Youtube beauty gurus I watch (pixiwoo and pixi2woo mostly) who always have the best looking drugstore products.  It's hard to get them in the US, but since I have about a 5 hour layover in Heathrow on my way to Spain next semester, I'm hitting up Boots and Superdrug in the airport.  Woohoo!  Here are some of the things I've had my eye on for a while:

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, about 4 pounds, Barry M Nail Paint, about 3 pounds: I honestly have no comprehension of the exchange rate between pounds and dollars but I'm thinking all of these are still pretty cheap.  I've seen this Collection 2000 concealer in a lot of Pixi2woo videos.  It seems like an affordable, long-lasting under-eye concealer.  I just broke my MAC concealer (sob) and I need a new one, so I'm thinking I'll pick up this little guy.  I like the doefoot applicator, since I always irritate my eyes slapping on concealer with my fingers, and an applicator is much softer and easier to blend with.  I think Barry M polish is like the Sally Hansen of the UK, but cheaper and with better colors.  I love the retro type on the bottle, and the range of gorgeous vibrant colors and on-trend, dusty hues.  I think I have a bit of a nail polish addiction problem, so I'll definitely grab a few of these.

Sleek Pout Polish, about 4 pounds, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, about 10 pounds: I have about 25 lip balms.  And I don't really like any of them.  I use Aquaphor for actual moisture (it beats everything at that) but as for colored lip balm I have no favorites.  I've heard great things about this Sleek Pout Polish.  It has SPF (which I LOVED), seems to be very moisturizing, and comes in a bunch of pretty colors.  I really like that pink on top and the cherry red on the bottom.  I'm a little scared of lip color, but sheer lip balms are a great way to add a little color without going too over the top.  Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation got rave reviews both on YouTube and on Makeupalley.  It seems to be a light, dewey foundation with a ton of antioxidants to nourish your skin.  I'm always looking for lightweight, decent coverage foundations and this one is so affordable and may actually make your skin happier.  So that's a win-win!

 What about you girls?  Do you have a favorite European beauty product?

Images via: collection2000.co.uk, superdrug.co.uk, bourjois.co.uk.

Haircare Faves

I'm in a serious hair mood right now.  I just dyed it, I've been pulling it back (shockhorror) and trimming my hairs and testing out new hair products and all that fun stuff.  That got me thinking about my hair routine and my favorite products and I realized that I have two products that I've actually been using for almost 2 years with 100% loyalty, so I thought I'd share them with y'all.

Aussie Moist Conditioner, about $5-$7 at the drugstore, Pantene Flowing Body Mousse, $2 at amazon.com: This is the only conditioner I buy (I hope they have it in Europe next semester...ack!).  You get a GIANT bottle, as in twice the size of a normal bottle, and it comes with this handy pump that saves you from pulling a muscle trying to squeeze out the last drops from a squeeze bottle of conditioner.  It's full of aloe vera, sea kelp, and jojoba oil to keep your hair nice and moisturized, and it smells just like coconuts!  Which I love.  I get compliments on the smell all the time.  But what I really love about this conditioner is that it works.  It's cheap, so I can slather on a lot, and it always moisturizes my dry ends without weighing them down or making them greasy.  I go through maybe three bottles of it a year, whereas I go through about 1 bottle of normal-sized conditioners a month and they're the same price, so this is a great value.  As for the mousse, I love this stuff.  I have Asian/Barbie-type hair.  What I mean by that is that I have really, really thick hair that has relatively thick (but not coarse) strands, is pretty much bone straight, and is very slippery and shiny.  Which sounds lovely, but shiny/slippery hair has no texture, which means the hairs lie flat on top of each other, which means I have no natural volume.  So I use this lovely mousse.  I spray an amount about the size of a large egg onto my palm, when comb it through the two side and back of my hair up by the roots (where my hair gets the flattest).  That's it!  I don't blow dry my hair, but I imagine that if you used this with a blow dryer you would get even better volume.  It's cheap, it smells yummy, it works and it doesn't leave any residue on my hair.  It's perfect!

In other hair news, I dyed my hair back to brown.  It was red for about 6-7 months, and I really did like it, but a friend brought up the very good point that I'm going abroad next semester.  I'll be looking at those pictures for FOREVER and probably forcing my children/grandchildren to look at them, etc, and I don't really want bright red hair in those.  So I went back to my trust Clairol Perfect 10 in Medium Golden Brown.  It's a very warm brown (probably warmer on me with all that red underneath it) and it makes my hair so, so shiny.  I actually have too much hair to dye with one box so I end up with the accidental ombre effect, and I realized that the ends of my hair that didn't have the dye on them ended up so much drier and duller than the parts of my hair that got dyed. So the dye makes my hair actually feel healthier.  Unexpected, but true.

ALSO!  I got my hair to curl!  I know that sounds boring/silly to everyone else, but again, I have Asian Barbie hair.  It does not hold a curl.  It laughs at curling irons.  But maybe the humidity helped because today I got bored and tried to curl it with my flat iron and it WORKED!  So there's a vastly unflattering but hilarious picture of my attempt at doing that.

Images via: amazon.com.

Daydreaming: Outfits for Spain

I'm just thinking of outfits for me to wear next semester in Spain at this point.  This is the kind of thing I want to wear while bouncing around old buildings in the city center and drinking cappuccinos in sunlit plazas.

Every Thursday Dress, $47.99 at modcloth.com, Antik Batik Akan Stone Flat Sandals, $120 at shopbop.com: I'm realizing that there is a hole in my closet--a fitted sun/daydress-sized hole.  I have a ton of little dresses with a-line skirts, but for some reason, I'm really craving dresses that are more fitted.  This Modcloth dress is ADORABLE.  I like the silky fabric, the way it drapes and has a subtle sheen, and I like the adjustable waist-tie, which creates a really flattering shape.  The tomato red is classic but fresh and works for a lot of complexions.  Plus the shape is just great--it hugs the body without clinging to it too much, has an interesting neckline, and hides any stomach bulge.  For daytime, I'd do this with a pair of flat but embellished sandals.  These Antik Batik sandals are nice because they're fancy enough to go with the polished vibe of the dress, but still low-key enough to be daytime appropriate.  The crystals add a little fun and glamour, and their pink tone ties them in with the dress.

Kenneth Jay Lane Golden Shadow Earrings, $60 at shopbop.com, Ray-Ban Modern Wayfarers, $139 at shopbop.com: I like the idea of keeping this outfit relatively simple and clean to let the draping do the talking.  For jewelry, I'd do this simple pair of oversized studs.  They're a basic shape, so they have a classic feel, but since they're slightly oversized they're a bit more playful and eccentric.  I'd top it all off with a giant pair of sunglasses--when are giant sunglasses not a great addition to any outfit?--and these are a nice neutral shape with a basic brown frame.  Plus I have them and they are totally fab.

Images via modcloth.com, polyvore.com, shopbop.com.

Who loves free nail polish?

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of the current Zoya promo.  If you have an account with Zoya already (you always need to make an account before they release their promos) you can go to the promo code section and see one for a 'buy one, get two free' code.  You pay for one $8 polish and shipping (comes out to around $14) and you get $24 worth of polish.  Woohoo!  

Zoya Armor Top Coat, $8 at zoya.com: Now what I did (I was very proud of this idea) was get a top coat and 2 polishes.  Zoya is on the eco-friendlier side of polishes, and the polish tends not to work as well with chemical heavy top coats, like my favorite, Seche Vite.  I get average wear time with that top coat.  However, I hear that with the Zoya top coat you can get like 7-9 days before it starts chipping, which is AMAZING.  So I got that.

Zoya Roxy, $8 at zoya.com, Zoya Neeka, $8 at zoya.com: As far as nail polish goes, I got Roxy and Neeka.  Roxy is a sheer red-toned purple base with bright purple glitter.  I have a ton of glitter nail polishes, but none that are medium berries, so obviously I had to buy this.  I like sheer jelly glitters, because they make the glitter seem to float in the polish.  The deepness of the berry gives it a little more maturity than the average glitter, and all the glitter makes it great in a Disney princess kind of way.  And Neeka is a greyed amethyst with subtle red duochrome shimmer and bright gold glitter.  It actually reminds me of Katherine of Aragon by Rescue Beauty Lounge, with it's dusty lavender base with glitter.  I love that the base here is such a soft, pretty, romatic/Jane Austen-approved color, but the red duochrome and gold glitter add a glam, modern twist.

On a totally random note, I was thinking about what to wear to a summer wedding the other day.  And then I realized that other people probably have the same question, so I thought I'd mention it.

J. Crew Arabelle Silk Chiffon Dress, $225 at jcrew.com: J. Crew is the source for wedding/bridesmaid dresses.  I love this little coral number.  The ruching/draping on the bodice is very flattering, as are the cinched waist and sweetheart neckline, and the a-line skirt hides any sins.  You could take this all sweet with a white satin ribbon around the waist and nude peep toe platforms with pearl earrings, or you could take it a little edgier and do a dark grey patent leather belt and peep toe platforms with a statement cuff bracelet.  Either way, it's demure enough for a wedding but still fun enough to make that open bar work for you.

Images via zoya.com, jcrew.com.

Outfit of the Day!

So here's what I wore to work today (I had a nicely buttoned-up cardigan on top, I'm not that ridiculous), and I got creeped on excessively on the way home.  So it must be a good outfit!  Jk.  Kinda.


Dress: Forever21, belt: vintage, boots: Frye, sunglasses: Ray-Ban.

The print on this dress is really fun.  My belt is doing weird things.  And no, I did not wear those sunglasses inside.  I'm not crazy.  I am really feeling sundresses and cowboyish boots, though, which I'm sure surprises no one.  Apparently I secretly want to be Taylor Swift (I bet that doesn't surprise anyone either).


So that's that.  Sorry I've failed at blogging this week.  My iPhoto got all kinds of messed up when I switched computers, so I haven't been able to upload pictures :( but I think I fixed it!  I think.

Review: Aveeno Anti-Fatigue Eye Treatment

Yes, I bought an eye cream.  I am barely 20, and I bought an anti-aging piece of skincare.  I feel very silly.  


I decided to pick up an eye cream because I keep reading these articles about how the younger you start doing the whole anti-aging thing, the better head start you have on it later.  I like that idea.  Also I looked really tired the other morning so it was kind of a compulsive thing.


My under-eye issues aren't really that serious, but here they are: I have slight puffiness (not really bags, just a little swelling if I don't get enough sleep), nasty dark circles (I am horrible at sleeping), and dry/irritated skin from scrubbing mascara off my lashes and the like.  So not huge problems, but enough to make me seek out an eye cream.


I wandered around CVS for a while and finally settled on this Aveeno Anti-Fatigue Eye Treatment, which you can get for $9.34 at ulta.com.  I picked this one because it was cheap and because Aveeno is relatively natural/won't irritate my skin.  Also the packaging is cute, and I like the rollerball idea. 

Here's the product spiel:

Aveeno Smart Essential is a unique line harnessing the power of Active Naturals antioxidant southernwood extract in formulas to cleanse, nourish, protect and treat stressed skin so you can look beautiful every day. Recommended by dermatologists for over 60 years, Aveeno combines the best of nature and science to reveal the natural beauty of your skin. Aveeno uses select natural ingredients because of their advanced benefits; Aveeno calls them Active Naturals, natural ingredients uniquely formulated to deliver visible results.
Great, healthy looking skin begins with a refreshed outlook. Lack of sleep, free-radicals and a hectic lifestyle can result in dark circles and puffiness. Formulated with antioxidant southernwood extract, Smart Essentials anti-fatigue eye treatment hydrates and infuses under eyes with vitamins and antioxidants so you'll look and feel replenished.
Smart skincare that knows what your skin needs and what it doesn't because:

It keeps the good in

Infuses your delicate under-eye skin with antioxidant southernwood extract and Vitamins A, C & E in a formula to combat dark circles

Hydrates to help immediately brighten eye area

De-puffs under eye area by massaging with a cooling roller-ball

Directions

Rinse with water to remove. Shake well and gently roll under the eye from the inner corner to the outer corner, in the morning and at night.

What on earth is southernwood?  A tree that only grows in the South?  Confusion.  Anyways, the product.  The tube is about 3 inches long and made of a sturdy, relatively nice feeling plastic.  The product comes out through a rollerball that you roll across the under-eye area.

The product itself is translucent, with a thin lotion feeling.  It feels cool and soothing going on the skin, and absorbs quickly without leaving any sticky or oily residue.  And the smell!  It smells FANTASTIC, a little mango-y, a little floral--very tropical and tangy and delicious.

So, I wanted this to address 3 problems: under-eye circles, puffiness, and dryness/irritation.  As far as under-eye circles, I can't say this makes a huge difference.  My circles have faded a bit, but it would take a miracle to eradicate them.  So I'd say it's a 6/10 on that front.  The cooling rollerball helps fight puffiness, and I have noticed that my eyes do look a little less swollen in the morning, so 7/10.  But where it's the best is with dryness and irritation.  The area under my eyes is usually red and dry.  This product gets rid of the dryness and makes my skin feel so soft and happy, so it's no longer red or irritated as well.  That means my concealer goes on more evenly and overall I look more awake, so 9/10 on that front.


All in all I'd give this an 8/10.  I don't have looks of puffiness or fine lines to deal with, I really just want moisture and calming effects, and this totally address those needs.  Plus it's affordable, easy to use and carry around, and it smells great.

Image via drugstore.com.

Casual Pencil Skirt?

So I saw Friends with Benefits this weekend.  The highlight for me was Mila Kunis' makeup and wardrobe.  I really loved that she did a lot of cute, casual outfits around jersey pencil skirts.  As much as I wish I could be the girl in the flippy a-line skirt, a pencil skirt works a lot better for my figure.  Sometimes they can come across as stiff and formal, but dressed down with some drapery and a cute little tee like this one, they can actually be really cute.  So I put together an outfit that I'd wear in out and about that's based around a jersey pencil skirt.

Drapey Bubbled Tee, $58 at anthropologie.com, Lily White Banded Skirt, $22 at nordstrom.com: A friend of mine has this pencil skirt.  I assumed it was like a $50 piece from Banana Republic or something, because it's a nice thick stretchy jersey, but it's $22 for Nordstrom.  Total steal!  This piece works because it has enough stretch to be comfy but not to lose its shape, the black is versatile and neutral, and the high-waisted shape is very flattering.  I'd pair it with this blue draped tee.  The softness of the tee works nicely with the clean lines of the skirt and gives it a bit of a casual, low-key twist, and the blue pops nicely against the black.

CC Skye Upper East Side Satchel, $650 at shopbop.com, Lauren by Ralph Lauren Astrid Gladiator Sandal, $37.49 at ralphlauren.com: Then I'd add this shoulder bag.  The warm brown and textured leathers add a visual richness, but since it's brown it's still a neutral and doesn't fight with the blue top.  What I love about this bag is that it has a vintage doctor's/camera bag feel, but it's still easy to use and convenient with it's cross-body strap and zip top.  In theory I'd do heels with this outfit, but since I want it to be casual and practical, I'd do a pair of flat sandals.  These are simple and understated, but with the twisted detail they manage not to be boring.  The dark brown ties in with the bag and gives the whole ensemble a cohesive feel.

Images via flisted.com, anthropologie.com, shopbop.com, nordstrom.com,