I've been on a drugstore foundation buying spree. I love my NARS Sheer Glow and Revlon Colorstay to death, but I wanted to branch out. And I am so sorry that I did. This is going to be a short review, because both these foundations were so bad that I only wore them once.
Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation, $7.29 at ulta.com, Rimmel Clean Finish Foundation, $4.99 at ulta.com: I got both of these in Warm Ivory. I like the packaging. The squeeze tube on the 25 Hour foundation is easy to use, and the packaging for clean finish feels very fresh. Both foundations smell straight up like chemicals, big, nasty chemicals. Clean Finish dried semi-matte on me, whereas 25 Hour was slightly dewier. 25 Hour is full coverage, Clean Finish is medium coverage. Both foundations went on nicely, blended easily, and seemed promisingly. AND THEN:
Cue three hours later. I tried 25 Hour first, went to look in the first, and screamed. My face was orange. Dirty, bright orange, dripping with oil, and completely splotchy. I looked like a practical joke. Not only that, but I had started to break out. I wrote 25 Hour off as a fluke, and tried Clean Finish the next day. The exact same thing happened. More pimples, more orangey-hued oxidizing, more oil.
In short, these are horrible. Do not buy them. Both oxidized horribly on me, and while I am pale, so it does look conspicuous, they seem to oxidize on darker skin tones as well. Plus they both broke me out and seemed to break down in the presence of any oil on my face.
Awkward Chic rating: F. Stick to Revlon Colorstay if you're looking for a new drugstore foundation, or try one of the new L'Oreal anti-aging ones instead, but run, RUN away from these foundations.
Images via ulta.com, realbeauty.com.
I've had very possibly way too much free time this summer, so I've been thinking a lot about what I want my fall school uniform to be. For class, I like pieces that are easy to wear and easy to style different ways, but still pack a style punch. I've been feeling a very Ali Mcgraw in Love Story, early 1970's vibe lately. I'm thinking that this fall is going to be a lot of pencil mini skirts, 3/4 length sleeved tops and sweaters, long necklaces, and warm red leather boots. Here are some of the pieces I've bought so far:
J. Crew Ink-Dip Popover, $72 at jcrew.com, Tippi Sweater in Colorblock Stripe, $95 at jcrew.com: I actually got this J. Crew shirt in Light Lilac (which is really more of a cool blush pink) but the neon pink picture was a lot cuter. It's a popover, so it's like a button-up but the buttons stop about halfway down the front of the shirt, which makes it a lot easier to tuck into things. This shirt is a very light, actually pretty transparent, cotton, with army pockets on the chest. It feels very retro safari/men's shirt, which I love. I got a 6 (I normally wear a small in J. Crew shirts) because I wanted it a little blousy and I wanted to be sure it would fit across my chest without pulling. So is this shirt worth $72? Eh. It has a nice cut and comes in lovely colors, but it is a very thin cotton button-up for almost $75, so I'm not entirely convinced, but it is adorable partially tucked into a high-waisted denim mini. I am in love with this Tippi sweater. The cut is perfect, with the slightly opened up crewneck, the slim body, and the 3/4 sleeves. It's wool, so it's nice and warm, but it's still a relatively thin sweater, so it's very fall appropriate. It comes in solid colors, but I thought this colorblocked version, with the navy/white/camel/sky blue/grey was really cute and fun, and would go with a wide range of outfits.
Garment-dyed Denim Mini, on sale for $39.99 at jcrew.com, J. Crew Factory Classic Corduroy Mini, on sale for $29.50 at jcrew.com: I don't actually have this skirt, I have a J. Crew factory skirt in coral-orange that's basically the same, but this pink is adorable, if impratical (it also comes in a mildly more practical kelly green). The corduroy mini is absolutely fantastic. I vary between a 4 and a 6 in J. Crew skirts, and got a 6 in this because it doesn't have a lot of stretch. It hits just below the waist, is short enough to be a mini but not so short as to be indecent, has lots of pockets, and comes in a pretty, rich navy. I like corduroy in small, sleek doses, and this one is on major sale! Pencil minis like these have become my new staple pieces. They basically go with any top, can be easily dressed up or down, and are both flattering and easy to move around in. Now I have one in orange and one in navy, so I have the warm and cool ends of the color wheel down.
Forever 21 Union Jack Raglan Sweater, $22.80 at forever21.com, Frye Jane 14 Stitch boots in Redwood Leather, $328 at zappos.com: I bought this sweater in the middle of the Olympics when my London fever was raging, and I totally love it. It's a little oversized, has a fun, abstract Union Jack on the front, and is so affordable (if a little itchy) draped over a pencil mini. These boots are my absolutely my new favorite things. They are definitely not cheap, but they are so well made. I'm a little spoiled when it comes to leather boots after years of horseback riding. My boots need to be able to stand up by themselves, and be 100% made of real leather. These are made of a thick, gorgeous leather, lined with leather on the inside as well, with a little heel just over 2" and a slightly pointed, turned-up toe. They have such a '70s feel, the leather is the perfect warm brown color, the insole is nice and squishy, there's great arch support, and basically I want to marry these boots and have their babies.
Is anyone else feeling the 1970's for fall as much as I am?
Images via: jcrew.com, forever21.com, zappos.com.
And now, for another episode of things I bought myself and liked.
Ray-Ban Vagabond Sunglasses in Havana Texture, $150 at ray-ban.com: I keep thinking that buying nicer sunglasses will keep from from doing dumb things like breaking or losing them...I was wrong. I sat on my Wayfarers, and the damage is probably fixable, but definitely not by me. That's why birthdays are great! I got myself a new pair of sunglasses (to be fair, I have lots of scar tissue on my eyes from a bad case of pink eye, and I am basically blind in the sun, but buying another pair still makes my wallet cry). I was thinking of getting the oversized Wayfarers, but then I saw these little guys, and decided that I wanted to do something different--don't get me wrong, I love Wayfarers, but it seems like everyone and their aunt has one by this point.
They have a pretty tortoiseshell pattern in a soft brown, with dark brown lenses and exposed nail heads at the temples. The frame is a cute, modified cat-eye.
And now the requisite unflattering face shots. I really like these sunglasses, guys! They're pretty wide at the temples, so they create the illusion that my face is thinner (yay), the brown is more flattering than black against pale skin, and the silhouette is a nice combination of modern and '50s inspired. I wholeheartedly recommend these! But if you have a very narrow face, they might be too big--they really are wide at the temples.
Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry Candle, $26 at anthropologie.com: I lusted after this candle for a LONG time. I saw it at Anthropologie, thought it was super pretty and smelled amazing, balked at the price tag, and walked out of the store (about 10 times) before I finally cracked. I painted my newest room (college y'all) a grey-purple, and I thought that the purple of the candle would look really pretty on my nightstand. Also, I kind of like to collect candles and leave them out so my room smells pretty. This one has a 100 hour burning time, is made of coconut wax, and has notes of huckleberry, vanilla, and sugarcane. It smells sweet, spicy, and juicy, burns cleanly, and has great sillage--my entire room fills up with the scent. Given, I'm only burning it like once a month because I want it to last forever, but 100 hours is pretty decent. So is this the best value for money? No, probably not. But if you like the aesthetics, you like the scent, and you want to splurge a bit, this is a great buy.
Image via candlesoffmain.com.
I'm a huge fan of highlighters--they're great for making it look like you have cheekbones. I've used powder and cream highlighters, ranging from MAC MSFs to highlighter cremes. However, this newest one is my current favorite. I picked up Benefit's Watt's Up on my last trip to Sephora, and I've been using it everyday since.
Benefit Watt's Up! $30 at sephora.com: How cute is that packaging?! The box has a sweet, retro vibe, and is cute enough to actually keep and not toss out. The product itself comes in a shiny, metallic lilac plastic tube with the product twisting up on one end and a foam blending sponge on the other. A string of retro-style outdoor lights run around the tube, adding to the packaging's charm. Overall, I really like the presentation of Watt's Up. It's modern with it's clean lines but retro in its styling. Plus, I like that they include a blender, even if I'll never use it--I hate attached brushes. How do you wash them?!
Here's a medium heavy swatch out of direct sunlight and then in sunlight. See how the product barely appears in the shade but then pops once in the light? That's what you want from a highlight, it just looks like your skin is shining. Watt's Up is highly pigmented, with one or two swipes on the finger covering everything you need. It's has a solid cream texture, and feels like butter. The rosy-champagne hue is extremely flattering, and the very fine shimmer keeps it from looking like you have a disco ball on your face. It blends easily, layers nicely, and is all around very easy to work with. I just swipe it across my finger twice, dab it on top of my cheekbones and brow bone, and blend it with my finger, and that's it.
The downsides: I'm not sure this would work on darker skin tones--it could end up looking ashy if over-applied. The lasting power is also meh--I put it on this morning, went for a vigorous workout, and it was barely hanging on by the time I got home. Given that it's so pigmented and you get so much product, that doesn't concern me very much, but be aware that this won't last you all day.
Awkward Chic rating: A-. The packaging and application are great, the hue is gorgeous, but the lasting power is less than exceptional. However, it's still a good value for the money, and I'll likely repurchase if I ever run out.
BLOGGER FAILS. Blame the LSAT. That's what I've been doing (for all my problems...ahem). To apologize, I thought I'd share two of my favorite things for workouts--booty shorts and noise isolating headphones.
I'm a bit of a gym junkie--I like to go 5 days a week--so having workout clothes that fit, are comfy, actually work while I'm working out, and look cute is important to me. I was given a pair of these shorts about 8 months ago, thought they would be way too short on me, and promptly forgot about them. However, when it started to get ridiculously hot in Boston a few months back, I was rummaging around for something to wear to the gym without passing out on the way there. These shorts and I then became best friends.
They're $48 at lululemon.com, but I would recommend going into the store because they have wayyyyy more options than the website does (their website is always sold out of things!). I got a pair in black with a black waistband on one side and a grey/pink waistband on the other. I know $48 is a ton for workout shorts. I hate spending money on workout clothes--all I do is sweat on them! I've had the same beat up tennis shoes for like 6 years. They look horrible. But I'm buying another pair of these shorts, and that says something.
So, reasons these are amazing. They are the comfiest piece of clothing I own. I actually wear them around the house even if I'm not planning on working out. The waistband hits at a nice place on the hip, eliminating all chances of muffin top. The length is good, just short enough to be easy to run around in, not so short as to be indecent (for reference, I'm 5'8', and these don't ride up). They also make a longer pair if you like your shorts less, well, short. And to top it all off, I've been working out in these multiple times a week, and they're barely showing any signs of wear. AND! I convinced a friend to buy a pair, and she loves them too, so it isn't just me, I swear.
JVC Riptidz Headphones, $7.39 at amazon.com: My Apple headphones broke the other day (and they were my FIFTH PAIR. Also they SUCK. I hate Apple headphones. End of rant.), and I needed a new pair for my workout today, so I picked up these babies at my school bookstore. I bought them in bright purple, because apparently I'm a child. Anyways, these are great! They're less than $10, fit into all my Apple products, and come with three sizes of adjustable ear pads. I ran with them in, and they didn't even come close to falling out, and the sound quality is excellent. But my favorite part is that they fit into the ears so nicely that they basically act as noise canceling headphones, meaning that I don't have to turn whatever I'm listening to up as loudly to hear it (aka saving my delicate little ear drums).
Recap: Buy these awesome comfy booty shorts and super cheap but effective headphones, be happy at the gym.
