awkward CHIC

Review: Bumble and Bumble Texture Creme

2012-02-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

WELL I JUST FAIL. I'm struggling with the whole 'I have too many extracurricular activities and classes to have a normal life right now' thing. I have iCal reminders telling me to eat lunch. It is that ridiculous. ANYWAYS. Hopefully I will be able to get back on a normal blogging schedule now that my life is kind of figured out. Here's something I've been waiting to review for forever!

Bb. Texture (Un) Dressing Creme, $26 at sephora.com: That name is a mouthful! But the product is great. This is the Bumble and Bumble spiel: "This product gives hair a hint of grit, some extra lift, and a tousled, shine-free finish. Its dry moisture finish leaves hair matte but not parched. It's made to mess with perfection and craft one-of-a-kind, freehand looks."

Okay, first some background on my hair--I have very thick (not coarse, just really thick), very straight, very heavy hair. It needs texture and volume like I need cookies on the daily. I used to use a volumizing mousse and a salt spray to give my hair texture and volume, but neither of those were particularly cheap products, and I have a LOT of hair, so I go through product really quickly. I air dry my hair every day and I curl it with my conical wand about half of the time, but my hair is awful at naturally holding a curl.

I saw great reviews of this gel/creme on all my favorite beauty blogs, so the last time I was at Sephora I picked it up (Sephora has Bumble and Bumble now! So exciting). First off, this definitely isn't cheap. However, you get 5 ounces of product. This is a lotion-sized bottle, and it will definitely last you a long time. The packaging is easy to work with, it's just a squeeze bottle with a twisting lid on the bottom. The product itself is a white gel/creme hybrid. It's thick and has a very sticky texture, with a pretty, soft floral/perfumey smell.

I take a pea-sized amount of product, rub it between my fingers, and then scrunch it into my roots. I then take a dime-sized amount of product, rub it between my fingers, and then run it through the length of my hair. Then I put my hair up in a bun and let it air dry. My hair normally dries stick straight, even in a bun. However, this stuff makes my hair hold a curl so well! If I let it air dry I get a lovely, lived-in texture with a hint of a wave. If I use my conical wand, my hair holds the curl for the entire day without falling at all! This is very exciting for me, guys. It gives me volume in my roots, and gives my hair just the right amount of 'grit' to give it some texture and hold. It doesn't dry matte on my hair, but it does make my hair less slippery, and easier to build volume into.

If you have thinner hair or a more normal amount of hair, I would use less product. This is kind of like a liquidy hair wax, and it could definitely weigh your hair down and make it look greasy if you use too much. But I do think this would work for all hair textures--I hear it's really nice if you have naturally wavy hair.

Awkward Chic rating: A+. My favorite hair product of all time. Seriously kids. It gives me volume, texture, wave, and it works like hairspray to keep my curls intact! It basically does everything. It's borderline magical.

Review: Anastasia Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes

2012-01-25T15:16:00.003-05:00

I'm a little obsessed with eye brows. When I see celebs with thick brows like Camilla Belle, it makes me so happy. One of the first things I notice about someone's face is their eye brows. I know. I'm weird. But I do think that a well-shaped and shaded pair of eye brows can really make a difference in framing your face. I have naturally blondish brows with scars through both brows, so I need a lot of brow product but pencil can look very harsh. I'm always looking for a more natural way to do my brows, so I jumped at the chance to try this Anastasia Beauty Express kit, $39.50 at sephora.com. I have the Brunette kit, but it also comes in Blonde.

The kit comes with an outer black sleeve that explains what comes in the kit. The sleeve slides off to reveal the kit, which looks like a little book covered in pebbled burgundy red leather. I really love the packaging on this (sorry mine is a bit dirty, I've been using it every day!). It feels very luxe. This is the kind of packaging that makes me excited to pull it out of my makeup bag and show it off.

When you open up the kit (click the pictures to enlarge) you get a little mirror and instructions on the top half. The bottom half has a brow wax on the left, a duo of brow powders in the center, and an eyeshadow duo on the right. You also get an angled brush (which is basically identical to the brush I apply my gel liner with) and five eyebrow stencils. The stencils are Petite Arch, Medium Arch, High Arch, Full Arch, and Slim High Arch. My brows fit Medium Arch perfectly. What you'd do to use the stencil is find the one that fits your brow shape best, apply the brow wax, hold the stencil over your brow, and then use the powder to fill in your brows. Then you pluck the hairs that you didn't powder, and voila! Nicely shaped brows. I don't see myself getting a lot of use out of the stencils because my brows are naturally arched, but I think that if you're the kind of girl that gets your brows waxed a lot to keep their shape, this could be a great investment for you. You could shape your own brows and end up saving a lot of money!

Here are swatches of the products. The top left is the light brow powder, the top right is the darker brow powder, the bottom left is the shimmery champagne shadow, and the bottom right is the matte brown shadow. In terms of the actual brow products, I was very impressed. The brow wax has a nice texture, with just enough stick to keep my brow hairs in place but not so much that my eye brows look crunchy (which is the WORST). It also helps the brow powder stick, which I love. I apply the darker of the brow powders with the angled brush. I'm so pleased with that combination, because the brush is thin enough to be able to achieve a really natural-looking finish--it looks like individual hairs being drawn on! And the brow powder lasts all day on me, which is much better than any pencil I've used. As far as the colors go, I like that they have a lighter and a darker brown so that you can mix and match to find your exact color. However, both the browns are on the ashier side, so if you have red/auburn hair, they might not work for you. The eye shadows are lovely. They are both very pigmented and apply like butter. The highlight color is a pretty, golden champagne with a gorgeous sheen (no shimmer), and the matte brown is a nice contour shade. I use it in my crease, and it reminds me of a lighter version of MAC's Wedge. I get great lasting power with both shadows.

Awkward Chic rating: A+. I've used this every day for a week, and I literally have no complaints. I like the packaging, the stencils are fun, the brow powders work and look very natural, and the shadows are so easy to work with. It is a pricey kit, but I think it's worthwhile if you want a convenient way to do your brows every morning and the shades in the Blonde or Brunette kit work with your hair color.

Also! Anastasia Beverly Hills is having a really fun contest right now. You could win a trip to LA (aka my hometown, aka the best city of all the cities) and tons of cool prizes. Here's the info:

Anastasia Beverly Hills presents Wish You Were Here! This beach inspired kit available exclusively at Sephora features the limited edition Pacific Coast Illumin8 Shadow Palette, HydraFull Gloss in Guava, and Clear Brow Gel to give you that cool LA look, no matter where you are.

To celebrate this cool new kit, one lucky winner will receive a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles, a two-night stay at a Los Angeles hotel, a brow appointment with Anastasia, a hair and makeup makeover featuring the Wish You Were Here! kit at the Anastasia Beverly Hills Salon, and a photo shoot with the ABH team!

Here’s all you need to do...

Take a postcard-worthy photo of yourself in front of your favorite local landmark!
Make a new post of the picture on Facebook and tag Anastasia of Beverly Hills (www.facebook.com/AnastasiaBeauty) in the photo to enter. You need to first LIKE the page on Facebook in order to tag us.
Or email your name, home address, and photograph to “wishyouwerehere@anastasia.net”.
One entry per contestant only by 11:59 PM PST on February 3, 2012
You must be a United States citizen to enter.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills team will select a winner and fly you out for a Los Angeles beauty weekend with Anastasia! See anastasia.net/wishyouwerehere for complete contest rules and details.

Disclaimer: I was given this product to review. However, all opinions are always my own. I don't get paid to blog, and I will say if I don't like something.

Review: Remington Pearl Ceramic Conical Wand

2012-01-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

I'm in a constant battle with my hair. I want it dark brown, it wants to be blonde, I want it curly/wavy, it wants to be stick straight. I yell at the bathroom mirror a lot. It's fun. I've tried curling irons, curling with straighteners, putting my hair in a bun and braids, and nothing seems to work. My hair does not hold a curl AT ALL. I heard a lot of buzz about conical wands on YouTube--they're like curling irons without the clamp, so they don't leave that awkward kink in your hair. I found one at Ulta for just $30, so I figured it was worth a try!

Remington TStudio Large Pearl Ceramic Styling Wand, $29.99 at ulta.com: First off, it's pink! I love pink. I got the large one, which is 1" at the top and 1.5" at the base. It comes with a heat-protectant glove to keep you from burning your fingers (it works, I'm too lazy to use it) and the cord swivels around the base of the wand so you don't get all tangled in it when you're trying to curl your hair. It has 3 buttons, one to turn it on and off (you have to hold it down for about 5 seconds to turn it on, which took me like half an hour to figure out of course), one to raise the temperature and one to lower it, which you hold down for a few seconds to lock the temperature where you have it. It heats up from the low 300 degrees F to 410 degrees F. There are about 5 heat settings between 300 and 410 degrees, so you can't have the temperature exactly wherever you want, but you do get a good number of options. It heats up to 410 degrees for me in about 2 minutes (it tells you on the little LED screen when it's done warming up). The smoothness of the barrel gives my hair a really nice, smooth finish, and my hair doesn't snag on it like it does on curling irons and straighteners. In terms of how it functions in general, I think this is a really well designed tool. I literally have no complaints about it. It works really, really well, especially for a $30 product. I've seen $150 conical wands that do the same thing, but at 5x the price. It comes in a smaller size if you want a tighter curl, you can adjust the temperature for different hair types, and once you get the hang of it, it's really easy to use. I'm in love with it. To hear about how I use this little guy, keep reading!

Using the conical wand is kind of like riding a bike. It takes some time to get the hang of, but once you get it, it's really easy to work with. I hold the wand upside down, with the skinny end pointing towards the ground. That way I can slide the curl off easily and the curl is looser at the top and tighter towards the bottom. I take 1-2" sections of hair and wrap them around the conical wand from top to bottom, making sure to wrap the hair away from my face (you get a prettier curl), and then I hold it there for 10-15 seconds. I have very thick, straight hair, so I use high heat and hold the curl for a while, but if you have thinner/finer hair you may not have to hold it as long. Then I release the curl and let it fall into my hand so that it cools while still curled up (this helps the curl keep its shape). Continue that around the whole head! If you want a tighter curl, use a smaller section of hair and the skinnier end of the conical wand. If you want a looser curl, use a larger section of hair on the wider half of the wand. Then I run my fingers through my hair or brush it out to get the curls to meld together, and spritz on a little hair spray. Even without the hairspray, my curls last all day! Given that my hair usually doesn't curl at all and if it does, that curl is gone in an hour, I'm pretty over the moon about this conical wand. I know it sounds easy to use, but I really recommend watching some YouTube videos before you break it out. I like this video from Pixi2Woo. Play with it, figure out what size curl works for you, and you will LOVE this conical wand. Promise. Here are two pictures of my hair after I used the wand:

Awkward Chic rating: A+. I LOVE THIS CONICAL WAND Y'ALL. It's easy to use, it's cheap, and it actually works. I couldn't ask for anything more. If you buy one, make sure you get an American one. Most of the ones I found were from the UK, and they need converters and adapters to work here, which is just a pain.

Image via amazon.com.

I'm in love...with a skirt

2012-01-06T23:03:00.000-05:00

I miss my camera. Don't get me wrong, my iPhone has a nice camera. For a phone. Wahhhhh. Anyways, I finally got my conical wand from Ulta in the mail. FINALLY!!!! I've been stalking in via UPS for days now. I much prefer my hair wavy/curly to straight, so I was extremely excited to play with my new toy. Here's my second attempt with it. Happy bouncy hair! I'll have a real review of it up next week. Back to the main event: this new Madewell Tweed Belltoll Skirt, $98 at madewell.com. I was casually online shopping a few weeks ago, and I came across this skirt. I've been looking for a good daytime skirt for months now. I have an hourglass-shaped body, so when I add a lot of volume to my bottom half, like an a-line skirt, I start to look really bottom heavy. I really look best in a pencil skirt, but I'm not comfortable running around in a pencil skirt for errands and to class on a daily basis--it's not all that comfortable and I'm curvy enough that it looks too over-the-top for class.

That's why I fell in love with the shape of this skirt! It's like an a-line skirt and a pencil skirt had a baby. It hits at the low waist, has a bell shape, and has a few soft pleats at the waist with adorable little pockets in the front. It's in a nice, thick grey/black/white tweed fabric with a generous hem and a black lining. I bought this on Monday, and I've worn it every day since. It's that great! The shape is lean enough that it's flattering, but it's not so fitted that I'm constantly self-conscious about my stomach whenever I eat anything. The color palette makes it easy to wear with just about any colored top, and the tweed and structured shape have a fun, retro feel that I really love, but the length makes it modern. It's really easy to dress up or down, too--the tweed can transition from day to night really easily. Anyways, the skirt is Madewell, the shoes are from Maripaz (like the Spanish Payless), the top is from Stradivarius (Spanish again), the necklace is vintage, the watch/bracelet is La Mer Collections, and the bag is from Etui.

Review: Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Rose Passion 160

2012-01-05T08:18:00.038-05:00

I picked up this Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick at Boots when I was in the UK. I don't think this shade is available in the US? Or if it is, it's sold out because I can't find it. Anyways, I got this because it came recommended by pixi2woo (aka Tanya Burr) as a good, moisturizing drugstore lipstick.

The PR copy: 'This moisture-infused lip essential reduces lip dryness by up to 65% for smoother lips and better colour. Developed with SPF 18 and a cutting edge Self Adapting Moisture Complex that features Hylaronic Acid, Collagen and Vitamins A, C and E to nourish lips, leaving them with a smoother surface for better colour application and wear. 24 creamy, moisturizing shades come richly wrapped in an elegant metallic purple case.'

I really dislike the packaging on this, at least from an aesthetics perspective. It functions fine and feels sturdy enough for plastic/metal drugstore lippie packaging, but that metallic purple with the crown on the top--ugh. It feels cheesy. I dented the top of my lipstick. :( And apparently I chipped my nail polish too. Grrr.

As for the actual lipstick, it has SPF, which I love, but it also has an old lady-ish rose smell/taste, which I don't love. It's not overpowering, but it's noticeable. Unlike the Revlon lipstick I reviewed yesterday, this stuff is PIGMENTED. That swatch is one swipe. Rose Passion is a really reddish pink on me (pinker than it photographs), definitely cool-toned and slightly retro feeling. It goes on easily enough, no dragging, but it definitely has a firmer texture than the Lip Butters, more like a traditional lipstick. It doesn't feel drying like most lipsticks do on my bare lips, but I definitely need to wear lip balm with this. It feels drying after a few minutes if I don't, even though it goes on bare lips smoothly. I can get a straight-up opaque color with just one firm swipe, but I like to apply it a little more sheerly than you see in the picture below (all that color freaks me out). I usually wear this as more of a stain, which is really pretty. I get about 3 hours of wear with this one, and it wears down decently (it can be a little uneven).

And the creepy lip closeup.

Awkward Chic rating: B+. I'm not a huge lipstick person, but as far as lipstick go I do like this one. It's more moisturizing than most, even if that compromises the wear time, and it's really nicely pigmented. I don't think it lives up to it's moisturizing claims, though. Reviewing this right after the Revlon Lip Butter made the huge contrast in hydration really clear (and the Lip Butter wins by a long shot). If I wanted an opaque lipstick, I would buy another one of these, but that's not really my usual cup of tea, so I'm not sure I'll end up repurchasing one. But if you like moisturizing lipsticks and don't mind the smell or the shorter wear time, this is a good buy.

Review: Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

2012-01-04T09:58:00.001-05:00

It felt like everyone on the interwebs--YouTube, bloggers, even Tumblr--was freaking out about these new Revlon Lip Butters. They're supposed to be like a lipstick-lip balm hybrid, here's the PR copy:

- Buttery Balm + Shiny Color
- Buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips
- Hydrating mango, shea and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156%
- Pampering gel formula provides super charged hydration and glides on lips buttery smooth
- Sheer to medium color with buttery shine
- Available in 20 luscious shades

I was in Target the other day, and I went to look for these. They were all sold out! Except for 3 shades, and I picked up the only wearable one for my skin tone, Tutti Frutti. The packaging is simple, with a sheerish plastic lid in a quilted pattern. The lip butter comes in a balm-esque twist-up tube that feels slightly retro. Overall I like the packaging. It's definitely more cute than elegant, but it feels sturdy enough.

Tutti Frutti is an orange with a hint of coral. I really like the formula. It goes on sheer--that swatch is VERY heavy--but you can build up the color to about medium opacity. It goes on like butter, with a really lovely texture, and has a lot of sheen. I feel like with a lot of 'hydrating' lipsticks, you don't really get that much moisture. But I can actually use this as a lip balm--in fact, if it wasn't straight-up orange, I'd just make these my new lip balms. I do like the orange, though. It feels fun and festive, it's definitely wearable (even for me, and I'm scared of color). I almost splurged on a MUFE lipstick in a similar color a while ago, and now I'm glad I didn't since I got this for $6.50. As far as wear-time goes, I get probably 2-3 hours of color from this before it fades away beyond recognition. The moisture lasts a little longer, maybe 4 hours. It fades evenly, which I love, and doesn't stain my lips. Oh, and as far as I can tell there's no smell or taste.

Here's the terrifying lip closeup.

Awkward Chic rating: A+. I really like these! I feel like they live up to the hype of color and moisture, and hopefully I can track down some more nude/pink colors to wear.

Mama's Got a New Bag

2012-01-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

When I was in London, I popped into the Topshop at Oxford and happened across a whole display of these gorgeous, handmade leather bags from Etui. I couldn't find much on the internet about Etui, but the tag on my bag says they make 'Vintage Inspired Leather Bags'. They had a toooon of bags at Topshop, little pouches, wallets, big totes, and I grabbed this medium-sized clutch/shoulder bag.

It was 56 pounds, so around $80? It's a thick burgundy-red leather with crocodile stamping. It has a nice sheen to it and a bit of a vintage finish--it looks a bit lived in, which I really like. It's about 12"x4" and an envelope style, so the top flap folds over and closes at that magnetic snap you can see in the first picture. The shoulder chain (which is pretty long, it hits me at the hip) snaps on at those little rivets you can see on the left, so it's removable if I want to wear it as a clutch. The inside of the bag is a plain black nylon-ish fabric, with a small zipped side pocket (the zipper pull is a little heart--too adorable).

I've always been wary of these little shoulder bags because I tend to carry a ton of stuff around with me. But on the other hand, my shoulder is always killing me because of that, so downsizing is definitely a positive for my back. I can fit a surprisingly amount of stuff in this bag though: my phone, sunglasses, keys, touch-up makeup (powder, brush, lip balm, lipstick/gloss, eyeliner), credit cards/cash/license, etc.

Overall I totally love this. I've never really had a bag in a color before, so that's fun for me. It's a vampy sort of color, so it's fun but not so bright that I can't wear it with a lot of clothes. I love the texture of the crocodile stamping and how it makes my bag feel more upscale, and the size is perfect for me. I have no complaints! So if you're ever in London (or on eBay), definitely look into Etui's bags.

I Got a Watch!

2012-01-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

That is actually surprising news, y'all. I haven't had a watch since 5th grade. I had one of those giant Baby G watches that was absolutely hideous, but I loved it and wore it literally constantly until I got the grossest watch tan and I haven't worn a watch since. I really dislike the little 'girly,' dainty watches, but I don't feel like I can pull off the oversized men's watches that I really love.

I've had my eye on these La Mer bracelet watches for awhile now. At first I thought they were too trendy to invest in, but they've come out with some more classic styles recently and I've been itching to get a watch so that I'm not so tied to my phone all the time, so I sprung for one as a Christmas present to myself. (Apologies in advance for the shitty iPhone pictures. My camera kicked the bucket on me).

I got the Moscow Braided Chain Watch, which is $110 at lamercollections.com. The website describes it with: "Extra-long soft brown Italian leather strap topped with one large Antique Brass Chain Braided with thin natural Chain. Wipe clean. 22" long and 1/2" wide strap, Buckle closure. 14 K Gold Plated Square Signature La Mer Watch Case, .875" wide Watch case, seiko watch movement, Nickel Free. Due to the handcrafted nature of this product, each watch may vary slightly. Made in the USA." It comes in this nice leather box. The watch itself has an extra-long brown leather band, with the actual watch-face in the middle and a thick, copper-colored chain (with a little chain woven through that chain) attached to one half of the band--the chain runs between the buckle and the watch-face.

So basically I wrap it around my wrist haphazardly and try to get the chain all tangled in there, and it comes out looking like this! The watch-face is pretty small with Roman numerals, but it does the trick. I've always loved leather wrap bracelets with chains woven in, so I probably would have bought this without the watch, but that does make it so much more convenient and useful. I really love it. The strap has a couple different holes for different sized wrists and I think the leather will wear really well. Overall, I think I'm gonna wear this all the time. It's low-key, but refined, I think it'll go with a lot of outfits, and it's really easy to wear. I'm super pleased with this purchase.

Review: Boots Essentials Lip Salve in Strawberry

2011-12-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

When I was in London a few days ago, I was all over Boots. Literally. My friends thought I was insane. It's cool. I stocked up on some awesome products and picked up this lip balm.

Say hello to the Boots Essentials Lip Salve in Strawberry, about 1 pound at boots.co.uk. I think I have a serial lip balm-collecting problem. I pick one up in literally every country in every drugstore.

The deal with this lip balm is that it comes in a little strawberry-red tube with lipstick-esque packaging (the whole red part slides up and the lip balm twists up). The balm itself is white, goes on clear with a pretty sheen, and has a lovely, firm but buttery consistency. It doesn't have SPF, but it keeps my lips soft and moisturized for at least a few hours--I probably reapply 3 or 4 times a day, which is standard for me.

But the best part is the smell/taste. It's just like strawberry candies! Like Smarties! It's DELICIOUS. It smells delicious and tastes delicious and the smell lingers for a long time, which I love. If you don't like your lip balms with strongish smells, then this isn't for you. But it makes me very happy.

Awkward Chic Rating: B+. It's a pretty standard lip balm, cute but not excellent packaging, no SPF but good moisturizing power, no tint but a yummy smell. It's definitely worth picking up if you're near a Boots or a Target, and since it's so cheap you can get the Strawberry and the Original (with SPF!) and the Spearmint!

Images via boots.com.

Review: Dermelect Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum

2011-12-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

Let me clear one thing up before I start: I'm 20 years old. Anti-aging ingredients and eliminating fine lines or age spots are definitely not my top skincare concerns. Generally what I'm looking for with skincare is to even out my acne-prone skin and make my skin more radiant-looking and just brighter.

The folks at Dermelect sent me this Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum to try out. Generally, I'm terrified to try out fancy skincare products because my skin is very acne-prone and sensitive, but I liked the packaging of this serum so much that I decided to try it out anyways. Look at how pretty that packaging is! It's about half an inch taller than my iPhone, for reference, and has a very cool, space-age feel to it, all shiny and silver with white font. You push down a button on the top of the cylinder to release the product. I really like the delivery system here; it's easy to control how much product you get, and it's much more hygienic than sticking your fingers in a jar.

Here's the PR copy:

A new generation of skin care is ushered in based on the science of Botanical Wound Healing (BWH). By harnessing the plant stem cells from natures mysterious wonder- the Alpine Rose- Dermelect has infused a pioneering, anti-aging innovation for the prevention of facial wrinkles and regeneration of healthy skin. Dermelect Resurface Stem Cell Reconstructing Serum is the first to feature a dual function stem cell technology designed to boost facial skin stem cell activity and help stimulate skin’s protein production. With the first application, the cycle has begun as the serum absorbs evenly and beautifully to protect precious skin stem cells by neutralizing the environmental free radicals and stressors that threaten it. By preserving the stem cells, the potential to regenerate new, healthy skin cells will only yield youthful-acting, glowing, smoother skin. Resurface skin-perfecting serum utilizes extracted stem cells of the Swiss Alpine Rose characterized by it’s resilient and resurgent ability to flourish in the most unfavorable conditions- high oxidative, UV stress and environmental aggressors. Also formulated with EcoSkin, a stimulator of skin’s natural defense mechanisms and Vitamin C antioxidant to complement the skins natural healing ability.

The Alpine Rose: Defying the odds, the Swiss Alpine Rose is an anomaly that grows remarkably beautiful while being exposed to the most unfavorable of conditions: mile high altitude, extreme dryness, severe cold and an intense sun/UV index. Usually, roses are known to oxidize quickly once picked and exposed to the environment. The Alpine Rose has an amazing extended life span of up to 100 years. The key to its unlikely longevity lays chiefly in its unusually resilient stem cells.
Stem cells in plants function much as they do in people. Their job is to maintain and repair tissue. Adult human skin stem cells have a limited life span as aging and environmental assaults decrease their number and their ability to regenerate tissue. Plant stem cell extracts have been proven to protect skin from UV oxidative stress and inhibit inflammation. It can also control metaloproteinase activation (skin discoloration), collagen loss and tissue damage while combating destructive free radicals that lead to photo-aging.

Environmental stress and aging compromise and infiltrate the skins barrier function resulting in a drier skin and accelerated aging. Because our skin stem cells control the formation, maintenance, renewal and repair of the entire skin, the initial strategy to implement is to enhance the skin barrier by:

preserving the function of epidermal stem cells
protecting them from environmental stress

Dermelect Stem Cell treatments help maintain the rose stem cells characteristics to help protect the skin from UV stress, prevent the formation of wrinkles while reducing the look of fine lines and creases.

17 Day Study:

wrinkles were 45% less visible
complexion was 54% more radiant

I can't pretend to know anything about fancy skincare ingredients or stem cells, but what intrigued me about the serum's claims were that it would decrease the effect of free radicals and UV rays, decrease hyperpigmentation, and help keep my skin moisturized. I know free radicals contribute to my acne, I want to get rid of my acne scars, and I have extremely dry skin, so this sounded like a match made in heaven.

My impressions:

The serum itself is clear, with a watery but not too runny consistency. I use one pump for each half of my face and rub it in with circular movements right after I wash and dry my face in the morning and night. It absorbs quickly and leaves no residue, and it has the most AMAZING rose scent. It smells just like a rose garden! It's not an intrusive scent and it fades very quickly, but it does make applying this serum more fun.

Now, what it did for my skin: I put it on only half of my face so that I could really compare it to my normal skincare routine and see the difference. I've noticed that, over the last week that I've tried this product, the side of my face that had this serum on top of everything else I use feels more hydrated--but it doesn't look greasy. That side of my face has also broken out less, and my acne flareups seem to be healing faster and with less scarring. I was terrified that this would clog my pores, since it does have some silicone in it (which usually turns my face into a volcano), but it seems to be having the opposite effect!

Awkward Chic rating: A-. It's $75 for 1 oz at dermelect.com, so it's not cheap. I also feel like some of it's age-fighting properties are probably lost on me, but I love what it's done for my skin--keeping it hydrated, clear, and radiant. This would be a great last minute Christmas present for an older female relative that deserves some pampering (my mom has already been eying it).

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for review, but all opinions are my own.

Updates and Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish

2011-12-24T20:36:00.000-05:00

Sooooo I've been a blogging failure. I admit it. I'm the worst. In my defense, though, I was traveling for most of December without reliable internet, and then I had finals, and then I traveled again, and then I came home! To a 'very aggressive case of viral pinkeye in my cornea' (to quote my obnoxiously hot eye doctor) which basically means I look like a monster and my vision is crazy blurred--apologies in advance for all the inevitable typos in this post.

But on the plus side, I have a TON of products to review and clothes to share! First up is the Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish in Houses of Parliament, which I got during the Sephora Friends & Family sale. It's $16 at sephora.com, and comes in chrome, teal, and purple (which I got).

So how this polish works is that there's a magnetic rectangle on the outer lid. When the polish is wet, you hold the magnet over your nail (putting the little ridge on your cuticle to keep the magnet away from the nail) for about 15 seconds and the magnet effect shows up! It's really cool. I noticed that the longer you hold the magnet over the nail, the thinner/more graduated the design becomes. I only needed one thickish coat of the polish for opacity, so you do get bang for your buck here. The polish is a little on the thick side, which works in its favor here, but it does take a little skill to apply (hence the awful manicure, since I'm blind as a bat today, which you can probably tell from the polish smeared all over the magnet).

The purple itself is a medium, grey-ish purple with a metallic finish. Look how awesome the magnetic effect is! I'm sure you could get all fancy and hold the magnet in different directions for different effects, but I'm vision-challenged today and I didn't want to push it. I just think this looks really cool. It feels like Minx, but for way less effect and cost. I can't comment on the wear time yet, since I just did this today, but since I did one thick coat of polish it probably won't be stellar--but with the cool swirly effect, I'm not bothered.

Awkward Chic rating: A+. It's not cheap, but I think the end effect is so great-looking and easy to achieve that it balances out.

Merry Christmas all!

Paris, Je T'aime

2011-11-27T16:45:00.000-05:00

Sooooo I was in Paris this weekend. I know. It's insane. I still haven't processed it.

Now, I was there for just under two days and running around like a headless chicken the entire time, so I'm not gonna give many travel tips because I literally just did the stuff you'd think to do (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc...). The two things I would say to do would be to buy the 'youth' metro pass on weekends--it's like 3.5 euros and you get unlimited metro use for the day, which is great when your hotel is on the outskirts of the city and it's too cold to walk outside for extended periods of time. The other thing I'd do is go to Sainte Chappelle. It's the king's private chapel from the 1200s, it's 5 euros for students, and it looks like this:

Yeah.....you should go.

What I am gonna talk about is Laduree and my little French pharmacy shopping trip.

So I dragged all my friends to the Laduree on Rue Royale with me. The line was ridiculously long, and surprisingly full of French people (and not tourists!), and the store was just too cute for words. It's all white and bright pinks and mirrors, and the tiniest, most colorful little macaroons. They also have baked goods, but I didn't see anyone order those. The macaroon situation is basically that they have 15 or so flavors, and you pick the number of macaroons and flavors you want in order to full up the box you want (they have tons of different boxes in different adorable shapes, sizes, and colors). I got a variation of the round box on the right, but in a different color and less cutesy, filled with three chocolate macaroons and three salted caramel macaroons. The chocolate macaroons were delicious, just chocolatey enough on the outside and nice and fudgy on the inside. But the salted caramel ones...oh my goodness. I have no words. HEAVENLY. I think they have a store in Manhattan now, and while they are ridiculously overpriced (about 2 euros each!), it's so worth at least one trip.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner, $12 at sephora.com, Bioderma Créaline H2O, $28 for 250 mL at amazon.com: I went into about 5 pharmacies looking for Embryolisse lotion, and NO ONE HAD IT. Cue epic sad face. I picked up this lip conditioner partially because I needed to break a 50 and partially because France was so, so cold and the air was so, so dry. I've been craving a clear lip conditioner that's not as greasy as Aquaphor for a while now. I got this for about 4.5 euros, about half the price it is at Sephora. It's 99.5% natural and full of happy ingredients, like natural plant oils. I really love the lipstick format--it feels very classy and chic. It goes on smooth and not at all waxy--it has a bit of a matte finish but feels both light and deeply moisturizing on your lips (like it sinks beneath the surface and gets work done). It has a subtle vanilla scent/taste that I really like. My only critiques would be that it doesn't last the longest time on my lips, so I have to reapply more than I would with, say, Aquaphor, and it doesn't have SPF. The other thing I picked up and smuggled through TSA was the Bioderma makeup remover. I've heard such raves about it that I had to try it. I got the 100mL bottle for 5 euros. It comes in that cute little pink bottle and both smells and feels just like water. Seriously. My usual Neutrogena makeup remover has a bit of an oilier feel and can sting my eyes, but this could literally be water and I would not know the difference. On a cotton pad, it gets rid of the makeup on my face in seconds. It takes a bit longer to get rid of my waterproof eyeliner/mascara, but just as long as it does with any other remover I've tried. In short: I totally get the hype, and would definitely buy this if it was easily available in the US. It's easy to use, great for sensitive skin, and extremely effective.

Oh, and one last thing about Paris: if you're looking for somewhere affordable but nice to stay, check out the Maison Bacana. It's not right in the middle of things, but it's about 10-15 minutes on the metro to Notre Dame, which is pretty darn decent. We paid about 25 euros a night for two giant double beds, an adorably and quirkily furnished room, cookies and coffee on check-in, home-made and giant breakfast every morning (even to-go when we had to run to the airport), French-themed DVDs and a giant flat-screen in our room, and the most helpful hotel owner I've ever talked to. Seriously. STAY HERE. Do it. We struggled so much to leave the hotel room in the mornings. It was so cute and cozy!

Images via: fatallyfemininedesigns.blogspot.com, msdbelleza.com, beautyhabit.com, sephora.com.

Review: Essence Gold Old Buffy Nail Polish

2011-11-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

So Twilight: Breaking Dawn comes out today in Spain (wahoo!) although it isn't being shown anywhere near me in English. :( But Essence, a newish, affordable drugstore brand, came out with a Twilight-themed makeup collection to coincide with the movie called 'Vampire's Love.' It has perfume, cheek highlighters, nail polish, and a few other things. I've tried Essence polish before and wasn't all that thrilled about it, but when I saw this polish from the collection, Gold Old Buffy (like Buffy the Vampire Slayer!) I had to get it.

This polish was 2 euros for 10 ml. For reference, OPI polish is 15 ml for $8, so by the ml this is quite a bit cheaper than OPI or Essie. It comes in a round bottle, a lot like the Nails Inc ones, with 'Vampire's Love' on the front and the polish name on a sticker on the cap. The brush is short and pretty flat, but easy to deal with. I took a bunch of pictures to try to capture the color, and totally failed. In real life it's a blackened olive-green packed with gold shimmer and tiny, tiny flecks of pinky-orange shimmer. It is absolutely stunning! The blackened aspect makes it dark enough to feel vampy (hehe), and the browny-olive-green makes it a fun, off-beat twist on a neutral shade. The shimmer makes it just look magical. I've never owned a green polish before, but now I'm totally obsessed. I usually have a 5 day manicure rule, where I can't change my manicure until I've worn the polish for 5 days or it's chipped off (to save my pathetically weak nails some stress), but this polish made me change my manicure at day 4. That's a big deal, y'all.

As for application, the first coat went on sheer and patchy, but a thicker second coat fixed that right up and made it opaque. All in all it was very easy to apply, self-leveling with no pooling or dragging at the cuticles and it was fast-drying.

I really, really like this polish. I think the color works for the vampire theme because it has a bit of a gothic, antiqued feel and it's a deep shade. The pretty shimmer could theoretically work into the shimmery vampires in Twilight (probably taking that too far haha) and vampire thing aside, this color is just so pretty. I think it would be flattering on most skin shades, light to dark and warm to cool, and it's a great value for the money. I would definitely get other colors from this collection.

Awkward Chic rating: A+. I'm not sure if you can get this online, so hit up your usual Essence retailers.

Review: Nelly Biphase Conditioner

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

One of the tricks about studying abroad is that you can't pack your suitcases with multiple bottles of your favorite beauty products (unless you want to pay some crazy overweight baggage fees). I've started to use up some of my US favorites, and I've been scouring the Spanish beauty shops for replacements. I've struggled the most with hair products. I have very thick, very shiny/slippery straight hair with no volume, no texture, and dry ends. I usually use a mousse for volume, a salt spray for texture, and a serum for my ends. However, I ran out of the last two and couldn't find an affordable European alternative...until I ran across this little guy:

Nelly Biphase Conditioner, about 3.50 euros in Spain: I've never used a leave-in conditioner before, but this was so much cheaper than all the imported Garnier Fructisse and Pantene products that I had to grab it. Nelly is a Spanish beauty company, so if you want this in the States you have to order it online or scour TJ Maxx. It's a biphase leave-in conditioner, with a watery layer on the bottom and a lotiony layer on top. You shake the bottle until it's all one color, and spritz it a few times onto towel-dried hair (starting at your ears and going down to your ends). Here's the PR copy: "Recommended for fine, fragile, or limp hair. Detangles and conditions in one go, without overloading the hair or adding oil. Acts on the hair both internally and externally. The aqueous phase provides internal care with its active conditioning agents and proteins that nourish and repair the hair shaft. Its marine extracts repair damaged hair like a 'hair bandage.' Its silicone phase provides the external care, adding shine, softness and volume and making the hair easy to brush." It smells like the beach in the most natural way possible and even though it's extremely light on my hair and seems impossible to overdo, it keeps my ends so moisturized! I am absolutely in love with this. It was so cheap, it isn't oily or heavy, and it packs a serious moisturizing punch and smells yummy. I've dyed my hair like ten times this semester, and it's still looking crazy healthy--all thanks to this blue bottle!

A few days ago I ran out of my beloved salt spray, Blow Beach Blow, which I can't find anywhere in Spain. Desperate for some hair texture, I had an idea. The ingredients of this leave-in conditioner are very similar to those in Beach Blow, minus the sea salt. So I added two teaspoons of fine sea salt to my Nelly conditioner. I know. I'm silly. But it totally works! It helps to give my hair a bit of grit and texture, and when I put it up in a bun after I spritz on some of this, I get nice little waves. Not dramatic waves (I need me some 400+ degree heat styling tools for that) but not straight Barbie hair.

Conair Infinti You Curl, $29.99 on sale at ulta.com: Speaking of waves, one of the things I'm most excited to get when I go back to the US is a conical wand curler. Conical wands are curling irons without the clamps, so they don't leave those awkward little dents on your hair. I can curl my hair with my straightener, but it takes forever and gets a little wonky on the back of my head. This curling iron from Conair seems basically foolproof. You just wind your hair around the wand. That's it. It's perfect for beachy waves, which just happens to be my favorite.

That's all for now, guys! Besos from Espana!

Images via nelly.es, drugstore.com.

Hair Dye and Sephora Hauls

2011-11-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

I am a little blogging failure. I've been so busy traveling and working and studying for midterms and dealing with my terrible internet that I haven't been able to blog.

But, on a plus note, that Chanel manicure I did in the last post lasted NINE DAYS. It probably could have gone longer, but I had to go on a weekend trip and didn't want to risk beat-up nails. So Chanel polish = totally worth the investment.

In other not that exciting news, I'm getting my hair dyed on Thursday! Now, I know what you're thinking. Megan, didn't you just do a drastic hair color job? Yes, yes I did. But the problem is that I have so much hair and the red I have underneath all the brown dye isn't taking color evenly. So basically I have neutral brown hair on top and then a ton of medium-light reddish-blonde-brown hair underneath. Literally. Someone asked me if I got highlights. No, I just fail at dyeing my hair.

Normally I'd just suck it up and dye my hair again, but at the salon right by my dorm they have a deal for wash+blow dry+color (with L'Oreal Inoa!!!) for 25 euros. Um, what. That's just under $40. For professional hair color AND styling. So that's happening. What I want is a medium-dark warm brown, something like these two pictures below (Paz Vega and Leighton Meester): a little lighter and warmer than the dark brown I have on top right now, but much darker than my roots. So hopefully that goes well and I'll have pictures!

So, sad news: Sephora does not ship internationally (except to Canada). BOO. This is especially sad because they just had their Friends & Family sale, where you get a 20% off discount code. Sales on makeup are like sales on Christian Louboutins and double rainbows. They never happen. So I bit the bullet and made a little order, which should be waiting for me at home. In California. Until the end of December. Sob. Here's what I got:

Nails Inc. Magnetic Polish in Houses of Parliament, $16 at sephora.com, Sephora Brand BCA Pink Eyelash Curler, $16 at sephora.com: I finally cracked and got the magnetic nail polish. I got the purple one, and I am so pumped! I dismissed magnetic nail polish as a fad for years, but the Nails Inc. version has such a strong pattern from the magnet that I couldn't ignore it. It almost looks like Minx. The purple is a gorgeous, velvety color, and you get a ripple effect with the purple and a lighter, more silvery purple. Gah so excited. You put the magnet over the polish right after you paint your nail and the magnet pulls out particles in the polish to create the pattern. Sometimes I love science. I also picked up an eyelash curler. I know, I don't have one. I've never really seen the need, because my lashes have a bit of a natural curl, but I've been told time and time again by my makeup-loving friends to buy one, so I caved. I'm thinking it will make my lashes pop more and look even longer. Plus, it's pink and $1 goes towards breast cancer research!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 15 Taupe, $22 at sephora.com, Boyfriend 1.7 oz Perfume, $65 at sephora.com: I spent a really long time deciding what to buy on the Sephora site. I ended up going back to my fail-safe--eyeshadow. I saw this taupe cream shadow in an AllThatGlitters21 video, and it is so pretty--a shimmery taupe brown. I usually go for powder or loose shadows, but cream shadows have such a pretty sheen and are so easy to use. I'm thinking I can do a simple, but polished daytime eye with just this across the lid and a bit of an inner corner highlight with some gel-liner smudged into the lashes. Easy-peasy. I got a ton of samples with my order, but the one I'm most looking forward to trying (in like 100 years) is this Boyfriend perfume by Kate Walsh. The notes are dark plum, myrrh, night blooming jasmine, benzoin tears, skin musk, golden amber, and vanilla woods. I love oriental, woody scents with twists of vanilla and amber--heady and musky, but not too sweet or too girly. I think the idea here is that it's the smell of your boyfriend's perfume mixing with yours, which I love. The bottle, not so much, but still.

Images via: agirlnamedbong.wordpress.com, trendencias.com, sephora.com.

Review: Chanel Graphite Nail Polish

2011-10-25T15:56:00.000-04:00

I have resisted the siren call of the Chanel nail polishes for years. Years! No one needs to spend that much money on that little nail polish, I told myself. And then I went into the local CVS-meets-Sephora-esque-beauty-shop for some toothpaste, and found myself in front of the Chanel counter, foundling the nail polishes.

They are such pretty nail polishes. At first I wanted Pirate (a gorgeous bright red), and then it was Rose Insolent (such a lovely bright pink), then the infamous Black Pearl (jaw-dropping blackened green-grey metallic frost), but then I saw Graphite. I actually didn't know much about Graphite. I saw a swatch on Temptalia a while back and thought it was pretty, but promptly forgot about it. But in person this polish is pretty unforgettable. I'd describe it as a grey foil (with the smallest hint of green) base that is jam-packed full of silver and gold shimmer. Like jam-packed to the point where I'm not entirely sure there is much of a base color, but that green has to be coming from somewhere. In the US Chanel polishes are usually $25. In Spain it was 20 Euros. Not cheap, but I reallllly wanted it (actually that pricing was pretty competitive for the exchange rate. Success!) Here you can see the cute Chanel box, the nail polish with the outer cap still on, and the bottle with the outer cap removed.

In the bottle it looks a bit murkier and greener, but on the nail the shimmer really comes out to play. The combination of gold and silver gives it a bit of a pewter effect. It's just really lovely. Because of the silver, it works for cool skin tones nicely, and the gold does the same for warm skin tones. It looks different in every light, too. The finish of this is what really makes the polish for me, though. It has a foil base, so it's crazy metallic, but the fine shimmer packed on top of that gives it a completely new dimension of pretty. It's like fairy dust on your fingers. I thought my OPI Let Me Entertain You was the limit for sparkle, but oh my goodness, was I wrong. I adore this. The murkey silver hue keeps the shimmer from being too twee and girly, and I really like that it's not dark enough to be too vampy. It's just a light-hearted foil-shimmer with a fun, pewter twist. The formula was equally divine. It was opaque in two coats with extremely fast dry time (although it dries shimmery, not glossy. If you want a glossy finish, I suggest getting a glossy, Seche Vite-esque top coat), with minimal drag and no pooling. The brush is long and flexible, and I had no trouble covering the nail with it.

Overall rating: A-. The price is the only thing standing between the polish and an A+. I was hoping one Chanel polish would stop my cravings, but I think this has only made it worse. Black Pearl and Rose Insolent, I'm coming for you next! You can get this in The States at amazon.com for around $34. I've seen it all over Spain, but apparently it's selling out in the US, and since it's a limited edition color, get it while you can!

My little adventure into the world of expensive fairy dust nail polish crack got me thinking. What other brands had cool (but slightly more affordable) polishes on the market? I was bouncing around Sephora, and I found Nails Inc. Hello, new best friend.

Nails Inc Magnetic Polish in Trafalgar Square, $16 at sephora.com, Nails Inc Special Effects Electric Lane Holographic Glitter Top Coat, $10 at sephora.com: At first I was skeptical of this magnetic nail polish thing. It seemed so expensive and the patterns weren't all that great. But this Nails Inc version looks amazing (and has great reviews). It comes in a metallic silver and purple, and while the top coat of the polish dries you hold a magnet in the cap over the nail, and you get a pretty pattern like that one below! I love the idea of patterned nails, but I am lovely and not all that skilled with nail polish brushes, so this completely fascinates me. And don't even get me started on the holo top coat. Basically add one coat of that over your polish to get a finish that's packed with rainbow-colored glitter. It makes any polish into a holo! Ack. I need both of these.

Images via sephora.com.

Outfit of the Day!

2011-10-17T16:41:00.000-04:00

So I've done a little bit of shopping here in Spain. Not a lot--trying to practice that whole self-restraint thing. It's going pretty well, except where baked goods and Diet Coke are concerned (as usual). Anyways, I've picked up a skirt, a dress, two tops, and a pair of shoes (for about 75 euro! not bad, huh...).

Here's the dress I got (no full-length mirror in Espana, sadly). It's from a store called Sfera and it was about 22 Euros-ish. It's a scarlet chiffon-weight dress with little white polka dots, tank sleeves, smocking at the waist and a bow tie at the v-neck. The belt is vintage and the leather jacket is from Wilson.

I really, really like this dress. It has a very Alps-y feel to me for some reason (probably the Swiss dots), and I love the sweetness of the ruffles and the bow, especially against the toughness of a leather jacket.

And I might even be getting a little better at this hair curling thing! Now I'm just waiting to go back to the States so I can buy a curling iron like a big girl and stop using my straightener.

Besitos!

Hair Dye Adventures in Espana

2011-10-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I'm a bad little blogger. To be fair, I have been traveling a lot and my internet is so slow it takes 3 hours to upload an album to Facebook. Excuses, excuses, I know. (I also have to read all of Don Quijote, parts 1 and 2 for class. Please, kill me).

I don't have that much news, but I did dye my hair! Again. So long story short, it's naturally a dark blonde/light brown. Then I dyed it brown for year, and for about the first 6 months of the year it was red. Like red-red-red. But I got tired of it, and I wanted it to go back to brown. So I dyed it medium-dark golden-brown literally 3 separate times. It was still red, and worse than that, it was strawberry blonde on the bottom half because I have too much hair for one box of dye and the color on my ends had faded away. This made me very frustrated. So one day, I freaked out and grabbed 2 boxes of a neutral dark brown and dyed my hair.

It's dark! Dark dark dark. It also looks like I have highlights because now my hair isn't taking dye evenly (damn you, red hair dye), but I guess that makes it more natural looking? Either way, I really like the dark. I had it this dark when my hair was way shorter--just over chin-length--and that felt a little harsh. I think the extra length softens it up a lot, and I feel much more Spanish now! Haha. But no, really, the red hair + epic paleness was getting stares and comments from creepy old men on the street. So. Oh, and I slept with it in braids last night and attempted to make it wavy today.

I've been bouncing around Spain quite a bit since I got here. So far I've been to Madrid, Toledo, Cadiz, Sevilla (obviously haha), Huelva, and Granada. Here are some pics I took of the Alhambra in Granada--the last Moorish palace built in Spain in the last city conquered by the Catholic Kings. Sigh. Isn't it gorgeous? It was abandoned by centuries and random squatters lived there before it was reclaimed and restored by the state.

And on a totally random note, I've been doing a lot of online shopping in my downtown. Being in Spain without being able to use my beloved iPhone and being stuck relying on my stupid little Movistar piece of junk has gotten me thinking about watches. I'm normally that girl that walks around clutching her iPhone in a death grip so she always knows what's going on. But not being able to do that has gotten me thinking, and honestly...it's a little obnoxious. I'd like to be able to have a watch so I'm not constantly playing with my iPhone. The one problem is that I HATE how watches look on me. So when I found these bracelet-watch hybrids from La Mer, I got really excited. La Mer Collections Moscow Braided Chain Wrap Watch, $110 at lamercollections.com, Brown Leather-Copper Motorcycle Chain Watch, $120 at lamercollections.com:

I know these are basically the same. I really like the combination of skinny watch face, long brown leather straps, and chunky chains mixed in. The watch face is so delicate and lady-like, the leather adds an equestrian/slightly preppy-aristocratic feel, and the chain brings it all back down to earth and gives it some grit. The basic dilemma is between silver or gold. I think I like the silver one better. And all the rest of my rings/bracelets are silver too...hm...And momma, if you read this, I may or may not be asking for this for Christmas. Love you!

That's all for now, darlings. Hasta luego!

Images via lamercollections.com.

Review: Bourjois Chocolate Bar Bronzer

2011-09-26T16:15:00.002-04:00

I finally found it, kids. The mythical Bourjois chocolate bar bronzer. I say mythical because I couldn't find it in the US or at any of the Boots stores in Heathrow (unless you want to buy it online) but I found it in a Spanish version of CVS! Great success. Even though I paid astronomically more for it than I should have--thanks for that, Euro exchange rate.

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (price ranges from about $10 to $20 depending on the country as far as I know):

So, the skinny on this bronzer is that it looks like a chocolate bar (and sorta smells like one too, hence the hype). The packaging is carboard, and it opens like a little book, with a heavily magnetized closure, to reveal the chocolate bar-shaped bronzer inside. For cardboard packaging, it's pretty decent. I'd say it feels on-par with Benefit's packaging, and it's much less expensive.

The bronzer itself smells like chocolate with a hint of citrus--overall rather delicious without being too sweet or foody. The scent won't linger on your skin, however. I got the Medium shade (#51) which was the lightest shade offered (curse those tanned Spaniards). Seeing as I am a NW15 at MAC and the real life equivalent of Snow White, I was a little scared by that Medium description. The bronzer swatches as a medium-light yellow-based brown that's 90% matte with the tiniest amount of sparse gold shimmer. I saw complaints on Makeupalley about this not being very pigmented. I had the exact opposite experience. This stuff is so ridiculously pigmented that I need to be very careful with how much I get on my brush.

The pressed powder feels very finely milled and goes on smoothly, blending with little effort. I'd say this would be 100% fool-proof if you were naturally a bit darker than me. For fairer-skinned gals, you do need to be careful not to overload that brush and end up looking like Snooki. Given that, though, this Bourjois bronzer lasts a very long time, especially on my oily skin and in this heat. If I apply it in the morning and I want to go out 12 hours later, I'd do a touch-up, but it really does stick around for most of the day.

Now if only my ridiculous sun burn would fade and I could get an even tan all over...

Awkward Chic rating: A+. If you can get this online for less than $15-$20, it's a great value. Makes me wish Bourjois was more widely available in the US.

Image via boots.com, superfabme.com.

Spain Style

2011-09-20T17:43:00.000-04:00

I'm still alive! Sorry for the lack of updates (yes, mom, I am still alive), but crazy schedule + spotty internet does not lend itself to lots of blog updates. But I am trying to get on top of it, I swear.

In terms of life updates, I am still getting mocked all around for speaking Spanish like a Mexican (apparently it's a problem in my grammar class) and I'm traveling all over! So far I have trips planned to Cadiz, Granada, Ireland, London, Paris, Bologna, Germany, Portugal and Austria. Busy busy busy but excited to get to go to some new places. I start class next week, so that should be pretty interesting.

So, clothes. I'm noticing that the trends in Spain (right now at least) are less colorful/floral and more neutral. There are seems to be less structure/clean lines and more draping--which could be related to the fact that it's a million degrees here. Today I wore an outfit just like this. The tank was the same but a burnt pinkish-red instead of purple (the picture is evading me) and it was that exact skirt. I saw 'Friends with Benefits' before I left and something about Mila Kunis' pencil/mini skirt-based daytime outfits stuck with me. I'm running out of clean clothes so I decided to recreate one using a skirt I normally wear out at night (yay, repurposing). So I had the black shirt and then the reddish tank on top and loose, but I tucked a tiny bit of the hem of the tank into the waist of the skirt (in just one spot). It's hard to describe, but it highlights the high waist of the skirt and creates this pretty draping effect because the rest of the hem of the shirt hangs down.

Then I wore these Frye boots and a leather jacket I have that's pretty similar to the Veda one pictured here. The leather jacket adds a little structure and some edge (you can never have too much edge! Jk, you totally can, but I still love it). I like the boots with this outfit because they make it a little more casual since they're basically gussied up cowboy boots, but the little heel keeps it all sassy. I throw on some antique necklaces on top and overall was very happy with the look. I'd do a photo for y'all, but I actually have no full length--or even remotely full-length--mirrors here. Boo.

On a makeup related note, I've been dying to pick up some Spanish makeup here, but there don't seem to be any Spanish makeup brands, at least that I can find?? All I've seen here is marked up makeup from the UK and the States, like $16 CoverGirl mascara (that must be a joke). So I've been loving my Coastal Scents Metal Mania palette. It was about $20 on the Coastal Scents website, and has 88 metallic shadows, mostly neutrals. I love it because the shadows are pretty high quality for the price and since there are so many it's keeping my cravings for new shadows at bay--for now. Also, I've been living off Nutella. Unrelated, I know, but I'm struggling with not eating in my dorm dining hall and not wanting to spend a lot of money on groceries to cook for myself. It's been lots of cheese and bread and apples with Nutella (which I'm eating right now. Shocker). Someone force me to feed myself nutrients.

That's all for now. Besos de Espana!

Images via stylehive.com, loveinpink88blogspot.com.

Hello from Spain!

2011-09-11T10:09:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since I blogged, and I want to apologize for that. I got so caught up in packing and getting ready to go abroad that I forgot to schedule some posts in advance, and then I had to travel and get to Spain and bounce around with no internet and move into my apartment and basically be all over the place.

But now I'm all moved in and starting classes tomorrow and so hopefully I should be back to blogging on a (semi) regular basis. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a post on my experiences in Spain so far, with a little note on Spanish fashion tucked in too.

So, thoughts on Spain:

First off, this eating thing. SO DIFFERENT. Getting over jet lag was easy, getting used to the Spanish eating schedule was HARD. As far as I've gathered the Spanish daily meal system goes something like this: a tiny piece of toasted baguette with jam/olive oil and coffee at 9 am. A mini sandwich/pick-me-up snack at 11 am. A big lunch with soup, meat, rice dishes (etc), coffee, and desert at 3 pm. Another pick me up snack at about 7pm (more carbs) and then tapas for dinner at 10 (featuring, shocker, MORE CARBS and fried foods).

I do not understand how Spain isn't obese. I haven't seen a fresh vegetable at a single meal here, let alone a meal that doesn't heavily feature carbs or starches. And forget about vegetarian food--so not culturally understood in Spain.

Just for comparison, my daily diet at home is something along the lines of: breakfast of oatmeal cooked in almond milk with a dash of cinnamon. Snack of fruit or cheese or some little protein a few hours later, then a big salad for lunch (love me some greek salad), another snack, and then a big bowl of sauteed spinach for dinner.

Don't get me wrong, though, Spanish food isn't bad. The baked goods and pastries--I die. And the coffee! So good! Aside from the stubborn aversion to all forms of iced coffee (sob, it's 90 degrees here).

But even given all the baked goods and carbs, Spain seems to have less of a problem with obesity than the US. I'm not saying everyone here is 100 pounds and in perfect shape--in fact, they seem to be more healthy/average across the board. And the same goes for clothes. Spaniards do not wear sweats or sweatshirts or gross college tees, etc, in public. I don't think well-dressed Spaniards are any more fashionable or numerous than well-dressed Americans, but Spaniards in generally seem to be a little less casual than Americans. It's refreshing.

Also, Spain is SO PRETTY. My dorm is in the old center of Sevilla, and not in a particularly historical bit, but the little windy streets everywhere are the most adorable things. I want to do a photoshoot all over this neighborhood. Possibly in the new Spanish clothing I plan on acquiring.

Well, that's all for now! I'd add some pictures butttt I haven't gotten a converter to charge my camera with so I actually have none. Boo.

Besos de Espana!

Review: Orly Red Flare

2011-08-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-25T20:53:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-24T20:28:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-23T19:10:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-19T20:03:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-17T18:32:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-16T19:46:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-15T11:54:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-08-08T22:32:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-08-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-08-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

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,

Cute Sundress for Less than $20?

2011-07-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-27T22:22:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-25T22:09:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-07-20T21:30:00.002-04:00

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)

2011-07-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-12T23:24:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-11T22:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-07-06T21:02:00.001-04:00

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

2011-07-05T21:35:00.001-04:00

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

Currently Loving: My New Pendant Necklace

2011-06-30T18:12:00.000-04:00

It's a four-day weekend, y'all. FOUR DAYS. And you know what I'm going to be doing? Sleeping. Lots of sleep. I miss sleep. We haven't hung out in a while. Anyways, one of the things I'm going to be wearing a lot this weekend is this new tassel pendant necklace I was sent by Spring Street. I totally love it.

It's a long necklace with a 36" gold chain, an adjustable clasp, a circle covered in geometric crystals, and a large tassel. It's a very heavy, solid feeling necklace. You can get it on their website for $45. I love tassel necklaces. I bought one a while ago but it fell apart, and I've been meaning to get a new one for a while now. This one is perfect. It looks and feels expensive, and has a fun mixture of textures and finishes, with the crystal, black bead, chains, embossed metal, etc, etc. The chain tassels hang so nicely, and they have great movement, too. It all has a very exotic feel. Also I love anything shiny, so...

My favorite way to wear a statement necklace like this one is with a simpler outfit, so that the necklace gets to stand out more and it doesn't all look too busy. Here I'm wearing it with a Madewell tank, a vintage cardigan, and J. Crew shorts. You could also wear it with jeans, boots, and a black tee, or with jeans and a white button-down and boots, or it would look adorable with a simple LBD. You have a lot of different options.

So would I have paid for this? Yes. Especially with the discount code I'm about to tell you about!

And for the next 24 hours you can use the code Awkward chic at springstreetdesign.com to get 25% off your order. Yayyyy discount codes!

Sephora Wants

2011-06-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

I could collect makeup like some people collect shoes. I want more makeup. Specifically, I want this makeup:

Tarte for True Blood LipSurgence Natural Lip Stain, $24 at sephora.com, Sephora Favorites Beauty & the Bride Combination Set, $50 at sephora.com: True Blood themed makeup? Hi. Yes, please. I love this. The packaging reminds me of True Blood (aka favorite guilty pleasure show ever), but it's the product that I really like. When I think of True Blood and lip products, I think of red stained lips, like blood stains. This is a shimmery red lip stain pencil. It's perfect. It would give that 'I just ate a Cherry popsicle' look or 'I just drank some human dry' look, if that's your thing. Plus the Tarte lip pencils are nicely moisturizing and have great lasting power, so even though you are paying for the branding, you do get a lot of product for the money. Sephora does great combination sets like this one. This is bridal themed, so it has lots of basic, neutral makeup, but it also works really nicely for real life. It has $108 worth of product, including a mini Flora by Gucci perfume, Boscia green tea blotting papers, a mini Buxom lipstick, a black Sephora eyeliner, a Bare Minerals lid primer, a Tarte mascara, a Lancome Juicy Tube, a Benefit pore minimizer, a pink Sephora by OPI polish, Stila eye shadow in Kitten, and a Josy Maran Argan oil color stick in a dusty rose. You get a LOT of product for $50, and a lot of different products, but the best part is that you get a voucher for a free, full Sephora makeover. Usually you have to buy $50 of product for those, so here you get $50 of mini, full, and sample size products AND the makeover. Great deal.

Images via sephora.com.

How Not to Look Like a Tourist

2011-06-28T20:42:00.000-04:00

This post was a request from one of my housemates about how not to look like a tourist when you're traveling. I think it's funny that people get really stressed out about what to wear while sight-seeing in other countries. The hardest part for me is finding an outfit that works for a lots of different situations--say you're traveling around Italy. And you want to visit some cathedrals, go out to a nice lunch, do some shopping, and walk around a lot. You need something fancy enough for a nice restaurant, modest enough for a church, and comfortable enough for lots of walking and shopping. I have two go-to outfits for sightseeing: sundresses and tops+jeans, because they're both so versatile. I put together a jeans+top outfit here that would work for all of those situations, and still keep you looking cute.

J. Brand Bombshell Cigarette Jeans, $174 at shopbop.com, Frannie Camisole, $78 at anthropologie.com: As far as jeans go, I know at least in Europe wearing ratty, light jeans around will make you seem like more of a tourist. However, a clean pair of black jeans like this is great because you get the comfort of a jean (and these have a ton of stretch and a nice high waist), but you still get a very polished look. It's very Audrey Hepburn. And I love this white top. I am a huge fan of tops that are basic, but still have a fun and unique twist. This one is easy to style around, since it's white, and the sweetheart neckline and fitted waist are extremely flattering. It's a step up from a tee, but it's not too revealing (especially if paired with a little sweater or jacket).

Frye Melissa Button Boots, $328 at fryecompany.com, J. Crew Jenna Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com: I'd do boots for sight-seeing. Flat sandals can lead to gross, dirty feet, and ballet flats always tear my feet to shreds. Please don't wear high heels around cobblestone streets. You will hate yourself. Flat boots are a great option because they have a formal feel, but they're comfortable and easy to walk in. The riding boots are very classic and polished, which works nicely with the vibe of the black jeans and the blouse, and they're a nice, rich leather, so they wear well and look very expensive. Then I'd add this navy blue cardigan on top. It adds a little warmth and coverage for, say, going in a church, plus it's cropped to a great length that highlights the waist and doesn't add any visual bulk. The navy adds a little color, but it's still a neutral, so you can wear it with a ton of other outfits.

Foley + Corinna Snake Chain Cross Body Bag, $425 at shopbop.com, Ray-Ban Oversized Wayfarers, $145 at shopbop.com: The only practical bag for sightseeing is a shoulder/cross-body bag. It keeps your hands free, but has lots of storage, and is hard to pickpocket from. I love this bag. It's leather, so it's sturdy, the black makes it versatile, and it has a bunch of little details that make it really fun. The chain on the strap and the zippers down the side add some edge, and the ruching adds an organic feel and some visual interest. It's a basic enough bag to wear with a ton of different outfits, but it still has some sass, and it's large enough to store a guidebook, camera, some snacks, your phone, etc, etc. I kind of want it for real life...As far as accessories go, lots of jewelry isn't so great for traveling. It can attract pickpockets (paranoid but totally true) and if you lose it in a foreign country, chances are you'll never find it. Sunglasses are a great way to accessorize an outfit as an alternative to jewelry. I like these over-sized Wayfarers because they're big enough to protect the skin around your eyes from the sun, and the classic style is flattering and goes with a lot of outfits.

Images via shopbop.com, jcrew.com, fryecompany.com.

J. Crew Lovelies

2011-06-27T23:13:00.000-04:00

Blargh I'm supposed to be sleeping right now but I am so, so bad at sleeping. Really. It's top 10 on my list of things I am terrible at. So instead I've been trolling the J. Crew website, and I found these two adorable dresses.

Paradisa Dress, $168 at jcrew.com, Ramona Dress, $225 at jcrew.com: This first dress...so.cute. So cute. I wants. I like that the shape is very simple and lingerie-inspired, a little 1940s, a little slip-like. The basic cotton is simple and versatile, but the coral-red floral embroidery adds a whole other level of luxury and visual interest. I love that the pattern is at once classic and modern in how abstract and geometric it is. It's like a deconstructed toile. Plus the fitted, with the close-cut bodice and fit and flare skirt, is extremely flattering on almost any body type. J. Crew styled it nicely, with the slightly masculine belt. I'd add a fitted little cardigan in say, a cobalt or navy blue, and maybe a set of skinny bangles. As for the other dress, J. Crew totally owns when it comes to versatile, flattering bridesmaid-esque dresses. This is a fab bridesmaid dress. The cut is insanely flattering. A deep-neck elongates the neck, flatters existing cleavage, and emphasizes cleavage if you don't have as much, the wrapped waist creates and hourglass silhouette, and the ruching hides a multitude of sins. I'd get this in black. I like the idea of black bridesmaid dresses, and you could style them adorably with crystal/rhinestone jewelry and jewel-tone heels. Plus it's the kind of dress you can wear to work, to cocktails, to a wedding, etc, etc.

Images via jcrew.com.

Everyday Jewelry

2011-06-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

First off, this dress is totally unrelated to the rest of the post. It's the Honky Tonk dress by Lucy in Disguise, $230 at shopbop.com, and Lucy in Disguise is actually a brand done by Lily Allen. Apparently she's had a clothing store for a while and just recently came out with a line of vintage-inspired dresses. This has me written all over it. I love the western, kitschy print on the simple, retro silhouette. I'd do it with a masculine, brown leather belt, girly wedges, and a little cropped cardigan. Adorbs.

What I'm actually going to talk about today is jewelry. I know I talk about statement pieces all the time, because they're fun, but the pieces I actually end up wearing every day are little, versatile pieces, not big flashy things. I've worn the same pair of earrings basically everyday for the last 18 months. When you buy a piece that's wearable and easy to style around, so you can wear it a lot, the cost per wear goes down to virtually nothing. The cost per wear of my earrings is like 15 cents. That's awesome. So here are some pieces that you can literally wear day after day that will go with everything.

Shashi One Row Original Bracelet, $62 at shopbop.com, Shashi Petit Indian Danna Earrings, $40 at shopbop.com: I wear the same Tiffany's bracelet all day, everyday. It's one of the really cheesy, Return to Tiffany's bracelets that I got in like 10th grade. I love it, but another (slightly more, ahem, on-trend) and affordable option is this Shashi bracelet. The woven black cord has a nice, rustic feeling, the rose-gold beads add some understated glamour, and the crystals give it just the right amount of flash. It gives a casual, spontaneous feel to a cocktail dress and a bit of polish to jeans and a tee. You could actually not take it off. These earrings are SUPER tiny in real life. They're basically posts with the smallest little dangling charms. I love that idea, because you get the lightness and delicateness of a post, but the fun movement of a dangling earring. Even though the pearl is glass, the gold is real, so they have a really luxe feel to them.

Viv & Ingrid 14K Gold Posts with Ruby--July, $190 at vivandingrid.com, Juliet & Company Champagne Pearl Stud Earrings, $20 at shopbop.com: My birthstone is ruby! That's why I picked these. Viv & Ingrid makes birthstone post earrings for every month. They make adorable birthday presents, and they have the real stones, but they are discrete enough to be worn every day. I love jewelry with little personal connections like that. Last but not least, if you're a pearl girl, these fake, oversized pearl studs are fab. The pinkish hue is really flattering, and the fact that they're kind of giant (for pearls at least) make them a little ironic. I can't bring myself to wear pearls without some sort of irony, and this is a really affordable and cute way to do that.

Images via shopbop.com, vivandingrid.com.

My Top 3 Summer Nail Polishes

2011-06-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

Ha. So today my MacBook screen cracked for legitimately no reason. I touched the screen to adjust it and get rid of glare and now there are like 1000 cracks and tiny pieces of glass are falling out. NOT COOL, APPLE. NOT COOL. Of course my parents won't believe that story, and I don't blame them because I wouldn't either, and now I need a new MacBook. I've been in happier moods. Let's look at some pretty nail polish. That should make it better.

I've found that I really change my nail polish preferences based on the season. I occasionally like to do a vampy color in the summer, but it's mostly bright, punchy oranges/corals/pinks/purples/reds/etc, all cremes, no shimmers (shimmery pink is just too much for me). I actually have a good 15-20 candidates in that category, but here are my top 3 for the moment.

Essie Vermillionaire, Orly Terracotta, Zoya Areej: We've got the whole range of colors here, orange, coral-red, and pink. Vermillionaire is a straight-up orange creme. Not a neon, traffic cone orange, but a more reddish-orange that reminds me of the outside of Creamsicles, which just screams summer. I'm really not an orange person, I don't even own a piece of orange clothing, but this nail polish with a tan is so great. This polish makes you look tanner no matter what, but with a tan it screams Mediterranean goddess. It applies like butter and is opaque in 2 coats with a glossy finish and good wear time (about 5 days for me). Orly Terracotta is my new go-to polish. It's a semi-matte, neon, medium coral-pink-red. That sounds like a lot of colors. But it totally works. It's bright enough to be fun and punchy and sassy, but the tone is a very typical coral with pinky-red undertones, so it works in a lot of different situations. Being matte does make it a little annoying to apply, but if you wait long enough between coats it doesn't get streaky. With a shiny topcoat it loses the matte effect and looks like any other glossy polish. What I love about this color is that I can wear it to work, because it's really a coral, but the brightness gives it a little edge. The wear time is decent, about 4 days (mattes always chip faster for me). Zoya's Areej is my overall favorite. I'm wearing it on my fingers AND toes right now (and that never happens). I get compliments on it every time I wear it. Areej is a light-to-medium pinky-purple. It really reminds me of Barbie for some reason, it's extremely girly but still professional, and it's totally appropriate for work but it's still a fun color. I can get away with one coat this, but two is probably better. It dries glossy and wears well.

Not pictured is my other favorite, OPI Cajun Shrimp, which I mention so much that I figured it was kind of implied. It's a poppy red--a red with orange undertones--and it's great.

Images via polyvore.com, amazon.com.

Shopbop Cravings

2011-06-21T23:00:00.000-04:00

OMGIT'SONLYELEVENOCLOCKANDIAMFALLINGASLEEP.

I need my naptime, y'all. So here's a super short post because, honestly, I'm going to sleep. I don't do mornings well.

Kenneth Jay Lane Coral and Jade Earrings, $44 at shopbop.com, Elie Tahari Catalynn Dress, $398 at shopbop.com, Diane von Furstenberg Tonda Sliced Leather Clutch, $365 at shopbop.com: Confession: I don't like jade--or things that look like jade--and I don't really do large earrings. But there's something about these oversized jade-esque earrings that makes me really want to have them on RIGHT NOW. The pattern and color are so ornate and vibrant, but the tiny cutouts keep the earrings from being too over the top. The orange adds an unexpected visual contrast that really makes them pop. I think these work because the motif of the carved jade is so Old World but statement earrings feel young and fresh. This LBD is the perfect work-to-cocktails dress. It's a universally flattering shape, since it's fitted at the waist and has a soft a-line skirt, and black is such a versatile color. The way I'd wear it for work is with a pair of heels in a soft neutral, maybe a dove grey, a short cardigan in a cobalt-navy blue, and a patent leather dark grey belt. Then for cocktails, take off the sweater and add a statement cuff and some sparkly earrings. Voila! I'm really not a clutch person, but I really like this little guy. It has a skinny chain shoulder strap, which is really handy. My pet peeve about clutches is that I always drop them. This solves that problem. The sportiness of the perforated leather works really nicely with the organic feel of the twig clasp, too.

Night, y'all.

Images via shopbop.com.

DIY Room Decorating!

2011-06-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

Ha. So I sat down on Friday and Thursday to blog...and I literally fell asleep on my computer. Like lights out, Mike Tyson just gave me a right hook passed out. Why? Because I have an hour and a half (each way, haha) commute in the morning and I have to get up at 6AM so when I get home at 6ish I am like zombie-Megan. Blah. So that was totally my bad. I'm sorry. I really just wanted to sleep. For like 100 years. But on the plus side I did some productive things this weekend, some of which you'll see below.

Bop Basics The Fiance Blazer, $198 at shopbop.com, Nixon Oversized Chrono Watch, $500 at shopbop.com: In theory, I was going to buy a blazer for work. In theory. In reality I got lazy. But in theory I want a blazer like this one. I'm not the kind of person to wear a serious, fitted blazer (at least not till law school y'all), and boyfriend blazers are the cute alternative. This is a great option because it has contrasting inner lining for a little sass, a high enough button to create a flattering shape, and the perfect mixture of slouchy and tailored. I'd put it over a girly dress with some gladiator sandals. I'm not a watch person, but OMGIWANTTHISWATCH. I love that it's kind of masculine in shape, but the tortoiseshell is super girly and chic. I love the giant, oversized face and the calendar faces, and IWANTITTTTTT. It would be adorable with a really feminine outfit, like a little sundress and big sunglasses.

So I am stupid, and I didn't take a picture of my ugly nightstand before I prettified it this weekend. But I did take a picture of the matching dresser. Imagine that but shorter and skinnier, and voila (the dresser is getting a makeover this coming weekend). Now, there was nothing wrong with the side table. It didn't make snide comments at me or anything like that. But it did clash with my room theme. So I got a little DIY on it. First I sanded it down with a medium-grade sandpaper to rough up the surface, since it's probably not real wood and it was covered in varnish. Then I took off the previous knobs, and did 1 coat of black glossy spray paint. I let that dry (it took about 24 hours, if you do it inside like I did, put something on the floor and open ALL THE WINDOWS. For serious.) and then I put on the new knobs. The top and bottom knobs were like $3 on sale at Anthropologie, the middle one is from eBay. Long story short: spray paint and new hardware are great for pieces that you are okay with the general shape of, but hate the look and finish of. I paid probably $30 for that dresser, $10 for the knobs and $10 for the spray paint and sand paper, so I basically got that for $50. It looks SO much better, and I actually like it now, so success!

Also my mom sent me this shelving thing from my room at home. I got it at the Container Store about 6 years ago, and it's still in great condition. It's about 5 feet tall, with shelves over a foot deep and tall and four shelves (not including stuff you can put on top). I highly recommend buying this shelving unit. It's basic enough to go with a lot of different room themes, but it still has enough of a visual twist to not be boring.

Images via shopbop.com.

Etsy Wants

2011-06-15T22:46:00.000-04:00

Oh, Etsy. How I love thee. If you're looking for cheap but interesting art to decorate your walls with, Etsy is the best place. All of these prints are under $25, and they're all so quirky and chic and would add so much character to any room. Here are some favorites! And a random mirror.

Chanel No. 5 Print by 8by10, $25 at etsy.com, Chanel Print by birdAve, $20 at etsy.com: I will buy any and every print with a Chanel perfume bottle on it, but this one is particularly pretty with the grey/white color palette and the little heart instead of the A in Chanel. I'd do a series of three of these in antiqued silver frames in a dressing room/walk-in closet. This second print is so chic, You have the pink and the girly concept of the perfume bottle but then the execution is on the industrial, edgy side.

Coffee Isn't A Drug It's A Vitamin Print by birdAve, $20 at etsy.com, When Life Gives You Lemons Find Someone Who Has Vodka And Throw A Party Print, $20 at etsy.com: This is my life mantra. I don't drink coffee for the caffeine, I drink it for all the nutrients. Obviously. I love these hilariously sassy prints. The blocked out everyday objects are a little Warhol, and the witty quotes that it to a whole other level. I could cover my room in these. The quote on the lemon print? ADORABLE. I'd put that one up in the kitchen.

If You Haven't Got Anything Nice To Say About Anybody Come Sit By Me print by birdAve, $20 at etsy.com, Rococo Inspired Tabletop Mirror, $29.95 at etsy.com: This chair print is my favorite. I would love it for the cute chair alone, because it's totally my style, and then the lavender makes me love it even more, but the quote printed on it--LOVE. Fits my personality, it's so quirky and adorable, and I want to buy it and frame it and hang it in my room right now. How awesome and cheap is this mirror? It's not actual mirror, it's some sort of laser cut reflective surface but it works like a mirror and it looks amazingly rococo. I'd put it on a vanity and do my makeup in it in the morning--it adds such a fun splash of glam to the dreaded morning hours.

Images via etsy.com.

Review: Orly Terracotta

2011-06-14T21:38:00.001-04:00

It was really cold today. And my feet hurt. So I had to buy myself pink nail polish. It makes sense in my head. I've been having a staring contest with Orly Terracotta for a while now, and today I snapped.

Orly Terracotta Nail Polish, $4 at amazon.com: Terracotta is a pinky-red coral neon. This stuff is bright. In comparison with my other neon, Essie's Pink Parka, Terracotta is darker and more saturated. It's definitely not a Terracotta color though (when I think of Terracotta I think of orangey-brown with a hint of red), but it walks the line between pink and coral nicely and has a nice amount of punch. It fills a gap in my nail polish collection because I have pinks and I have corals but I didn't have bright pinky-corals. Hurrah!

As far as application goes, it is a neon--I should know this by now--so it has more of a matte finish. It's not as matte as Essie's Pink Parka, which is straight up 100% matte, but it only has a slight sheen. The plus side of that is that it dries pretty quickly, but the downside is that it does drag and can go on streaky. One coat of top coat and a steady application with fix that problem right up! I can't comment on wear time yet since I just put it on literally an hour ago, but it looks so good. It's fun and bright and girly and just a little ridiculous while still being wearable.

The formula is thin but workable, and nicely pigmented. It's a bit of a jelly, so it's on the sheerer side of pigmented and it has that squishy look on the nail. It also has no shimmer, glitter, pearl, anything. I love coral jellys because they feel so light and fresh and tropical--like guava juice!

Awkward Chic Rating A-: Taking a few points off for the matte-ness and difficulty of application, the color is great and I trust Orly's durability.

Images via hairtrade.com.

Currently Craving

2011-06-13T23:49:00.000-04:00

I'm ALIVEEE!!!! And one day soon I shall finish posting pictures of my room. I swear. But in the mean time here and some pretty things.

Lisa Stewart Modern Myth Gold & Enamel Bracelet, $75 at shopbop.com, MELINDA MARIA Marquise Cluster Studs, $98 at shopbop.com: I love anything with Greek key on it. It's so graphic and clean and classic but modern at the same time, so you can wear it a ton of different ways. I love this turquoise bangle version. The blue and gold are so fresh and punchy together, and the bangle is just the right size--big enough to be a statement but not so large as to be annoying. How cute are these earrings? I love jewelry like this, where there's a pretty, girly jewel in a rough, abstract, geometric setting. These are a fun alternative to the usual set of studs without being too over the top.

Alice + Olivia Odette Dress, $396 at shopbop.com, Noir Jewelry Pyramid Bangle Set, $132 at shopbop.com: Ahhh I want this dress! I die for simple but dramatic cocktail dresses, and this one would work for a ton of different occasions and body types. The fitted silhouette and emphasized waist create or emphasize an hourglass silhouette, the dark on bottom and patterned on top layout minimizes any lower body issues, and the lace print adds the perfect amount of drama and visual interest. Plus the ruffle adds to a smaller chest and the deep-v keeps larger chests from looking even bigger. You could dress it down with a cardigan and flat boots or dress it up with cocktail jewelry and platform heels. And it has a cutout back! I'd totally wear it with these stacked stud bangles. I love layered bracelets. They look so casual and thrown together, and the mixture of colors and sizes of studs keeps it all interesting.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Lady V Bag, $548 at shopbop.com, Sara Berman Emma Envelope Clutch, $377 at shopbop.com: The name of this bag is so appropriate. It's so lady-like. The shape is very frame-bag-esque and retro, but the slouchy leather adds a fun, modern twist. The light beige works with a lot of different color palettes and it's a nice, practical size. This cheetah clutch totally reminds me of a way more expensive Mulberry clutch that I've been craving, but for like $1000 less. The utilitarian size works well with the fun leopard, the hardware adds an industrial edge, and who doesn't love leopard?! Really now.

Images via shopbop.com.

Room Pics!

2011-06-08T23:09:00.000-04:00

I haven't slept in 3 days. It's kind of a funny story. The first day was totally my fault, I had to take a placement test for my study abroad program and it took wayyyyy longer than expected. The second night I got food poisoning and ended up missing my morning flight back to Boston so I took a red eye and didn't sleep last night either. I think I might be getting delirious.

So I missed blogging yesterday :( and I only have a tiny post today because I'm moving in my new apartment and I have a ridiculous amount of stuff. Like insane. Anyways, here's a snapshot of what I'm doing in my new room. It's square with a little bay window area, and my bed fits into this like wall nook. I didn't want to spend the cash to get a real headboard, so I got this $30 decal from Etsy. I love it because it adds a lot of drama and glamour, but it's so cheap and easy to put up. My color scheme is pink, black and white, and I'm painting the walls a light pink but leaving this little nook off-white. I got the chandelier decal at Target a year ago and re-used it (totally still sticks!) and the poster is from Etsy.

And I got my chair from eBay! It was just about $100 with shipping and totally worth it. It goes with my theme and color scheme and it's so much cuter and more comfy than a computer chair or desk chair. I got it to sit at my 'desk'. I say 'desk' because it's really a table I'm going to use to watch movies at and do my makeup at.

I'm painting my room and spray-painting some of my furniture tomorrow so hopefully I've have more pictures for y'all!

Jetsettin'

2011-06-06T17:58:00.000-04:00

So I'm flying back to Boston tomorrow morning (disturbingly early), and as always instead of just deciding what I'm going to wear and take on the plane I have to blog about it. Obviously. So here's what I'd like to wear and take on the plane tomorrow!

7 For All Mankind Gwenevere Jeans, $133 at revolveclothing.com, Victoria's Secret Cut-Out Shoulder Tee, $34.50 at victoriassecret.com: My eternal plane dilemma is that I want to be cute, but I also want to be comfy (who doesn't?). I love these jeans. They're high-waisted and super stretchy, so they're really comfortable and eliminate all incidences of muffin toppage, but they're also a nice, thick denim in a dark wash, so they look very clean and sleek. So you feel like you're wearing pajamas, but you look like a real person. Which is always a win. On top, I love this shoulder cut-out Victoria's Secret tee. It's a little oversized, but not too baggy, and the deep neckline and shoulder cut-outs balance out the relaxed fit nicely. I'd do it in black, so it's a little more formal. The dark jeans and black tee work really well together, and you end up looking polished but you're still comfy.

Frye Taylor Harness Boots, $378 at fryeboots.com, Emi-Jay Summer Hair Ties, $10.99 at emi-jay.com: I'm not one of those people who's okay with looking schlumpy on a plane. You never know who you're gonna see. Totally saw Katie Holmes on a plane a few years ago. Actually she looked pretty blah, but you get my point. I love doing boots on the plane. My feet get really cold, but I don't like wearing Uggs or slipper-shoes in public. Boots are great because they keep your feet warm, but not too warm, and they instantly make you seem more dressed up. These dark brown boots are absolutely gorgeous, and the cowboy twist adds a fun, Western vibe to the outfit. The skinny jeans are perfect, because they'll easily tuck into these skinny boots, and the little heel is so adorable. I have boots like these and that tiny heel is not only really comfy but totally adds some sass to your walk. Which is always helpful when you have to be at the airport at 6AM. Which I have to do tomorrow. So excited. Sometimes my hair gets kind of silly on the plane, or it gets all in my face and I want to take a nap, which is when hair ties come in handy. I hate the skinny little elastic ties that leave lines in your hair, though. That's why these Emi-Jay ties are great. They come in fun colors, they double as bracelets, and they won't leave lines in your hair!

Vanessa Mooney Buddha Amulet Necklace, $40 at shopbop.com, True Blood Season 3, $29.99 at amazon.com: You don't want to do a ton of jewelry on a flight (just for the sake of getting through security), but I do like to do one thing to add a little pizazz to my outfit. This Buddha necklace is fab. It's a good price, the gold works nicely with the black tee, and the big pendant has gorgeous detailing. It adds a lot of visual interest to the overall outfit with minimal effort (and I love me some minimal effort). As for on flight entertainment, I just got True Blood Season 3 and I want to spend the whole flight watching the special features. Mainly the episode commentaries. So funny. Virgin America has outlets on the flight to charge your laptop, so you can watch movies the whole time!

Foley + Corinna City Tote, $485 at shopbop.com, Vitalicious VitaTops Muffins in Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip: When you're flying, you need a bag big enough to hold your laptop, all your snacks, books, magazines, toys, etc, etc. I have the smaller version of this bag, and it is THE BEST. I've had it for about five years, and it wears so well. This version is giant, and can literally fit your laptop + your entire life, and the gorgeous black leather adds a richness to any outfit. Plus it has a lot of handy pockets to store all your goodies, and a handy-dandy shoulder strap. As for snacks, these VitaTops are my new favorite snacks (don't mock me until you try them!). They're muffin tops--literally the tops of muffins--and they come in a ton of great flavors, like fudgy peanut butter chip, corn muffin, pumpkin spice, deep chocolate, etc, etc. But the best part is that they're large and only 100 calories, plus full of fiber so they keep you full for hours. Take 2 of these on the plane with you and you're good for the whole flight, plus you don't end up binging on the in-flight snacks.

Images via revolveclothing.com, shopbop.com, emi-jay.com, vitalicious.com, amazon.com.

SUMMERSUMMERSUMMER

2011-06-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Summersummersummer I love summer. It makes me want to prance around in wedges and sundresses and big sunglasses and just be generally awesome. So I found some happy, summery clothes. Mainly wedges. Supercute wedges.

Surfboard Sweethearts Wedges, $37.99 at modcloth.com, Phillip Simon Aviya Platform Wedge Espadrilles, $77 at shopbop.com: I'm really feeling wedges right now. I like heels, but they feel a little over the top for summer, especially when hemlines are shorter and fabric is thinner, whereas wedges have more of a...wholesome feel. Also practical feel. Plus they're adorable retro, like these red polka dot wedges (they also come in neutral colors!). The price is great, they have a nice 4" heel, and the combo of the jute, polka dots, and little bow is just so, so adorable. I want to wear these with little white sundresses or jeans and a cute cami or a big, full a-line skirt and bounce around drinking sweet tea. HOW ADORABLE ARE THESE PINK WEDGES? The ballet pink and black together are a great mix of feminine and edgy, and the little bow works so well with the long, ribbon straps. I feel like these are more nighttime wedges--they're very sophisticated and chic, and you could totally wear them out with a LBD.

Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent Tiered Cami Maxi Dress, $385 at shopbop.com: I have come to terms with the fact that my booty was not meant for maxi dresses. But that doesn't mean I can't make up outfits for other people that involve maxi dresses. I like this maxi dress because it has a defined waist, which is very important, and the little buttons have a lingerie vibe while the tiers add a Little House on the Prairie twist. I'd style it with a thin brown leather belt, flat gladiator sandals, a statement cuff bracelet, and big sunglasses.

Images via modcloth.com, shopbop.com.

Pimp out Your Shower

2011-06-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

Maybe this is a personal quirk, but when it gets really hot out and I workout (I rode my pony today!) all I want to do is take a really long, really pimped out shower. I'm not a bath person, but on days like this I almost want to take one. As a way for me to live vicariously through all these beauty products, I rounded up some of the stuff I'd love for a spa day-esque shower. This made a lot more sense in my head.

Bumble & Bumble Deeep Masque, $26 at sephora.com, Diptyque Baies Candle, $60 at amazon.com: One of my favorite things to do in long showers is use some sort of deep conditioner or hair mask to freshen up my dried out ends. I've heard really great things about this Bumble & Bumble mask--basically that it's like a miracle for damaged hair or split ends, both of which I have. Personal tip: leave on a hair mask while you shave your legs. That takes anyone at least 5 minutes (unless you are some crazy superhero mutant, in which case I hate you), which is plenty of time to get some moisture back into your hair. This candle may be totally overpriced, but you get to splurge on a spa shower day. And I realize you can't smell a candle in the shower, but...I really like it. So there. It smells like blackcurrants and Bulgarian roses, aka a totally amazing fruity-floral, and the smell lasts forever. You can burn it for an hour or so a day and the smell will stick around all day, so you can get a month or two out of this little guy.

Carol's Daughter Sweet Honey Dip Chocolate Brown Sugah Scrub, $34 at sephora.com, Sephora Apple Pomegranate Dry Oil, $5 at sephora.com: I hate shaving cream. It makes me cut myself so much more than shaving without shaving cream does, which is counter-intuitive. What I do love for shaving are sugar scrubs. They exfoliate dead skin AND moisturize you enough to get a good shave. This one is packed with real brown sugar, which smells amazing, and it also smells like chocolate. I want my shower to smell like chocolate, so this is a winner. It has rave reviews on Sephora, and it's mostly organic, too. You want to maintain that moisture once you get out of the shower, which is why dry oils are great. You spray this one on once you get out of the shower and then rub it in to dry. They give your skin a great sheen, and this one is $5. That's amazing. Plus it smells like apples and pomegranates, which just sounds delicious.

Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter, $20 at sephora.com, Korres Showergel in Japanese Rose, $19.50 at sephora.com: The Body Shop body butters are basically famous for their greatness. You get a lot for the money, and they keep your skin happy all day. But my favorite part of this is the scent. Satsuma smells like a bunch of happy, fresh tangerines and just reminds me of summer and sunshine and happiness. Plus the scent lingers all day, so you can smell like sunshine for hours! Rub this in right out of the shower, so you can seal in all that moisture. Korres makes the best shower gels. Confession: whenever I go to a hotel with Korres products in the bathroom I hoard them like a sociopath because they are AWESOME. They're eco-friendly, and they come in the best scents. Japanese Rose is like Japanese Cherry Blossom at Bath and Body Works, light and fresh and clean with a hint of florals. The Korres formula lathers up really nicely and makes you feel super clean, but it doesn't dry out your skin like a lot of foaming shower gels do. And the pump is really handy for getting everything out of the bottle, too.

Do you guys have any favorite shower products?

Images via sephora.com, amazon.com.

Spotlight on: Elizabeth & James Jewelry

2011-05-31T12:55:00.000-04:00

I tend to dismiss brands like Elizabeth & James that are celebrity designed because usually, well, they aren't great. But I do have to hand it to the Olsen twins for doing so well with Elizabeth & James. The clothes are consistently adorable, but what I really love are the accessories, especially the jewelry. It manages to blend quirky, natural, and glam details perfectly for an overall aesthetic that works with a bunch of different styles and outfits.

Crab Ring with Ruby Eyes, $125 at shopbop.com, Turquoise Howlite Ring, $85 at shopbop.com: How cute is this crab ring?! I'm a Cancer, so I love me anything with a crab on it. It has tiny ruby eyes! It's so sassy. The claws curve around the finger so perfectly, and the offbeat shape really works the simplicity of the overall design. I want to wear this with really girly outfits for a fun contrast. If jewelry isn't really your thing and you just like very simple pieces, this cabochon ring is great. The blue is fun but not too bright, so you can wear it with a lot of different color palettes, and the band has a sweetly organic feel that makes it a little offbeat.

Silver Bypass Ring, $125 at shopbop.com, Wishbone Mesh Earrings, $195 at shopbop.com: These pieces are such great value for the money. This silver ring has silver (obvi), gold, and tiny sapphires, and it's less than $150. I like that the band and the materials used are very classic, but the detail on top is unexpected and almost a little primal feeling. I'd do it with a really girly, lace top and jeans. I love me some chandelier earrings, and these have such a fun twist. They're made up of tiny wishbones, so they're lucky! The hammered, rustic shape plays nicely against the inherent drama of the oversized earrings.

Large Seashell Ring, $175 at shopbop.com, Enamel Coral Earrings, $95 at shopbop.com: The ocean may terrify me (sharks! sharks! stingrays!) but I love ocean motifs in jewelry. A seashell is such a perfect choice for a ring because it's very symmetrical and pretty, but the dots and the distressing give it a bit of a fun edge that makes it a unique, but wearable accent piece. I. Love. Coral. These earrings are SO COOL. The shiny black works really nicely with the organic forms of the coral, and these are just the right size--big enough to be a statement but not so large as to be ridiculous. I'd do these with an updo and a little red dress.

I hope y'all had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Images via shopbop.com.

Review: MAC Harmony Blush

2011-05-26T23:13:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for a good contour product FOREVER. I do have cheekbones, but I also have a roundish face and they tend to get lost in my cheeks, so I am a perfect candidate for contouring. For those of you that don't know, contouring is when you use a product in a shade that's a few shades deeper than your actual skin tone to create shadows on your face, usually under the jaw and cheekbones, along the temples and down the sides of the nose. You want a matte, neutral shade because shimmer draws light to the part of the face you put it on, which makes that part of your face appear to protrude more--hence why using a shimmery product on the top of your cheekbones can make them seem more obvious.

The problem I've had is that I'm really pale, and most contour powders pull orange on me--heck, most foundation pulls orange on me. Which makes me look like a clown. Boo. Pixi2woo, my favorite YouTube beauty blogger, uses MAC's powder blush in Harmony to contour all the time, and since she's pale(ish) like me, I had to try it.

I could not get a good picture of this. It kept coming out darker and pinker than it actually is. This picture is pretty true to life. MAC describes it as a muted rose-beige brown matte blush, which you can get for $19.50 at maccosmetics.com. On me it comes out as a medium, neutral-warm brown, and it's the perfect contouring color. It's extremely pigmented, but also blends easily, so you can layer for the effect you want (and to get it to work on darker skin tones). On my oily skin it lasts all day and I only have to use a tiny bit, so this tin will last me forever.

I apply it with a skunk brush in the 3-shape on my face (under the jaw, around the side of the face to under the cheekbone, and around the temple to the sides of the forehead) and it gives my face a nice amount of structure and depth.

The packaging is standard MAC, decent quality and simple, and the product has no scent or SPF, so I don't think it'll irritate anyone's skin. You could probably use it as a bronzer if you're as pale as me, so it can go double duty.

Overall rating: A+. It works perfectly as a contour without pulling orange on me, it lasts all day and applies easily, and I think it will work for range of skin types and skin tones. It's not cheap, but it will last forever, so it's a good deal.

Outfit of the Day (In My Head)

2011-05-25T23:58:00.000-04:00

It's finally warm in SoCal! Woohoo. I've pretty much been a bum in my house these past few days (made a strawberry-rhubarb crumble today!), but if I had gotten out of the house today I would have worn something like this:

Spotted Around Town Dress, $67.99 at modcloth.com, J. Crew Patent-Tab Skinny Belt, $32.50 at jcrew.com: Yup. Still in the middle of my retro fix. I think what I really like about '50s style sundresses like this one are that they have a lot of personality. You don't need to add a lot to them to get a great, unique outfit because they have inherent sass. The cut of this dress is very flattering, with emphasized waist, fitted bodice, and a-line skirt, and I love the little polka dots. They're a high-impact pattern, but since it's black and white it's still pretty versatile. I'd pair this ultra-girly dress with a down-to-earth, masculine brown leather belt. It adds a little twist and a little visual weight to the look.

Me Too "Princess" Espadrille Slingback, $58.90 at nordstrom.com, J. Crew Jenna's Cardigan, $70 at jcrew.com: With a dress like this one you have to wear a cute little wedge. The naturalness of the jute straw gives the outfit an earthy twist, and the pop of red works really nicely with the monochromatic palette of the dress. The bow-slingback combo is just so sweetly retro, too, and perfect for summer. I'd top it all off with this plum cardigan. It's a close enough shade to the shoes that they don't fight, but it's not so close that the outfit becomes matchy-matchy. The cut of the cardigan is perfect, with the sweet 3/4 sleeves and the cropped body--doing a long cardigan with an a-line skirt can make you look wider and swallow your waist.

Sometime this week I'll have a review of MAC's Harmony blush, which I use for a contour, so stay tuned for that!

Images via modcloth.com, jcrew.com, nordstrom.com.

Bath and Body Works Apricot Vanilla

2011-05-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

I really need to stop shopping. BUT IT'S SO HARD. I'm like a hoarder for pretty things. Gah. Here's some of the stuff I've gotten/wanted recently.

Apricot Vanilla Tasty Lip Gloss, $7 at bathandbodyworks.com, Apricot Vanilla Body Lotion, $5.25 at bathandbodyworks.com: I am not a Bath and Body Works girl. So much of their stuff smells so strong and sweet to me that it gives me a migraine and I just don't bother even going in/near the store. But my mom needed something there the other day, so I was browsing around when I stumbled across their Apricot Vanilla line. The simple, subdued packaging called to me, and the whole line was on sale for half off, so I picked up a lip gloss and a body cream (the lotion is pictured because the cream seems to have sold out online). In the store the lip gloss was $3.50, which is a great deal. It's a thick, somewhat sticky gloss that's sheer but has tons of shimmer. It doesn't add any color to the lips but it adds some sparkle without looking frosty, which I like. It smells and tastes like peaches and cream--so not apricots and vanilla, but it smells pretty darn good. Since it's sticky, it lasts on the lips for a long while--around 3 hours, and best of all it actually moisturizes! The body cream really does smell like vanilla and apricots, with the boozy sweetness of the vanilla and the creamy tang of the apricots. It was like $6 on sale for a large tube of the cream, which is a decent price, and the formula is great. It rubs in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling greasy, but it's thick and creamy and extremely moisturizing. My favorite part is that the scent lingers all day, but really close to the skin. So you can wear perfume on top of it and not overwhelm everyone within in a 10 foot radius. I have basically no loyalty to body lotions, but I would purchase this again for the yummy but inoffensive scent and moisturizing formula.

I'd give those 2 products an A+. The prices were great, they smelled amazing, and they both did what they claimed to do. If you like the sound of Apricot Vanilla, act now because I think it's being discontinued. It was part of a series of vanilla based scents--like cherry vanilla, coconut vanilla, etc--and I think they're being switched out for a series of coconut based scents.

Swingtown Sweetie Dress, $79.99 at modcloth.com: Y'all know I'm a sucker for Southern-style sundresses. It's actually becoming a bit of problem. I've been stalking Modcloth's New section for weeks now, and I'm in love with this little white dress. The black and white color combo is just graphic enough, but the ways that the black is used--in the lace, in a polka dot sash--are so sweet that the color combo still makes a charming statement and isn't too hard or minimalist. The deep v-neckline in the back and front add a little sass, and the tulle underskirt creates a flattering a-line shape and some old school charm. I want to wear this with a pair of red heels while sipping a giant glass of sweet tea.

Images via bathandbodyworks.com, modcloth.com.

Another Sundress and MAC Shy Girl Lipstick

2011-05-23T22:57:00.000-04:00

Someone needs to lock me in my house and keep me from shopping. For serious. I just bought my fifth dress in a week. Gah. It is super cute though.

Forever21 Pleated Floral Dress, $19.90 at forever21.com: It's hard to tell in my terrible pictures, but it's a light mint green with coral flowers. Worn with vintage cardigan and belt and Frye boots. I really like this dress because it's a fun color (and one I don't have in my closet), it's light, cheap, and easy to wear, and the back is smocked, so it will fit a range of sizes. I got a medium because I have a larger chest, but if you have a normal sized chest I think it runs a little big. The colors are a little unconventional, and I think that helps modernize the floral print. Also I would totally collect retro sundresses if I could. But like really. I know I wear these same boots with everything, but I think they balance out the super girly sundress nicely, and the cardigan adds a little coverage.

In other news, I BOUGHT A LIPSTICK! That actually has never happened. Like never. I've wanted a nude-ish lippie for a while now, but lipstick scares me. That might be funny from someone who wears significant amounts of black gel liner everyday, but lipstick...lipstick is intense. It requires so much more patience and thought in selecting shades. But I know it's silly that I avoid lipstick altogether, so I put a toe in the pool by picking up a nude lippie. The SA (sales associate for y'all that don't know the lingo) at MAC recommended Shy Girl to me. The MAC website describes it as a creamy neutral coral beige, and it's a cremesheen finish, which means that it's a creamy lipstick with a glossy finish. It came out a little brighter and lighter in the photos than in real life.

My lips are naturally pretty pigmented and sort of a medium pinkish red, so this is lighter than my natural lip color by just a bit. I really wanted something that would lighten up my lip color without making me look like a zombie, and Shy Girl is perfect for that. On me it comes across as a peachy-pink nude with the TINIEST hint of shimmer, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It lightens my lips just enough to be noticeable, and the hint of peach is really pretty and summery. It goes on very creamy and pigmented in one stroke, and it has a pretty decent lasting power--about 3-4 hours--without lip liner. It has a very slight vanilla scent but no discernible taste, and the packaging is classic MAC, very simple and sleek. All in all, I love this. It's right in my comfort zone, it doesn't dry out my lips or settle into my lip lines, and the color is lovely. For reference I'm NW15 at MAC, so very pale and on the warmer side of neutral.

Awkward Chic rating: A-. I wish it lasted a bit longer and that it wasn't $14.50, but in terms of color and formula I LOVE IT.