Burt's Bees and J. Crew

Going through my closet and packing, I've realized that I'm big on the voluminous top, fitted bottoms silhouette. I know I should already know stuff like that about myself, but I'm not very observant at all. For reals. I like it because I have decently thin legs and relatively curvy hips, so it's a comfy but flattering look. The only trick with it is that the bottoms need to be very clean and very fitted for this to work. I have the jeans portion down, but sometimes you need to show a bit of leg (especially when you have that end of summer tan!), and that calls for a chic, fitted short. Which isn't something you can pick up at Forever21. I'm trying to save my cash, so I've resisted selling out for a good pair of shorts for literally months. But...I finally caved. Shocker, I know. I wanted a nice, neutral color that wasn't navy, grey, or black, because so many of my tops are those colors that similarly colored shorts wouldn't work.

J. Crew 3" Chino Shorts, on sale for $29.50 at jcrew.com, American Apparel Tri-blend Light Weight Raglan Pullover, $36 at americanapparelstore.com, J. Crew Tissue Boyfriend V-neck Tee, $9.99 at jcrew.com: So I went with these J. Crew shorts in khaki. I used to passionately hate khaki (bad school uniform memories), but I realized that it looks good with white, navy, black, grey, and basically anything. I got the 3-inch inseam because it's short enough to balance out a slouchy tee, but not too short. I mean, $30 is pretty good for a pair of J. Crew shorts, and they're just so classic and chic and clean and adorable. If you can't tell, I'm in a happy place. The only thing is that they definitely run at least a size small. I want to wear them with my new grey American Apparel raglan, because it hits at the perfect place on the hip to go with a tailored short, and with my J. Crew boyfriend tee, for the perfect slightly menswear-inspired weekend look.


Valentino Studded Cage Sandals, $795 at neimanmarcus.com, Christian Louboutin Lolo Ballerina Pumps, $795 at neimanmarcus.com: And I just want both these shoes. Because they pretty. The Valentinos are the cheaper version of an Alaia pair that I can't find online, but they're still freaking awesome. I generally hate red, but somehow here with the shiny black studs and the big platforms the red is working for me. Don't get me wrong, these aren't staple, investment shoes. But they are HOT, and they would kill with a little grey dress (black and red is just too aggressive for me). I'm not sure if the ballerina toe on these heels would actually work in real life, but in my head it's amazing. You've got the sweetness of a ballet flat balanced by the sexiness of a platform and a stiletto heel--the perfect contrast.


Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon, $4.99 at drugstore.com: As part of my saving money kick, I'm trying to get away from the MAC Tendertones as my signature lip balms and towards a cheaper, but still awesome lip balm. I was wandering around Target and happened upon a rack of these, so I just grabbed Watermelon, a medium pink, and headed to the cash register. It's less than $5, how could it go that wrong?


Overall, I really like it. The minty scent and menthol feel aren't my favorite, but I can deal with them. The texture is very buttery and smooth, a mix between a lipstick and a Tendertone-esque lip balm. I like that it's a little firmer, because I feel like it stays on my lips longer and doesn't melt away. It's decently moisturizing, maybe a little less than my Tendertones but it's still doable. The thing I'm most intrigued by is the color. Watermelon has nothing to do with watermelons. It's a medium, slightly frosty, blue-based pink with a lot of shimmer. It gives my lips a hint of sheen and that baby-doll, pale pink hue that I love. The thin tube is easy to work with (and easier to lose), and the twist-up format seems to work pretty well. I'd give it a 7.5/10, which is pretty good for something that cost a third of the cost of my old Tendertones. I'm interested in trying other, possibly more natural looking shades, and at this price point, I can actually do it.

Image Sources:
J. Crew shorts: jcrew.com, American Apparel Pullover: americanapparelstore.com, J. Crew tee: jcrew.com, Valentino Pumps: neimanmarcus.com, Christian Louboutin Pumps: neimanmarcus.com, Burt's Bees Lip Balm: drugstore.com