Summer Steals: Target Winifred Braided Sandals

A few months ago, a friend of mine was wearing these adorable sandals.  I asked her where she got them, expecting her to say something like Kitson or some little local store in Austin, where she's from (because they look like something a little local brand would make, or the Kitson interpretation of that sort of thing).  But she said Target.  I don't usually look for shoes at Target because they honestly haven't been that great in the past. 

But the other week I was in Target running errands, and I ran into those sandals.  They are so cheap!  Given, they aren't real leather, but at $15, who cares.  They come in coral, blue, and a natural brown, and have braided faux-leather straps that adjust around the ankle.

Target Winifred Braided Flat Sandal, $14.99 at target.com: I picked up the brown version, since I figured I'd get the most wear out of them.  What I love about these sandals is that they look very elegant on (I would demonstrate with a picture, but my feet aren't that pretty).  The straps are pretty minimal, but the braiding adds a lot of visual interest.  It's a refreshing alternative to gladiators, and despite how they look, they are very comfy and they stay on the foot really well.  The sole is pretty thin and has no arch support, but again, it's $15.  That said, the quality of the sandal is pretty good for the price--I've worn them pretty constantly for a month and they are holding up nicely.

Here are the other two colors--I really want to pick up the pink!  And the blue.  Basically all of them.

Long story short: these are a great deal, super comfortable, and look really nice on.  You can wear them with a floaty sundress for an earthy touch, or with a cute colorful skirt and top for a beachy twist.  They're the perfect summer sandal because they're versatile, you can get all the colors, and if you lose or break them, it's not a big deal ($15!).

Images via target.com.

Rory Beca for Forever 21

I think I was the only person in the blogosphere that I forgot that Rory Beca was doing a series of capsule collections with Forever 21.  Because I walked into my Forever 21 a few weeks ago and actually kind of screamed to myself.  Apparently there have been 3 collections so far, with the most recent one coming out a few weeks ago.

Guys, it's so cute.  I wanted to buy all the things in the collection.  ALL OF THEM.  I ended up only buying one, because while I love diaphanous, gauzy maxi dresses and tanks on most people, I cannot pull them all off.  Sob.  But here are some of my favorite pieces from the most recent collection (which you should rush over to Forever 21 and buy immediately).

So these two dresses are both sold out online, but they are so cute.  I really like the subtle fishtail hems going on here--it's an easy way to try out the trend, especially since none of the pieces in this collection cost more than $30.  I really like the sportiness of the purple dress, with the thick horizontal stripes.  The combination of the fitted top and a-line skirt is really cute and flattering.  I bought the green dress (actually much greener in real life), and it was like $25, and it is fantastic.  It's a muted hunter green with blue undertones in a silky (admittedly man-made) fabric with laser-cut patterning along the hem.  The laser-cutting is so lovely.  It looks really delicate and just plain fancy in person.  The drawstring waist gives it some shape, and the straps are adjustable.  I've worn it about 3 times, and gotten at least 5 compliments each time.

Watercolor Skirt, $17.80 at forever21.com, Textured heart skirt, $24.80 at forever21.com: How cute is the pattern on that watercolor skirt?  For $17, that's a pretty versatile piece, and a nicely flattering cut.  But I really want that heart skirt!  I want to do maxi skirts, but the sheer + mini combo is just so much more flattering than a real maxi skirt.  Plus it's a lot fresher feeling, and the heart pattern adds a lot of visual interest.  AND IT'S LESS THAN $25.  I want to buy it and wear it with a fitted pastel tank and a lot of necklaces and some sassy shoes.

Images via: forever21.com, shefinds.com, blogs.babble.com.

SUMMERSUMMERSUMMER

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.

Random Summery Cravings

I always forget that Victoria's Secret has real-person clothes.  They sell themselves so much as just lingerie, but when you go on the website you realize that there are so many adorable clothes you can get there!


Cut-Out Shoulder Tee, $34.50 at victoriassecret.com, Retro Push-Up Triangle Top, $38 at victoriassecret.com: I love shoulder cut-outs.  I love them in dresses and I love them in tops, but I especially love them in tees because basic tees with a twist are basically the best things over.  They're comfy like a tee but they have a little extra oomph that makes you look polished.  Also this top is really similar to this other top that I really wanted, but the VS one is half as expensive.  WIN.  So I need a new bikini, and I've just accepted at this point that being a 32DD means that I need an underwire bikini.  There's really no other logical solution.  I love sweetly retro styles like this one.  It's clean, but it's old-fashioned and glam at the same time.  It also comes in a fun bright pink and a ton of ridiculous leopard prints, so there's something for everyone.

Lace-Trim Playdress, $29.99 at victoriassecret.com, Zip-front Dress, $59.50 at victoriassecret.com: The first sundress I got from VS was a total failure.  But I can't help going back to look at theirs because they're just SO CUTE.  I like the offbeat print on this blue dress (as, $30 is a pretty fab price), and it's actually a wearable length!  I have a dress a lot like this zip-up dress, but...it's just so sweet.  The silhouette is very retro and girly and wearable, but the zipper adds some fun, edgy sass, and the pink is just so summery and bright.

Conclusion: Victoria's Secret has real-person clothes that I want to wear.  So weird.


Images via victoriassecret.com.

Episode 235 of Random Pretty Things

I just finished a 10 page Spanish paper on love triangles in Baroque literature.  >.<  My brain hurts.  I apologize in advance if this post is entirely illegible. Yay for mindlessly pretty things.


A Lovely Life Dress, $67.99 at modcloth.com, Long Island Longing Dress, $137.99 at modcloth.com: I thought that once I bought that perfect Anthropologie vintage-style sundress I bought a few months ago that my undying need to collect sundresses would die out.  It hasn't.  You literally cannot have enough sundresses.  You can dress them in so many different ways and they come in such different patterns that you could actually make a whole wardrobe out of sundresses.  Modcloth is a great resource for vintage-style clothing--here are 2 adorable little sundresses I found.  I like the graphic black and white print on the first dress against the sweetly retro cut.  This is actually my ideal sundress shape.  If it had a bright floral print, I would actually die a little.  Want.  I'm not particularly preppy or into geometric patterns, but this blue and white dress is just so refreshing.  The simple cut works with the busy print really nicely.  I'd pair it with a bright pink belt and some neutral flat sandals, maybe a set of bangles?

Set of 10 Tissue Poms, $28 at etsy.com: I realize that these may be a little overpriced at $2.80 a piece, but they're so CUTE.  You can choose from a bunch of different colors and you get 10 flowers in various sizes with fishing line to hang them on.  I'd hang these in my room from my walls and ceiling.  They're a great, low-damage, low-effort, and cheap way to add some sass to your room, and you can coordinate them with your color scheme!  And I totally just talked myself into buying them.

Vintage Apothecary Jars, $22 at etsy.com: I love, love, love vintage-y glassware, and these apothecary/candy-style jars are so perfect for storing things in. The style is adorably retro and sweet, but the minimalist glass keeps them from being too old-school and dated.  I'd use these a few ways--to store cookies and candies in the kitchen, or to store makeup in the bathroom.  These would be so great for storing tall, skinny things like makeup brushes, eyeliners, mascaras, lip glosses, etc.  I'm so bad at being organized so anything that keeps my stuff all together and is actually cute is a win by me.

Images via modcloth.com, etsy.com.

Pre-Summer Cravings

The weather hit 60 degrees today, so obviously all I can think about today is summer, and all the things I want to wear for summer time.  Which is unfortunate, because there is actually still snow on the ground in Boston.  HOW DOES THIS EVEN WORK WEATHERWISE?  I don't understand. Bleh.  Here are some pretty summery things:


Kim Kardashian, Frye Catrin Trapunto Sandals, on sale fore $123 at zappos.com: I need to be more adventurous with my hair styles.  I have very, very thick, slippery hair that refuses to do much more than go into a ponytail (and a rebellious ponytail at that).  But I have a soft spot for cute little braids, a la LC from the Hills.  I love the bombshell waves Kim is working here, and the skinny braids poking out add such a fun, boho twist on the look that I'm going to have to try this look.  If these shoes came in my size still, I would have ordered them already.  I need more shoes, heels especially, and I love the idea of a casual heel.  The medium brown is so versatile, the platform and thick heel makes these practical, and the thick straps are so boho-sassy.  These with a little white sundress = heaven.

Ray-Ban Oversized Wayfarers, $145 at shopbop.com, MAC Freckletone Lipstick, $14.50 at maccosmetics.com: I promise I will stop blogging oversized Wayfarers.  Eventually.  Maybe.  I just love them so much but can't justify buying them because I 
have two pairs of Ray-Bans already...but I want them.  Cry.  I think oversized sunglasses with a structured shape like these are so flattering and so glamorous.  Plus (my favorite part) they are so great for people watching!  Nobody knows that you're looking at them in these.  I realize that sounds mildly creepy, but you all know what I'm talking about, right?  I've been searching for a good nude lipstick for a while now.  Lipstick in general scares me, because I literally only wear lip balm and the occasional pink lip gloss, but there's something so appealing in warm weather about a nude, natural peachy-pink lip.  Especially with the winged eyeliner that I like to wear--a red lip would be far too retro fab.

 Coconut Iced Coffee, Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder, $28 at sephora.com: Check out that recipe from Coconut Iced Coffee.  It looks SO GOOD.  I love me some iced coffee, and coconut seems like such a fun, tropical twist.  I need a tan like it's nobodies business, but my epic paranoia of skin cancer and fear of spray tanners leaves me with limited options.  I've been craving Benefit's Hoola for a while now (I may actually buy it this time kids!).  It's the perfect matte bronzer, just warm enough and not too orange, and it's ideal for contouring and adding an overall glow.

Images via glamour.com, zappos.com, shopbop.com, smartpoppy.au, sephora.com.

Monday Cravings

Last week = fail.  Midterms = evil, and I totally had intentions of blogging like every night...and then I feel asleep.  Oh, how I have missed sleep.  But I have this week off, so back to normal y'all.  Here's some cute stuff to get everyone through their Monday.


Nanette Lepore Candy Girl Dress, $298 at shopbop.com, Marc by Marc Jacobs Bianca Pave Bow Ring, $68 at shopbop.com, Wildfox Midnight Snack Tee, $77 at shopbop.com: This dress is SO CUTE.  Agh.  The fit is very sex-bomb, screen siren, body con, etc, but the print is so girly, springy, adorably retro.  This dress is great because you can dress it down with some flat sandals and a little leather jacket, and you can dress it up with a cardigan and some platform heels.  I'm not one for cutesy jewelry, but this bow ring strikes the perfect balance between quirky and chic, and I love anything with some sparkle.  I want to wear this shirt to sleep and then get up and eat a midnight snack in it.  Too funny. 

Botkier Maddie Shoulder Bag, $295 at shopbop.com, Wildfox 17th Century Girl Tee, $77 at shopbop.com, Funktional Wild Blossom Dress, $118 at shopbop.com: While I'm always a big fan of oversized totes because I carry wayyy too much stuff around with me, the idea of a little across the body bag is strangely appealing.  Maybe it's the hands-free aspect, maybe it's the cute little studs and the drapey, hobo shape, or the mildly reasonable price tag, but I want this bag.  Oh, Wildfox.  Again, you are so overpriced, but yet so adorable.  I love the Marie Antoinette-esque girl drawn on the front, but the cutest part is on the back.  It says 'I love' in French and then lists things like parties, candy, BFFs, soldiers, romance, castles, etc, etc.  AKA story of my life.  It's hard to see here, but the shoulder detail on that dress is adorable, little loops of fabric sliding off and on the shoulder.  I like the sassiness of the sleeves against the quiet floral print and simple cut of the dress.

All images via shopbop.com.

In Hawaii and Craving Maxi Dresses

So, as y'all know by this point, I'm in Hawaii at the moment.  I'm really not a "frolicking in my swimsuit" sort of person (although I am loving my new Delia's swimsuit, yes, I bought something from Delia's and it was awesome).  I'm a 'let me wear adorable cover-ups on the beach and not get too close to the water because I watched too much Shark Week when I was little" person.


My favorite cover-ups so far: this random T-Bags Pucci-print tunic I got in ninth grade, menswear button-ups, and maxi dresses, specifically maxi dresses.  They're just so fun to swish around the beach in!  So of course, this got me philosophizing about maxi dresses, which led to a massive online shopping hunt, and I just wanted to share a few of my favorites with you guys.


Mara Hoffman Long Open Back Column Dress, $342 at shopbop.com, Topshop Embroidered Mesh Maxi Dress, $135 at topshop.com, Winter Kate Damien Dress, $225 at shopbop.com: The print on that first dress is just so delicious--very modern geometric meets '60s Pucci meets Murano glass meets kaleidoscope.  The upside to a crazy print like that is that it will completely draw attention from any areas on your body that you'd want to camouflage.  All anyone will see is your silhouette and that print, nothing else.  It seems like it would draw attention to a squishy stomach or wide hips, but it's really the ultimate, chic distraction.  The slim, clean lines of the dress are the perfect contrast to the vibrant print (is this a maxi dress?  Shopbop thinks so, I have mixed feelings, but it's pretty so whatever), and the deep-cut back is the perfect, cheeky little surprise.  I love Topshop.  I wish LA had a Topshop SO BADLY.  Ugh.  Whatever.  This dress also has a deep back, with a slightly scandalous v-shape.  I love the sheer maxi dress over that little slip dress.  I wore that combo once and loved it to pieces.  You get all the sex appeal of the slip dress with all the drama and fun, summeryness of the maxi dress.  The pattern on the sheer dress would almost look like tattoos, which just makes it even cooler.  This last dress is the most casual.  Again, the print is fun and distracting, but not over the top.  What I really like is the cut.  It's flowing and voluminous, but the way that it hugs the waist and the hips ensures that all that volume in the skirt won't be overwhelming or unflattering.  Nice going, Nicole Richie (this is her second clothing line).

As for the styling with these, they all have a lot of fabric, and adding too much to all that fabric can make the overall look feel very heavy.  I'd keep the focus on the dress by doing a simple pair of sandals in a neutral tone, and then one piece of jewelry--a pendant necklace, a cuff bracelet, one piece that won't be overwhelmed by the dress but won't fight with it.


Image Sources:
shopbop.com, topshop.com, shopbop.com.

Beauty Beach Essentials

So theoretically, when I'm sitting on the beach in Hawaii, I will have all of these products at my fingertips.  In my theoretical dreamworld where I take baths in money every other day.  But it's a nice thought.


The thing with beach makeup is that you're at the beach, so you don't want to mess with a ton of products.  You want simple neutrals, a little shimmer, a lot of SPF, and some subtle, yummy smellingness.


Pacifica Brazilian Mango Grapefruit Perfume, $22 for 1.2 oz at sephora.com, Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc Bronzer in Golden Mosaic, $38 at sephora.com: Traveling with perfume is a pain.  You risk explosions and heavily scented clothes for the rest of your life if you leave it in your luggage, but you can't take it on the plane unless it's less than 3 ounces.  This perfume is the perfect solution--just big enough for a vacation, and small enough to take on the plane.  The notes are mango, pineapple, and grapefruit, nice and tropical, just a hint of tartness to liven it all up.  As for beach makeup, when I think beach I think bronzey shimmer.  It's an easy look to accomplish, especially with a shimmery block like this Laura Mercier one.  The combination of the shimmery champagne, copper, gold, and bronze creates a multi-dimensional, natural looking tan with just a hint of skin-brightening sparkle.

Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Sunblock SPF 45, $9.99 at drugstore.com, Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF 30, $30 at sephora.com: Sunscreen is a MUST.  Even if you want to get a nice tan, you need sunscreen.  I've read way too many press releases on skin cancer to ever even consider go to the beach without sunscreen.  However, I'm way too lazy to do that white, rub-in sunscreen, which goes on gross and oily.  I'm a huge, huge fan of spray-on sunscreen.  I've used that Neutrogena sunscreen for the last few summers, and it's fab.  You just spray it on, it feels nice and cooling, and it stays on forever without making you look like an oil slick.  For the face, I stay as far away from silicone-pumped sunscreens as possible (hello, breakouts).  This Peter Thomas Roth sunscreen is easy to apply, portable, and actually soaks UP oil instead of making you oily.  It's the perfect thing to wear every day over your foundation! 

Sephora Brand Dry Oil, $8 for 5 oz. at sephora.com, Urban Decay Naked Palette, $44 at sephora.com: Lotion is great, but with all that salt air and sun and wind at the beach, sometimes you need to step it up a bit.  That's where the dry oil comes in.  It's really, really easy to apply, just spray it on without rubbing it in, and it leaves a nice, beachy sheen.  Plus, it comes in yummy scents like coconut, guava, and nectarine.  Last but not least, even on the beach there's no way I'm letting go of the eyeshadow/liner addiction.  No way Jose.  But even I would settle for some soft, lovely neutrals.  I've heard really great things about this UD palette.  It has a mini primer, a dual-ended liner with Zero (black) and Whiskey (brown), and 12 pigmented, easy to wear shades.  Take this and a shadow brush, and you're set.  You have all the necessary shades to do a bronzey look, a neutral eye, a smokey eye, pretty much anything.

Image Sources:
Pacifica edp: sephora.com, Laura Mercier bronzer: sephora.com, Neutrogena SPF: drugstore.com, Peter Thomas Roth SPF: sephora.com, Sephora oil: sephora.com, UD palette: sephora.com.

Take a Trip to the Tropics

Some of y'all may know that I'm taking a little trip to Hawaii.  In fact, when this post goes live, I'll be on the Big Island, hopefully getting tan, probably the color of a lobster, but I can dream.  Anyways, while I'm gone, which is really until September 7th because I'm going straight from Hawaii to moving into school, there will be about one post a day.  Sorry y'all.


But since you guys can't come to Hawaii with me, I thought I'd post on this fab shower gel that my mom got me because of said vacation.  It's Boots Hawaiian Islands Pomegranate & Avocado Shower Gel, and it's $6.99 at target.com.  You get 6.7 ounces, which is about $1, which is decent.

Here's the snippet from the back of the tube: "Dive into paradise with this tropical blend of ingredients inspired by the Hawaiian islands: Anti-oxidant pomegranate extract and moisturizing organice avocado oil."  It smells exactly like POM juice.  Omnomnom.  No avocado to be found, but it is moisturizing, it lathers nicely, and you don't need to use much at all.  The scent lingers a decent amount of time after your shower, and Boots makes scrubs, lotions, and body butters in the same scent, so you can coordinate all your POM-smelling loveliness.


Awkward Chic rating:  A-.  It's a pleasant little tropical vacation in a bottle, and a definite pick-me-up in the middle of a long, boring week.

Shopping for Your Body Type: Maxi Dresses

Maxi dresses are having another moment in fashion--not only are they on-trend for this summer and fall, but they're the perfect pieces to wear to the beach as a cover-up.  They're basically the perfect, easy insta-outfit, because they're really the only piece you need to wear.  The drama of that long, full skirt pretty much negates the need for a lot of accessories.  The only problem with maxi dresses is that they can be very unflattering if they're the wrong silhouette for your body type.  I rounded up a few maxi dresses that would work for different body shapes.  If I went into every body type that existed, we'd be here all day, so I just picked a few standard ones: pear-shaped, boyish, very skinny, hourglass, petite, and apple-shaped.

T-Bags V-neck Long Dress, $194 at shopbop.com, Young, Fabolous & Broke Hannah Long Dress, $273 at shopbop.com: This first dress is perfect for a pear-shaped, or bottom-heavy body, where the hips are somewhat wider than the shoulders. In order to make your hips look smaller, you want to make your shoulders and chest look a little broader--that's where the optical illusions come in.  A skirt like this, that flows over the hips without hugging them, will highlight your hips without emphasizing them, the patterned waist-tie will draw the eye to your waist and make it look teensy, and the slightly loose top and wide neckline will make your shoulders look wider, balancing out the width of your hips.  That gorgeous aqua hue is just a lovely bonus.  This slim-lined, grey maxi dress would be really nice for boyish, or straight figures.  You don't want to go all out with a really full skirt, because it will completely overwhelm your torso.  You want to go with a dress that clings to the upper body, emphasizing whatever curves you have, and then flares into a gentle a-line skirt.  This will make you hips look wider and curvier, and the high(ish) neckline will make your chest a little bigger.  If you have a straight torso and a larger chest, you want to show a little skin at the neckline, or it will just make you look bustier.  This grey maxi dress has a detachable bib necklace that's really fun and will immediately draw the eye to your waist.

DVF Ganza Printed Jersey Dress, $345 at net-a-porter.com, Rachel Pally Two Tone Halter Dress, $233 at shopbop.com: This DVF dress would be great on a thin, waifish figure.  If you're very thin, and don't want to look even thinner (it's a concern for some people, I swear, I mean hello, Rachel Zoe) a cut like this is perfect.  It would overwhelm your frame, but the gently flaring skirt and looser top with add a subtle amount of volume to your frame.  While it's loose, it's not shapeless or boxy, and the cheeky print balances out the simple cut nicely.  On the flip side, if you have an hourglass figure, this Rachel Pally dress would be fab.  I feel like with an hourglass silhouette (at least from personal experience) you want to highlight your curves, but you don't want to emphasize them to the degree where you look like a cartoon character.  This dress works because the black serves to make you look nice and sleek and the white at the waist points out that you have a little waist.  The way that the skirt hugs the top of the hips and flares out highlights the curve of the hip, but plays it down a little by making the skirt the widest part of the silhouette.  The amount of skin bared on top will actually make a larger chest look smaller.  Have you ever seen a girl with a large chest in a crewneck?  It just makes you look bulky, whereas showing skin can elongate your neck and make you look slimmer.

Forever 21 Jersey Maxi Dress, $22.80 at forever21.com, Roxanne Grace Martine Long Dress, $246 at shopbop.com: Maxi dresses are hardest to wear if you're very petite, just because all that volume can make you look shorter.  However, it's not impossible.  What you want to look for is a maxi dress with a slightly narrower skirt--more of a column than an a-line, and an uninterrupted line from top to bottom.  A slim, empire-waist dress like this is ideal, because it creates a solid, lean, long silhouette.  A v-neck neckline like this is also great because it makes your neck look nice and long, adding to the illusion of height.  Finally, if you have an apple-shaped body--widest in the middle and narrower at the top and bottom, a dress like this last dress is great for you.  Here you want to work with an interesting print, which always works nicely to camoflauge any trouble areas.  While a voluminous skirt sounds like a good idea, it's actually just adding volume on top of extra volume.  You want a soft a-line that pulls away from the hip, but doesn't make you look bottom heavy.  I would add a belt to this dress to make you waist look slimmer, but the great bit about this dress is that the focal point is at a thinner area right below the hips, making you look smaller overall.

Images from: shopbop.com, shopbop.com, net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com, forever21.com, shopbop.com.

Do Want

Hello and welcome back to another episode of things Megan wants today.  She may even buy one of them--oh, the insanity!


Mason by Michelle Mason Open Shoulder Dress, $320 at shopbop.com, DVF Garbo Day Bag, $625 at shopbop.com: I've had this dress bookmarked for almost a week now.  That's love.  I think my favorite part about it is the sleeve construction.  That sort of sleeve is perfect, because it shows skin and highlights your shoulders in a really flattering way BUT it totally hides any tricep naughtiness that may be going on, instantly making your arms look fabulous and Michelle Obama-like.  Add that to the loose, but not oversized cut and the sexy cutouts in the back, and you have the makings of a totally flattering, casually hot LBD.  All it needs is a little waist-cinching belt, maybe one with a bit of sparkle, and you're good to go.  In all honesty, I never thought I'd fall for a zebra/wood-grain print bag.  I'm all about basics!  Not $600 animal print accessories (actually that's a total lie).  But this bag is just so charming.  I love how the neutral color palette balances out the fact that it is in fact zebra print, and how the beading at the edges adds just a hint of rock and roll glam, and how the classic, boxy satchel shape counteracts all of that to make it a really practical, wearable piece.  If you're looking for a fun bag that you can really wear all the time, this is your guy/purse/thing.  Oh, words.  How you fail me sometimes.

BCBG Print One Shoulder Dress, $348 at shopbop.com, Delia's Triangle Halter One-Piece, $29.50 at delias.com: The cut of this BCBG dress really reminds me of the Resort 2010 Lanvin dresses, with the drapey silhouettes and one-shoulder sleeves.  Obviously, this version is significantly more affordable, and it comes in a fun, festive print with little ruffles!  So cute.  The really great thing about this sort of cut is that it manages to accentuate your curves without hugging them too tightly, and basically makes your body look fab.  Now, as for the thing I actually ended up buying, yes, it's from Delias.  I feel like a 13 year old right now.  The thing is, I'm going to Hawaii with my mom in a few weeks, and I literally own 0 complete swimsuits.  I have half of one and half of another, and no, sadly, they really don't go together.  I really never go to the beach or even go swimming, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on a swimsuit, but I don't want an ugly one, and I really wanted a one piece.  I like this version because it comes in black (black and navy are my go to beach colors, yes, I am that boring), in long and regular torso sizes, and it has ties at the hips!  The problem for me with one pieces is that they are made for people with normal hips, not wide Megan hips, and even if I lost 30 pounds, they would still cut into my thighs.  This suit is at least mildly adjustable for minimal thigh-mutilating, and is the perfect canvas for all the ridiculous beach accessories I plan to throw on top of it.  Win-win!

Image Sources:
Mason dress: shopbop.com, DVF bag: shopbop.com, BCBG dress: shopbop.com, Delia's swimsuit: delias.com.

The Tom Cruise/Sunglasses Paradox

Confession: I'm an English history nerd.  I've been all up in the Tudors, I've watched all the Anne Boleyn movies and read all the books (highly, highly recommend Wolf Hall), and all that jazz.  So when Rescue Beauty Lounge put out a collection inspired by some of Henry VIII's wives, I was all over it.  


There are great swatches over at All Lacquered Up, and my absolute favorite is Anne (duh).  It's a grey olive green with gold and pink shimmer.  Pink!  It adds such an interesting dimension to the green base.  It's a little off, but in all the right ways, very spunky and almost ferocious, just like Anne.  You can get it for $18 at rescuebeauty.com, when it goes on pre-sale soon (the dates were uncertain).  I know $18 is a LOT, but it's such an interesting, off-beat color, and RBL polishes are nasty chemical free.

In totally unrelated news, I got a pair of Ray Ban aviators!  And since I had to buy them myself, I got them off eBay (shocker).  I found them for about $95, and they go for about $139 on Shopbop.  $45 is like three MAC shadows, so woohoo!  Haha.  The only thing that I'd say to watch out for on eBay is that, as always, if it looks way too good to be true, it probably is.  I saw a ton of these sunglasses with buy it now prices of $30.  That's even less than their wholesale price.  It makes no sense.  I sincerely doubt that they are real.  I bought a pair of Wayfarers on eBay for a great price three or four years ago, and while I do think they're real, I think they're factory rejects.  One of the arms is wonky/on the verge of falling off literally all the time.  Gah.  This pair, however, is real and in perfect shape.  And now, for the sake of the blog, I present the terribly awkward picture of me trying to make a serious face while taking a picture of myself in the mirror at midnight.  If you can't tell, I'm struggling.

Yeah, I look like a fool, but I really like them.  I'm very used to over-sized sunnies, and was THIS close to getting the oversized Wayfarers, but they just look silly on my face.  My thing is that if I'm going to spend a lot of money on a pair of sunnies, they need to be a good pair of sunnies that actually looks good on my face.  And just look at how long my hair is!  Success.
Also, I just realized that all my nice pairs of sunglasses have become famous through Tom Cruise wearing them in '80s/90s films.  See Risky Business and Top Gun.

 Maybe Scientology is the next step. Ooooh.  Maybe not.

Image Sources:
RBL polish: alllacqueredup.com, Tom Cruise: dialogosuniversitarios.com, dappered.com.