Chunky Layers & Chunky Shoes (+ Giveaway!!)

Awww no, not another PHOTOSHOOT. Siiigh. :P


pay no attention to that weird green tarp in the corner...


Actually, this was pretty good day.

My favorite photo-taking days are ones where there is absolutely no pressure to get things done. Saturdays are always our "shoot days," and somehow just knowing this makes things stressful. Like we can't just enjoy our weekend... there's "work" to do. And the photos can never just be a spontaneous fun, thing- it's always planned.

Either way, these were taken on a day Matt worked from home last week. So no pressure :) We just stepped outside for a bite of lunch and some photos... fun and done.


Also, I'm SOOOO psyched to finally bust out this pair of Timbs!!!




To put it mildly, these shoes make me feel really, really, really cool. In my everyday outfits, I'm always angling for a casual-chic vibe. I luurve the Timberlands, because they're trendy and stylish, and embody that effortless casual-cool thing I'm forever seeking.

Plus I'm in love with this AMAZING cardigan from Sammydress. I've been longing for just the right grandpa sweater all winter long, and I think I've met my match. Sometimes I don't love long sweaters on me, because I feel like I need to play up my curvy shape. But I do like a sweater that I can sort of hide in... play with proportions a little. They have the same one in blue, which I now want terribly!





xoxoxo

Pretties

I've been getting a little bit back into Pinterest recently. Doing some lurking and digging around...

One of the main reasons I used to like it so much was that they had html codes associated with every pin. It was really easy to find an images that you found pretty or inspiring, and copy the code straight to your blog. I'm not sure what happened, but at some point they changed it, so you can no longer post an html code anymore. Not only that, but dozens of posts that I've made in the past just have broken pictures. Grr, so annoying... I vow to go back and fix this someday.

I still want to post pretty pictures, even though it's inconvenient now. I saved all these to my computer and uploaded them straight to blogger (does anyone know a more convenient way??) So... here are some images that I've liked lately.

(Click the pictures to visit the original sources!)

Best Makeup Products ~ Cheeks and Lips

So here we are.. Part Two of the two-part series detailing my favorite makeup products as of late. (Here's Part One!) Let's go!




CHEEKS
Yeah… I have a mild blush addiction ☺ I have over twenty blush products, which I’ve actually thinned down a LOT over the years (dumping a lot of those drugstore products along the way.) But I have #noshame cause guess what?! Powder never goes bad!! They’ll stay good practically forever.

Lately, I’ve been loving loving LOVING Nars multiples. When I was doing research about them, the general internet consensus is that people don't like them as much as the powder blushes. However, I am here to rep hard for them, and tell you that they look great, they last long, AND they show up well on camera! Multiples 4lyf!!

My decision to look past the negative reviews and take the plunge came when I saw this photo shoot. We had stopped in Sephora, and I tested out the product right before we took these photos. For some reason, it always seems like no matter how much blush I pile on, it never shows up in pictures. Well... this one did and looked GOOD. So even though it’s $40, it was a must-have for me. I (somewhat) got around the steep price tag when I snagged the color Malibu during Nars' Black Friday sale. Loved it so much, that I picked up a mini version of Orgasm on eBay.

I usually dust another blush on top as well. I have many, but current faves are NARS desire, NYX mocha, and Milani Luminous (this one is discontinued.)





LIPS
I could go on and on, waxing poetic about my love for lip products, but I’ll keep this relatively short and sweet.

My favorite, FAVORITE holy grail product right now is Laura Mercier lip pencil in Potpourri. Sometimes, I don’t even wear a lipstick or anything over it. I just put this pencil on with some chapstick and call it a day! Seriously it glides on like butter, and is one of the most flattering shades I have ever come across. And I don’t even like pink lips! It’s just the best.

My other go-to products are MAC Cedar liner, MAC Twig lipstick, MAC Russian Red (a staple for ANY lady), and Lipstick Queen Saint Natural, and Sinner Rose. All mentioned have made numerous appearances here on the blog.


***


Hope you found all this info useful, if you have been sitting on the fence about any products I mentioned. Either way have a great day (+ thank you for the comments and love on the last post. Will be responding later. xx)

Coffee Talk ~ Self Image and Blogging

Some days, you got it and you know it.




Here are a few of my "I got it" days in the past few months.

The world is great. Feeling good. Feeling fine. Lookin' fine. Happy and secure. Loving life, and it shows... even if you're not smiling. It might go without saying, but these are the best days to take any type of photos of yourself.


But sometimes, the photo-taking days do not perfectly align with the feeling-great days. There are in fact, entire weeks where I completely forget how to say "I got it" to myself, and it sucks.

Frequent complaints: It's the winter. It's too cold. I've been eating too much. My eyes feel puffy, because I have insomnia... staying up all night long doing nothing in particular of value. I'm bothered by the lines on my face. I've got a fresh zit on my cheek. But worst of all... I just can't stop the negative thought stream!!

The last one is my downfall. Because we all know that all that other stuff can suck a big one, when compared to the sexiest thing in the world: CONFIDENCE. When you are constantly repeating negative mantras in your head, you are not going to sound good (hence, all the complaining...) feel good, OR look good. And the worst part is knowing you are stuck, but not knowing how to break the repetition of negative thought.


Big admission of guilt: I feel pressure to look super young, and pretty, and skinny in all of the photos that I post here. Not only because that's what women are "supposed" to do and be in our culture, but also in order to "keep up with the Joneses", if you will. To be like the other girls and women I admire who bravely post their photos online for the world to see and critique, and who look AWESOME doing it.

Maybe I'm shallow.

Maybe I'm a hypocrite for continuing to blog my outfits, even if I don't always feel "authentic" in doing so. I've never denied that. It is fun. It is a part of my life. I just needed to get this off my chest. I don't always feel perfect. I'm often insecure. Sometimes I have puffy eyes. Sometimes I have a broken heart. But I smile anyway. Smile, smile away... It's not always right. But it's what I do.


So now you know.

How to do Crushed Velvet

I wore this little getup to my show at Rockwood on Saturday (awesome time!!) Simple, yet effective. I was going for a rocker-grunge-chick thing, with the crushed velvet and all. However, the hat is coming off very late-80's Debbie Gibson to me. Either way, I love the look. Isn't it awesome the way the light bounces off the fabric?

The coolest thing about these photos is the shadow that the tree cast on the building as we were taking them. Do you see the shadow?