What I Wore To Church - Mustard Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt

 

Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Mustard
Top: LOFT Peter Pan Collar Top (no longer available)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shoes: Dynamic Debut Heel in Navy

I think this is one of my favorite outfits ever. Not necessarily because I love the outfit as a whole (although I do), but because I'm kinda obsessed with all the pieces.

I have this skirt in Stem Green but have been stalking the mustard since I knew it existed (I swear it's been sold out FOREVER). I've been on the hunt for a good mustard skirt for fall; since I knew how much I loved the Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt (good length, material, shape, fit, and POCKETS!), it just made sense to get it in mustard. I may have also bought it in orange. Whoops! Mustard is just such a great fall statement color, and it looks great on red heads (and anyone for that matter).

You should already be aware of my love for Charter School cardigans so I'll move on to the shoes. T-straps are definitely in right now (and through the fall) and these are so adorable! The cut-outs are such a great detail, and the thick heel makes them easy to walk in despite the 4" height. I had to stalk them as well since ModCloth was sold out for quite some time.  I even tried to find them from other retailers since I knew they were Qupid brand, but seriously, no one had them. Now that I know for sure how well they fit, I desperately want them in burgundy. I think that's going to have to be my next ModCloth purchase.

I bought the shirt from LOFT a couple months ago but have not been able to find the right outfit to wear it with. Once I got the skirt, it all came together. It was my first peter pan collar shirt, and I love the retro vibe it brings. Plus polka dots. Need I say more?

If you've never shopped with ModCloth before, clearly it's worth a look. If you use my referral link, you get $15 off $50 or more (and I get $15 too). I'd like to give a shout out to their waitlist option which is awesome. If you download their app, you'll get the notification when things come back in stock (or go on sale) right to your phone. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been able to snag the skirt or the shoes! It's a life saver.

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - August 2014

Guess who got both her ipsy and BIRCHBOX reviews done this month? This girl! We'll get right to it.

Starting with the good:



The makeup bag this month is super cute. I'm a sucker for polka dots and I love that this is shaped more like a pencil bag than their usually makeup bags. I will likely actually use this one to keep my makeup organized (or at least my plethora of eyeliners).

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (sample size)

I received a sample of this about a month ago directly from Urban Decay and loved it, so I was happy to get another one. My 3 rules for mascara are that it volumizes my lashes, stays on all day without flaking, and then comes off with minimal effort. The first 2 were definitely met. My eyelashes looked super full and it lasted all day. It wasn't the easiest to get off, but it didn't take a ton of scrubbing so I'd say that rule was met too. I can definitely recommend this one.

Jersey Shore Mongongo Organic Anti-Aging Lip Balm (full size)

I'm very particular about my lip balm so I was pleasantly surprised with this. It immediately relieved my dry lips and kept them moisturized for hours. I have issues with most lip balm making my lips feel dryer after an hour or so. That was not the case here. This stuff lasted.


Paula's Choice Clear Ultra-light Daily Mattifying Fluid SPF 30+ (sample size)

I couldn't decide if I really loved this stuff, but in the end, I couldn't think of anything bad about it except that I didn't like the way it smelled. It was a lot thinner than my usual moisturizer too, but I couldn't deny it was effective. It moisturized, mattified, and offered sun protection. It squeaked by into the good category.

There wasn't anything in the bad category in this month's bag so we'll move onto the meh:


Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil (sample size)

There was nothing stand-out amazing about this eyeliner, and there was transference to my upper lid, so it wasn't great. However it wasn't as bad as the Noir eyeliner from my BIRCHBOX. Also, after reading the website, it looks like it's one of the only eyeliners tested and approved safe for inner eyeline use. I guess I will have to try it in that capacity although the thought of getting that close to my eye with it scares me.


Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo (sample size)

OK. So I know I went into a long explanation on my BIRCHBOX review about how I try to make sure I try all the products, but I didn't try this one. Why? Because I don't need blush. I have naturally rosy cheeks, and I don't feel the need to do any contouring. So this sample was a waste on me, but since there wasn't anything wrong with it, it goes in the meh category.

This month they finally updated their rewards point bonus items so I picked up 2 extra items using points:


Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow in Ambrosia (full size)

This freebie is worth $18 so I was super happy about that. I also love cream eyeshadow. I think it's because it blends easier making it easier to apply. At least this novice thinks so. This was a good color too; pretty neutral so it gives just enough oomph to my eyes (please tell me I used that semi-colon correctly).


Sugar Line n' Shine Eyeliner Pencil and Bonus Sharpener (full size)

I found this eyeliner to be longer lasting than the sample one I received, and the bonus (to the bonus) sharpener was a great add in. You can never have too many of those.

Overall it was a good month. Any month where there is no bad is fine by me, and with the add ons, this bag was worth at keast triple what I paid for it.

If you're interested in joining ipsy, use my link here!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - Once Upon a Maritime Skirt 2 Ways

Outfit 1 (Top)                                                                

Skirt: ModCloth Once Upon a Maritime Skirt
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shirt: Zulily
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Marva

Outfit 2 (Bottom)

Skirt: ModCloth Once Upon a Maritime Skirt
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shirt: LOFT Linen Shirred Tee in Coral
Shoes: Zulily

I'm going to give you a small peek at the process of me picking out my outfits. The only thing I knew for sure when I woke up this morning was that I wanted to wear this skirt. I got it from ModCloth's last sale for an absolute steal, but hadn't had the chance to wear it yet, despite the fact that it was adorable. If you're not aware of it by now, I have a slight obsession with the nautical trend.

The first idea that I had was that I was going to play with mixing prints. I tried it with the striped shirt which wasn't bad, but I thought it was a bit overly busy. So I threw on the cardigan to tone it down. It looked ok, but I thought the outfit needed some color. I added the necklace and shoes and felt content with it. I went downstairs and took a few pictures. After looking at the pictures, I decided the red accents had become the stars of the outfit and that's not what I was going for. Also, I was having trouble getting the stripes to stay straight, so I went back for round 2.

I decided to ditch the idea of mixing patterns and use the shirt as the color pop for the outfit. Then I adjusted the accessories accordingly. I thought that in this outfit the skirt was featured better, and it was definitely more "safe". This is the outfit I ended up wearing to church, because it was safe, and because I didn't have enough time to change again.

So you tell me. Which one do you prefer? Should I have gone with the more fun, mixed print outfit, or the safe, more traditional styling?



P.S. Yay for new short hair! I cut off 12in and plan to donate it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.

BIRCHBOX Review - August 2014

OK. So I missed July's review. My bad. With the transition going on, I just didn't have time to try all the products, and I hate not being able to give an honest review. I've mentioned it before, but I much prefer to do a "how did I like all the products" review instead of an "unboxing" review where I just tell you what I received. Plus, I feel like I'm getting my money's worth when I actual try the samples, since that's kinda the point of getting them. Now I'm just rambling. Moving on to August.
The first thing I can say about this box is that is was ADORABLE. So many cute touches. It started before I even opened the box. They added adjectives before everyone's names on the shipping label. Mine was addressed to "Elegant Elizabeth". The next cute touch was the sleeve that the smaller products came in said "Tee-Hee". I don't know why but I thought it was adorable. Also, the description card was fun.

Now onto the reviews of the actual products. In the good category we have:
Vasanti Detox Nutrient-Rich Facial Cleanser (sample size)
My face felt really clean after using it without being too dried out. Definitely no tight skin as can happen with harsher cleansers. I approve of all but the price. $24 for a bottle of cleanser is a bit much.
Dr. Jart+ Pore Medic Pore Minish Primer (sample size)
I fell in love with the Dr. Jart+ CC cream when I got that sample months ago, so I knew I liked the brand (plus it's a Korean company and I'm kinda partial). This stuff was pretty good too. It didn't feel oily or overly thick and I saw a difference in my pores. It smelled nice too. Not scented, just not too medicinal smelling.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (sample size)
The surprise success award of the box goes to this sample. I usually hate dry shampoo. I don't feel like it works. My hair usually feels even more greasy after using it, but of course, I felt the need to try it anyway. I didn't wash my hair for 2 days (you know I like doing things FOR SCIENCE!), and this morning I sprayed the roots with this, then ran my fingers through my hair a couple times to work it in. Not only did it smell amazing, but my hair immediately felt less greasy and that's saying something. I'm a wash my hair every day kinda gal because I have really oily hair so this was super impressive. Granted I wasn't going to wear my hair down because it had all kinds of unsightly creases from being in a bun all day yesterday, but at least it didn't look gross.
You be the judge. Does that look greasy to you? It doesn't feel greasy at all. This definitely gets an A+ in my book.
Next we go to the bad category:

Noir Long-Wear Eyeliner (full size)
Normally I love getting eyeliner samples (although I've amassed quite the collection) and I was happy to get a full size one this time. Too bad it was not good. First, it went on more of a charcoal color than a true black, but it went on smooth and being the optimist I am, I just thought I'd use it when I didn't want something as dramatic. Well, I put it on 5 hours ago, and this is what it looks like now.
Not only was there transference to my upper lid which I hate, but it's almost completely gone. "Long-Wear Eyeliner" my patootie. If it can't even last 5 hours, it's not long wear. P.S. It's super hard to take pictures of my own eye. I don't know how my make up artist friends do it all the time.
Lastly we have the meh category:

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Cream (sample size)
It smelled very perfumey. I mean, that makes perfect sense since it's the lotion version of the Ageless perfume, but I prefer my lotion to be lightly scented (and usually fruity). Good news is, the smell didn't overwhelm all day. It was strong going on but within 30 min, I could hardly smell it anymore. The lotion itself was adequate.
Overall, it was a good box. I liked most of the products, and thought the theme was cute. I can't wait to see what next month brings.
If you're interested in signing up for BIRCHBOX, use my link here!
Happy Shopping!

What I Wore to Church - Customized Ikat Dress

Dress: eShakti Smocked Elastic Waist Maxi Dress (customized)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Navy
Shoes: Bucco Wedges from Zulily

New background! That's because there has been a lot of change in my life in the last two weeks. I'm sorry I missed last week's outfit post. I was in a car driving halfway across the country. We have relocated! I got out of the Air Force, and Kyle got a job in Midland, Texas which is only about 2 hours from my mom in San Angelo. While we're in transition and looking for a house, the baby and I are living with mom. It's already been rough only seeing Kyle on the weekends, but it'll be best in the long run. I'm not sure if this background will be the permanent one. I'm still figuring out where the best lighting is, but it works for now. I miss my brick wall background.

Another challenge this has presented is that I'm not going to see my stuff for the next 3-6 months, so the clothes I brought with me are what I have. I tried to be selective, but near the end, I just tossed a bunch of clothes I wear often in my suitcase and called it a day. I'm sure I can make it work.

This particular dress I purchased before I left, and had it mailed to my mom's house since I knew I was headed that way. This was the first time I customized more than just the sleeves on a dress. It was originally a maxi, but I thought the pattern was a bit too busy for me to pull off as a maxi. I changed the length to knee length and added sleeves. Below is a picture of the dress as it appears on the site, and the post-customization dress.

I really like the way it turned out.

I paired it with the navy Charter School Cardigan to tone down the print a bit on top. I was tempted to wear my mustard cardi to bring out the yellow in the dress, but if my purpose is to tone down, a mustard cardi does quite the opposite. I also realized after looking at the pictures, I could've added a belt, but it worked fine without it. Maybe next time I'll do the mustard cardi and the belt, and turn it into an entirely different look.

Just a note, today is the last day for eShakti's big site wide sale. It's definitely worth a look.

Happy Shopping!