Tell Me About - ModCloth's Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt

Happy Tuesday! For today's edition of Tell Me About...Tuesday, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about my favorite ModCloth skirt: The Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt. It comes in a wide variety of fall colors, and one floral print (although be warned, the floral print is not the same material, doesn't have pockets, and runs smaller). 

I'm a firm believer in the saying "If it fits, buy it in every color!", I bought the stem green first while I was pregnant because I figured it was a good, versatile color and the elastic back waist made it ideal for maternity wear. I absolutely fell in love with it. I knew I had to have it in other colors so I added the orange, and mustard to my collection. Don't ask me to pick a favorite because I couldn't. 

The skirt isn't lined, but it is made of a heavier polyester material, so it's not an issue. As I mentioned, it has an elastic back waist which is one of the reasons I think it's the perfect skirt: it's very forgiving. It comes with a belt, although I usually switch it out for a belt of my own. The best part? POCKETS! It comes in size XS to 4X so whether you are plus sized, a skinny mini, or somewhere in between, you should be able to find one that works for you.

The only downside? The price. It is $49.99 and rarely goes on sale, but sometimes you can get lucky. If you put it on your wishlist and you download the app, you'll get a notification right to your phone if it goes on sale.  I'd love to have it in every color, but I don't have that kind of budget. 

No, ModCloth didn't sponsor this post. I'm just an adoring fan. If you haven't purchased with ModCloth before and are interested, use my link for $15 off $50!

Below I've posted my outfits so far with this awesome skirt. Click on the picture for outfit details (Obviously there are more outfits with the green because I've had it the longest)!

Happy Shopping!

I was 32 weeks pregnant in the above so it works well for maternity!

 

What I Wore To Church - Dressing Up A Tee

Top: Mossimo Boyfriend V Tee (Target)
Cardigan: ModCloth Charter School Cardigan in Honey
Skirt: eShakti Pintuck Pleat Chambray Skirt
Shoes: ThredUp (Michael Antonio)

Every closet has it's share of tees in it for good reason. They are comfortable, come in a wide variety of colors, necklines, and fits so everyone can appreciate them. They were a life saver after I had the baby. I practically lived in them. I prefer to stick to nice-ish looking v-necks so I can pair them with yoga pants or dress them up with a skirt. While I do have quite a few colors, I also appreciate a good print every now and then. When I saw this one at Target on clearance, resistance was futile. The first time I wore it, I stuck with jeans and sneakers and it worked out great, but I wanted to have some fun and dress it up a bit.

I absolutely adore this chambray skirt from eShakti and decided it was a good fit with this tee. Chambray is so versatile. It can be dressed up or down, and it's a great neutral. This particular skirt has just the right amount of poof and is a great length, not to mention POCKETS!

The cardigan was a no brainer after I noticed the subtle mustard color in the print. You should know by now how much I love mustard.

I opted to belt outside the cardigan this week to pull in my waistline and counter-balance the poof of the skirt.

The shoes, OH THE SHOES. These were my latest find from ThredUp. When I saw them, I liked them, but the pictures didn't do them justice. I've been looking for flats with fun detailing since I seem to be spending a lot more time in them. The strap on these and the mixed materials (leather and patent) add just the right amount of adorable. The zippers on the back are appreciated for easy on and off. Who has time for buckles?

All in all I think it made for a great dressed up, yet super comfortable outfit.

If you're interested in signing up for ThredUp (seriously, why haven't you yet?) use my link and get $10 off your first purchase.

If you've never shopped at ModCloth before because you're living under a rock, use my link for $15 off $50.

If you've never peeked at eShakti before because you're new around here, well...I don't have a link, but you can send me your email address and I'll send you an invite. You'll get $35 off your first purchase and free customization the first time you do it. They have a buy 2 get 1 free deal going on, so check it out.

Happy Shopping!

Everyday Style - Zip Up Blouse and Leopard Flats

Outfit Details:

Top: ThredUp (LOFT)

Jeans: JustFab Signature Skinny Multi Zipper

Shoes: b.o.c. (no longer available)

I've been having a blast with my clothes since I've been on terminal leave from the Air Force. It's fun to actually get to choose what I wear every day, and since I own a lot of nice clothes that rarely got worn, it's been exciting coming up with different combinations of dressy casual. Yes, most of the time, I'll pull out the yoga pants or the tee and jeans, but at least once a week, I try to dress it up a bit. My mom calls it my "classy mom on the go" look. I'm hoping to feature at least one casual look a week. We'll see if I can hold myself to that. 

Today I kept it simple. Even if it is a dressier look, it wasn't hard to style: a nice blouse, some jeans, and flats. I threw a statement necklace on for good measure and called it a day. It was perfect for lunch out with the family, but it would also work well on a casual date or a trip to the park now that it's cooling off. 

The blouse is another find from ThredUp (If you haven't read about my obsession, check it out here). I obsessively comb their app looking for fun pieces at super low prices. This one is from LOFT (surprised? I actually have LOFT set as a filter on my app), and I LOVE the zipper on the back. It elevates the styling without me having to do any extra work. I adore little details like zippers and random buttons on clothing. As my sister would say "useless buttons are the best!"

The jeans are JustFab denim. They have zipper detailing on them too but in this case it's covered by the blouse. If you haven't tried JF denim, you should! It's super comfy and stretchy, and ranges in size equivalents from 0 to 22. 

The flats are from b.o.c. (an off-shoot of Born) and are really comfortable. I think everyone should own a pair of leopard ballet flats. They go with way more than you think they do. I truly believe that leopard is a neutral. I'll even link you to a couple of good pairs here, here, and here. 

If you're interested in signing up for JustFab, use my referral link here and get your first pair 20% off, but be sure to read the terms and conditions as it is a shoe club and you'll need to either purchase each month or log in between the 1st and the 5th to "skip the month". 

If you're interested in signing up for ThredUp, use my referral link here and get $10 off your first order. 

Happy Shopping!

Tell Me About: Walmart Beauty Box

I'm starting a new segment I'm calling "Tell Me About...Tuesdays". Every Tuesday, I will be telling you about a site that I love, a product I'm excited about, or a brand that I can't get enough of.

To kick the segment off, I'm going to be telling you about the Walmart Beauty Box. It's a new box that Walmart is putting out 4 times a year, and all you pay is $5 for shipping. You do have to subscribe to receive them and there isn't the ability to skip, but $20 for a year is pretty good and quite affordable. Especially after you see what's in it. You can sign up here.

From what I can tell, there are 2 possible boxes this season, and it looks like they are based on age.

Here's what I got in my box:

CoverGirl Glowing Nights Glosstinis Nail Polish in After Dark (full size) $2.97

At first I thought this was sample size, but after looking at the website it's the full size. It seems everyone who got the same box I did could've received any of the colors.

L'Oreal Paris Glossy Balm in Pink Me Up (full size) $6.97

It's a bit too pink for every day wear but it can be dressed up.

Secret Clinical Strength Completely Clean Clear Gel (full size) $11.97

This alone is more than twice the cost of the box, and (hopefully) everyone wears deodorant.

That's all of the full size samples, but if you've been doing the math, those are worth $21.91. So clearly the box is worth the shipping.

Dove Advanced Series Oxygen Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner, and Pure Care Dry Oil Nourishing Hair Treatment (sample size)

These smell AMAZING!

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Eau de Parfum Spray (sample size)

Eh. It doesn't smell terrible.

L'Oreal Paris Youth Code Pore Vanisher (sample size)

Haven't tried this yet, but it says it reduces the look of pores in one month. Clearly there isn't enough here for a month of use, so I'm not sure how much of the effectiveness I could judge from the sample.

Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup (sample size). I couldn't find the exact match for this on Walmart's website so it must be super new.

It's nice that they send you the palette so you can decide what tone you are before you buy. One of the benefits of being super pale is that I just always choose the lightest color they carry and it's usually a match.

So that's it for the box. Hopefully you find this new segment useful. If there's something specific you've seen in one of my previous posts that you'd like to know more about, or you've discovered something fun that you think might be up my alley, let me know and I'll try to feature it in an upcoming Tell Me About Tuesday segment!

Happy Shopping! 

What I Wore To Church - Learning to Love My Arms

(Outfit details have been moved to the bottom of the page!) Happy Sunday! I have a confession to make. I have a love affair with mustard. I love that fall is rolling around so I can wear it all the time. Any time I see it on a rack, I have to investigate that particular piece of clothing, and I usually end up walking out of the store with it (after paying of course). I'm sure I've mentioned my obsession with polka dots too, so you can see why this top appeals to me. 

The one thing about this shirt that I'm not in love with? The sleeves. They have elastic hems so they accentuate my not perfectly toned arms, but my honesty last week has inspired me to continue the trend and to work on loving myself more. So today, I wore the shirt, sans cardigan with my arms out in all their chubby glory. Guess what! Nobody cared. No one jeered or looked away in horror. No one made rude comments. No one shunned me for my less than perfect body. 

It's clear to me that what we perceive to be our "problem areas" are usually not a problem to anyone but ourselves (and if someone else does have a problem with it, they aren't worth your time). So don't be afraid to wear something you love because you're worried it doesn't perfectly conceal your tummy. Don't over layer (and over heat yourself) just to hide your "chubby arms". Don't give up wearing capris or shorts just because you're concerned someone is judging your super white (or scrawny, or scarred, or whatever!) legs. Wear what makes you feel confident, because that confidence is the first thing people will notice. You can pull off more than you think you can. 

Outfit Details:

Top: Cato Fashions

Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Stem Green

Shoes: H&M Ballet Flats

BIRCHBOX Review - September 2014

Check me out, getting my reviews done. If you knew the week I'm having, you'd recognize that as the feat that it is. Enough about me. Let's get to the review. It was a big month for BIRCHBOX. This month is their 4 year anniversary! They celebrated with these pretty keepsake boxes, and the box didn't disappoint.

Pretty, right? Another fun thing about this month was the fact that we got another opportunity to customize our own box. We could choose one sample from a list of 4 and be surprised by the rest, or in lieu of choosing a sample, you could choose the box curated by Fashionista and know all 5 of your samples. I took a peek at both options and decided I would take my chances, choose one sample, and be surprised by the rest. I liked a couple of the things in the Fashionista box, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for surprises. But let's get to it.

The good:

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (sample size)

This was the sample that I chose, and I'm pretty pleased with my choice. I've been impressed in the past with Shiseido products so I figured it was a safe bet. I also read in my People Style Watch that this was one of the must have products of the year. I put it on my face after cleansing, but before moisturizing as instructed and my first impression was that it smelled great. Almost immediately I noticed a difference in my face. It felt really soft and smooth. I'm convinced that this product works, but I'm not convinced of the price. $65 is a bit steep. I'm still glad I got the opportunity to try it, and I'm happy that the sample size was pretty generous.

R+Co Bel Air Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner (sample size)

This was an extra thrown in to the box, and I'm glad it was. Not only did I get to try an extra sample, but it's 2 more products for me to review on the site and get BB points for. I know there are a lot of people that don't like getting shampoo/conditioner samples but I love them. I think it's because it's easy to try (I wash my hair daily, so I know it'll get used), and I usually know pretty quickly if I like them or not. I was quite impressed with these. I let my hair air dry after trying them which has the possibility of creating a frizzy mess, but after using this, my hair really was smoother. Oh, and did I mention it smelled really good? Like exclaim "ooh" in the shower good. I felt like I was in a shampoo commercial, but I digress.

Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee Cologne Absolue (sample size)

First off, they sent this sample with this lovely postcard. Wasn't that nice? Second, I'm totally the person that hates perfume samples. I feel like I never wear them, and I'm hard to please scent-wise. I prefer fruity or vanilla-like scents. I guess I prefer to smell like food. Any way, I actually really liked the smell of this. It's a blend of jasmine, vanilla, and lime and it smells so nice. My only complaint? The $120 price tag. Ouch.

Next, the bad:

Harvey Prince Ageless Liquid Loofah Body Wash (sample size)

I was excited to get this because again, I shower daily so I know it'll get used. And let me be straight. It smelled good. It should since it's based on Harvey Prince's Ageless fragrance. After admiring the smell, I squeezed it on my loofah and my first thought was "there's not a lot of product here". Eh. Disappointing but not a problem with the product necessarily. But then comes the bad, for something called "liquid loofah", you'd expect it to lather really well. Well it didn't. The small amount in the bottle (which is more than enough with my usual body wash), barely had enough lather to wash my whole body. I have a big problem with products that advertise themselves as one thing, and don't deliver on that. So despite the great smell, this gets a bad rating.

TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe Hand Cream (sample size)

I'm 0 for 2 this month on hand creams. While this one didn't smell as bad as the one I got from ipsy, it was much too "soapy" smelling for me. It also left my hands really greasy instead of moisturized. Not a fan.

Lastly in the "meh" category, we have:

Pixi Breath of Fresh Air Tinted Lip Balm in Honey Nectar (full size)

Normally I'm all over lip products, and this one wasn't terrible. It wasn't great either (isn't that the definition of "meh"?). The "tint" pretty much matched my natural lip color so it didn't make a difference visually. The lip balm properties, they were meh. Not terrible, but not super impressive either.

So there you have it. This box was FULL of product and most of it was pretty good. I'll definitely finish using the ones in the good category. I'll probably even use the pixi lip balm (at worst it'll sit in the bottom of my purse until I have a lip balm emergency). Either way, I have lots of product to review which will help me rack up some BB points. I call it a win.

If you're interested in signing up for BIRCHBOX, it would be appreciated if you used my link!

Happy Shopping!

ipsy Review - September 2014

Happy September! I bring you another edition of the Good, the Bad, and the Meh. The theme for ipsy this month is Street Style. The bag is an appropriate studded, silver bag, and the contents, for the most part, fit the theme.

As usual, we'll start with the good.

Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil in Gun Metal (sample size)

I was so happy to receive an eyeliner sample in a color other than black. This silver color was fun! It was subtle while still adding some pop to my eyes. It stayed on all day without smudging or transferring to my upper lid. I approve! It was the perfect addition to the "Street Style" theme.

Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair (full size)

This lip gloss was a bit more dramatic than I usually wear, but it looked pretty good on. It wasn't overly sticky and it went on smooth. Definitely a good product.

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush (full size)

I'm always a fan of receiving make up brushes in my beauty subscriptions because they are quite useful, and I'm not likely to go out and buy them myself. This one was pretty good. The crease side was good for a precise application on the lids while the shadow side was great for blending (does that sound like I know what I'm doing, 'cause I'm totally winging it).

Onto the bad:

Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser (sample size)

I was excited to try this product because I may not always know what to do with makeup products but facial cleanser? I'm pretty sure I know how to wash my face. Well this stuff was...awful. Now maybe it's because I'm not used to cream cleansers, but let's just say I had to wash my face with my regular cleanser to get this off. My hands seemed to stick to my face as I was rubbing it in, and it just got worse. I generally prefer my face to feel softer and I don't know, CLEAN after washing. This just made my face feel sticky.

Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream (sample size)

I saw this and thought "Oh, a LUXURY hand cream. Well that's got to be good!" News flash: if that's what luxury smells like, I'm fine being with the unwashed masses. Seriously. I couldn't wash this off fast enough. It smelled like grass and soap, but not good soap.

Apparently I felt pretty strongly about everything in this bag because there is nothing in the meh category this month. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it's how it goes.

Overall, the things in the good category definitely made this month worth it. Just the lip gloss and makeup brush alone added up to triple the cost of the bag, so I certainly can't complain, and if there's ever a bag where I love every single thing in it, it'll be a miracle.

If you're interested in signing up for ipsy, use my referral link here. In theory, you would skip the waitlist, but I make no guarantees.

PS. If you're already an ipsy subscriber, be sure to check out the ipsy points page. They've updated the list of redeemable items! They usually go fast so hurry, hurry, hurry!

Happy Shopping!

What I Wore To Church - My Fashion Truth

 

Top: Pink Rose Stripe Roll Sleeve Henley
Skirt: ModCloth Breathtaking Tiger Lilies Skirt in Orange
Scarf: H&M Tube Scarf in Woven Fabric
Shoes: ShoeDazzle Omaira (no longer available)

ModCloth has a campaign going on that I absolutely love. It's called #FashionTruth. They say to "be what you want to see in fashion", and to show off your fashion truth. So I'd like to share mine.

I'd always loved shopping and clothes, but fashion and blogging has been so much more to me than I expected. I was going through a really rough time about a year and a half ago. I lost a baby at 23 weeks, and I was just devastated. It was a very traumatic experience for me, and I spent a month and a half doing nothing but grieving. I rarely left the house, and I was lucky if I got into more than yoga pants every day. I was looking for something to get me out of that slump, and my sister encouraged me to get into blogging. I chose fashion blogging because I got to showcase my styling abilities (that have come a long way since then), but I didn't have to get personal. It was a great distraction and a creative outlet.

Pretty quickly I figured out I absolutely LOVED it. It gave me reason to get out of my yoga pants and start to feel beautiful again. I gained back my confidence, and I started taking better care of myself. I don't blog a ton, but I've been realistic about how much I'm capable of doing so I didn't let myself down. I've blogged at least once a week, almost every week since then. I still look forward to putting my outfits together each week, and even though my blog doesn't get a ton of hits, it's important to me.

So my #FashionTruth is that fashion and blogging pulled me out of a rut and helped me get back to me. I'm not always on the forefront of fashion, and my outfits aren't always edgy or hip, but I love doing it. Fashion blogging helps me feel confident and beautiful.