Making it Up.

I've been meaning to post a round-up of the makeup I use for years. It's not that I think I'm terribly good at it, or that I have all that much to offer in terms of tutorials or knowledge (generally, if I can't apply it with fingers I don't want to bother!), but I get a lot of questions about what products I use. Because I've been planning to post about it, I usually end up not leaving a satisfactory reply, and then weeks go by and of course, I haven't finished the post.

I also tend to swap products a lot, and it's only recently that I think I've settled on several items that I plan on using until the most tragic thing happens and said item is discontinued (this happened with the Chanel foundation I was using for a year. I was so happy with it, and when I went to buy a new container--having broken into mine to use the last droplets--I discovered it was gone). Anyway, here are my favorite makeup products! I've included the shades I use next to each product.

1.) Makeup Forever HD Invisible Foundation (110 Pink Porcelain) 2.) Laura Mercier Mineral Powder (Tender Rose) 3.) Clinique Airbrush Concealer (004 Neutral Fair) 4.) Clinique Age Defense BB Cream (01 Very Fair) 5.) MAC Paint Pot (painterly) 6.) The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter

These days I've been using the Makeup Forever HD foundation in 110. I apply it with a synthetic foundation brush after I moisturize. Once that's on, I use Clinique Airbrush Concealer for my under-eye area and to cover up any blemishes. I've used a few concealers but I always go back to this one, since I can double-duty it for both under-eye and the rest of my face, and it seems to react less with my mascara and eyeliner (sometimes I find the latter ends up under my eye depending on what concealer I'm using). After that I slap on some MAC paint pot in 'painterly' on my eyelids. Generally I don't bother with shadow, but I always  put this stuff on either as a base or just to even things out. 

After that I'll buff some of the Laura Mercier mineral foundation over everything to help set, and for a little bit of extra coverage, with a buffer brush. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'll apply a little bit of The Body Shop Radiant Highlighter to just under my brows and on the tops of my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose and just above my upper lip. I haven't been bothering with this so much lately, but for a while there I was using it every day. 

In the summer I switch to a BB cream from Clinique--I used this all last summer and loved it, so I need to grab another tube of it when things get warmer around here. 

1.) MAC Brow Set (Show Off) 2.) Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (Perversion) 3.) NARS Blush (Gaiety)  4.) MAC Powder Blush (Melba) 5.) NARS Lipstick (Niagara)

I'm really into strong eyebrows, so I usually fill mine in with a MAC brow set. It took a while getting used to, since the applicator is like a mascara wand, but I like this because it adds color as well as keeping brows in place. Almost every day I swipe on a cat-eye with Urban Decay's 24/7 liquid liner. I usually just keep it to the top lid, but sometimes I'll use one of my darker eyeshadows to do some on my lower lash line, but honestly I hardly every do this. I am constantly rotating my mascara, so I didn't include one here, and so far I'm pretty 'meh' on most of the ones I've been using but I always go for waterproof. 

In winter I favor NARS blush in 'gaiety', it's a pretty opaque bright Barbie pink so somehow that just doesn't work great for me in the summer. I end up being pretty doll-faced with that one so I think I like how it looks best in the winter months, when I haven't picked up so many freckles. When things get warmer out I switch to MAC's blush in 'melba' and use that pretty exclusively all summer long. It's a nice apricot-y color, but doesn't translate well to winter for me. Normally I'll brush my blush brush over my eyelids/brows after I'm done with my cheeks for the tiniest bit of color in place of actual shadow.

I love lipstick--it's kind of my downfall, I keep buying tubes over and over in slightly different shades--but my mainstay is NARS 'niagara'. It's the perfect pink, and I can get by with it year round! I lost it once, bought another, then found the first and was thrilled to have two! Then I lose both of those, waited two months, couldn't live without it and bought it again. It's constantly switching purses and pockets with me, and it's probably my #1 essential.

I hope this was helpful! I use this brush set for pretty much everything here. I also like to refer to MakeypAlley for new products or things I'm curious to try,  and my friend Emily's blog for other things I want to try out or questions I have (you'll notice a lot of the products here are in her suggestions as well!). 

I tend to have pretty dry and sensitive skin, and I normally just grab whatever the lightest shade of a product is available. If there are a few ranges between shades, I end up going for the pinker end rather than the more golden based products. I haven't quite worked out my favorite products as far as skin-care, but once I get that all ironed out and a routine that works I suppose I'll have to make another post about it!

Scalloping into Spring.

I think I'm coming out of a little bit of an outfit funk, but that might just be because I finally treated myself to a few new items. I am trying to be better about things like that and to rediscover items in my wardrobe that I haven't worn in ages, a 'shop my closet' kind of thing, but sometimes I can't help but feel rejuvenated by something new (or new-to-me). I feel really myself in this outfit, which is a nice change after the last few weeks of wearing the same chambray dress over and over (and over and over) again. 

Dress: J. Crew, Blouse: Vintage, Pin: Vintage (thrifted), Shoes: BC Footwear, Bag: J. Crew Fall 2012

 I've been struggling (that makes it sound really dramatic, but I'm not certain what other word to use, and really, there isn't much I don't love more than a little bit of hyperbole on the internet, in a harmless sort of way) for a few months with outfits. Probably because I'm thinking too much about them, which isn't good for several reasons, but mostly I find that I've been preoccupied by the balance of mixing. 

Even if it looks alright, or good, or great even, I always feel a little bit wrong when an outfit is made up of too many of one kind of thing. I don't really want my entire outfit to be vintage, although I'm not opposed and sometimes it happens, and I don't want the entire thing to be all new either. I know all sorts of blogs and magazines and stupid makeover shows are always touting the virtues of mixing in vintage with new, and of course it's true, but mostly I just feel unbalanced if I'm in all one thing or the other. But it's funny, because a lot of the time it depends on the actual size of the pieces--I like them to be equal parts. I'm sure that sounds a little but nutso, but there it is. This outfit is perfect, because somehow a jumper-type dress and a blouse balance each other out, since they sort of take up almost the same amount of space on an outfit/body.

I should probably stop now before I did myself into a weird ditch of ruminations on outfits. Basically, this one feels right, it feels very me, and I feel at home in it. I don't feel overly girly or frilly, but I think it's also just the right amount of precious.

The bag I've been meaning to use for ages. I waited and waited for it to go on sale, and when it finally did I pounced, and the poor thing sat in my closet for months without being used. It has a strap, and maybe if it were longer I would use it more often, but I like it best as a clutch (even if I worry that I'll leave it somewhere). Plus it helps me get polka-dots into my outfit. 

I'm pretty content with this one, which of course means I'll come up with 4 or 5 different versions of it, and wear it until I hate it and can't stand to put the thing on again (or until I spill on it, until it starts to pill or has holes).

Pictures taken by my friend Eden.

Closet Tantrums.

Coat: Gift from Bohemian Bisoux, Dress: Madewell Fall 2012, Shoes: Vintage, Pins: Vintage (ebay, allen company inc on etsy, and Laura's Vintage), Bag: Vintage/thrifted

I'm definitely feeling the end-of-winter slump these days. I spend and alarming amount of time thinking about all the summer dresses I've got in storage even though March is the most frustrating month climate-wise. I haven't given in and donned knee-socks on the 40-degree days just yet, but I'm pretty happy to leave my heavy coats in the car, or to go without gloves or a scarf. Mostly I'm sick, sick, sick of everything I own that's appropriate for cooler temperatures. The urge to toss out my entire closet and start over is getting really bad, and coming up with an outfit I like enough to bother coercing someone into helping me photograph is something of a job these days. 

That said, it's always funny at the end of a season to look back on what I didn't wear. I was pretty sure this coat would make an appearance several times when it came to going out in some manner of fancy outfit, but I was so grumpy about the cold this winter that I sort of pulled back on the getting dressed up to go out! I've also been a bit more cautious this year about what coats I take with me--ever since my favorite coat got pinched at an event, I've been overprotective of the rest of them, like some kind of coat-hoarding mother-hen. 

In the interest of revisiting things I already own I've also been re-discovering my pin collection. I've finally amassed a strange menagerie of animals as well as a few bows and flowers in numbers great enough that they start fitting together within different themes, so I think it's time to pair them up together and see what kind of strange lapel-tableaus I can come up with. 

Thank you to my lovely coworker Eden for snapping these for me!

Spending Pennies.

Today I am holed up on the sofa nursing a head-cold, alternating watching Lord of the Rings and Pushing Daisies (which I somehow don't own, instead I've gotten ahold of it from the library and of course, they're late going back as usual), waiting for the snowy doom that is heading our way. It all miraculously (though not in a good way) coincided with days I was hoping to head down to NYC for some fashion week shenanigans. I'm keeping and eye on the weather, and my germs, hoping that tomorrow or Saturday will clear up in both ways so I can make the journey, but in the meantime I'm eyeing the space between my bank account and a few tabs I've left open of Things I've Been Meaning to Buy Eventually.

I'm trying, with mixed success, to be more conscious of what I'm spending my money on in terms of adornments. I'm still letting myself off the leash with vintage because, well, if I find the perfect aqua and blue polka-dotted dress I can't let it out of my sight like I did last time. But I'm learning to be more mindful of what I will wear, what I am most comfortable in, and what will be a wise choice in handing over my funds. If I want something six months later it's probably a good bet that it won't be a silly purchase, so the following treasures are a few things I've been budgeting for over the last few months.

1.)Sweet Nothing Necklace from in god we trust. I've been wanting one of these for, I don't know, a year or two now! I don't know why I haven't gone for it before now, since the price is reasonable. I think it's my love of instant gratification. Getting things in the mail is fun but I want to hold the thing nooow!

2.) MAC 4 lashes. Since autumn, I've fallen victim to fake lashes. I've only worn the full strips once or twice for special occasions, but I've been wearing one or two of the individual ones a few times a week. Maybe it's watching too much New Girl and Pushing Daisies, but I suddenly want to go bigger and try a full strip for a regular day! I think these will be just big enough for some extra eye-batting but not so large that it'll look insane during the daylight hours.

1.) Double Spot Flippy Dress from Topshop. Black and white with polka-dots, means of course I want it. But it's just the right shape, short but not too mini, nipped in at the waist, with short sleeves. It's essentially my perfect dress. 

2.) 5th Ray Dress from Family Affairs. I know, you're sick of hearing about this one, but next payday it's going to be mine! All the pretties from the fall collection are on sale now, including this pretty gem of a dress, so I'm making plans for a few pieces!

1.) Okay so, this isn't a link to an actual thing I can buy. Ever since I saw this picture of Annie Clark of St. Vincent fame on tumblr I've been yearning for the perfect pair of leather shorts. So far everything I've found is either covered in something weird (zippers, studs, inexplicably bedazzled or fringed) or is way too short. But I'll keep up the search, because I have a sneaking suspicion that leather shorts with a white blouse, some eyeliner, and red lips is going to be my end-of-winter uniform if I can just make it all come together.

2.) Lady King print by gingerhaze. I have a few of this lady's prints hanging about my space, but I've been wanting to add this one to the collection. My latest pinterest boards and spotify playlists are all hungry hearted queens of thorns and blood so I've got all things lady monarchs on the brain.

The Middle of Things.

Last week I managed to snag a friend of mine for a few moments after our Downton Sunday event to snap a few quick outfit pictures. Besides the usual anxieties that come along with photographing myself in public, I managed to smash my poor tripod on the pavement a few weeks ago (the camera, thankfully, was unharmed). So out we ran into the middle of the street, in the middle of the winter.

Coat: J. Crew, Skirt: Thrifted, Blouse: Laura's Vintage, Belt: Thrifted, Necklace: Lawrence, Shoes: Thrifted, Bag: Thrifted

This is a pretty standard cool-weather outfit for me these days. The skirt is one I bought over the summer, or maybe late spring. Either way, it was just out-of-season when I bought it, and even than I wasn't certain it would be something I would end up throwing on all too often. Now I'm thanking my lucky stars that I've managed to develop some tiny bit of foresight, since I've spent the better part of most weeks in this skirt.

I've become a real creature of uniform this winter, it seems. I guess I did it a lot over the summer too--despite the collection of sundresses that seems to be growing larger even in these cold months. This year it's all high-waisted skirts with a creamy blouse, or that Madwell chambray dress with a striped shirt. I'm trying to be a little bit more mindful of my clothing purchases, especially the non-vintage ones. I'm trying to balance the will-I-really-wear-it with the but-oh-goodness-I-love-it-who-cares feelings. 

If I Were a Dress.

I think I would be this one.

Dress: honeytalk vintage, Belt: Vintage (gifted to me by my aunt), Bag: Laura's Vintage,  Headband: J. Crew, Light switch: because of outfit pictures in the ladies room

When it popped up over at honeytalk vintage I snapped it up right away. I don't often do that with online, especially vintage, purchases. I'll grab something impulsively, in a heartbeat, on a whim, in store but somehow I'm really pretty considered and careful about what I spend online. I think sometimes I have a hard time visualizing how something will actually look in person no matter pictures of it I see, and I'm still working on training my eye to pick out things that I will actually love and wear. 

It's a good thing I listened to none of that and grabbed this one, because I've already worn it several times and it's only been in my possession for less than a month. Polka-dots, mini dress, with ruffles? I love it so much I could puke.

I first wore it to Courtney's birthday celebration (I snagged this picture from Emily's instagram), and then promptly threw it on with a new bag and some false eyelashes for another gal-pal's fancy cocktail-hour birthday shenanigans a week or so later. Of course, being winter I've long lost the light by the time I've gotten myself all dolled up, so this post is made up of patched-together instagrams and bathroom mirror hilarity:

For the record, I was way overdressed as per usual. In any case, I donned this entire outfit again last night for New Year's Eve. I tried several other outfits, even toted the lot of them 45 minutes out to my destination, tried them on again, before getting back into this dotted-swiss confection because that was the one that inexplicably felt the best and the most me. I should know by now that there's no fighting that feeling, sometimes an outfit just wants to be worn even if it's a repeat.

Sponsors Again!

Just popping in with a quick note that I've updated the sponsor information! January seemed like a good time to get in gear and start this up again! I'm giving passionfruit ads a go this time around, and so far it seems much easier!

And happy new year, officially!

Goodbye, 2012!

Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for sticking around, for reading, for commenting and messaging, for posting and being all-around awesome people! I am so excited and thankful for all the wonderful, amazing people through this weird little thing! Is that incredibly saccharine and trite? It think it might be, or maybe it only is if you don't mean it. 

2012 was the weirdest year for me, full of some really weird, sad, bad-luck ridden days (break-ups, dead crows, a case of shingles), and also some of the most fun (summer driving, visiting the best ladies ever, exploring abandoned buildings, getting a cat). Either way, I'm pretty excited for 2013! I think it's a way better number all-around, I think it has a good personality. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a quick post looking back on the past year. I don't feel entirely confident in my personal style, I still feel like I don't know how to describe it, that my mood of what I want to wear changes so much each day, but in looking back on the past year I feel like I've had some of my favorite outfits yet!

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A Fresh Coat.

Over the past two years I've managed to amass a pretty decent collection of coats. My favorite coat was stolen last winter, a black one, so this year especially I've been on the look out for coats that will get me through the winter without bringing my spirits down because I have to cover up my outfit. My coral J. Crew from several years ago is one I end up in a lot, but sometimes the brightness of it is oppressive, and it's something of a fancy coat really.

Coat: c/o Modcloth, sold out two days after it got here, ugh! But you can find a similar one here, which I actually think I want MORE now! Also similar, Dress: Madewell, Tights: J. Crew, Shoes: DC Footwear via Zappos, Bag: Vintage, estate sale, Beret: I think it's my dad's actually.

I picked this one almost right away, the second I saw it, as a gift from Modcloth because I've started to become a parody of myself, working polka-dots into every single outfit possible. I was actually quite good and photographed it right away (something I'm generally pretty bad about these days--I've been recycling outfits a lot more this year than before because I carry my camera and tripod with me thinking that if I have a free second I can grab some quick shots--this doesn't usually happen) and realized when I went to upload this post that night the coat had sold out, ugh! 

I also got caught pretty bad taking these!  I think people are probably starting to notice there are a few brick walls in my area that I tend to favor--this is one of them--but this time I didn't realize the people behind those windows were in there and could see me! I'm starting to feel less awkward about the whole thing, after five years it's about time, partly because it seems like more people are aware of blogs better these days and so explaining it isn't quite as painful as it was before. 

The sad thing about this outfit is I probably won't be throwing it on again anytime soon since we've been buried under some serious snow. I know it's a stupid thing to complain about, and a silly thing to wish for, but I was quite content with last years winter with hardly any snow! I'll regret this statement, I'm sure.  I've also worn these poor shoes down to nubs, the heels are tragic from turning them into my dancing shoes, but thankfully they are at the shoe repair shop being patched together!

Hats in Waiting.

Coat: J. Crew circa 2008, Dress:Custard Heart Vintage, Boots: Nine West circa 2006, Bag: Vintage/thrifted, Hat: Vintage/estate sale, Lipstick: NARS Schiap

Remember this spot? I wanted to get back to it in the summer, and the fall, when there were leaves and things and I could wear a summer dress on the dock but I never quite made it back. Finally I got back there on a day Jess and I were spending the day thrifting and trying to find a spot to take some shop an outfit photos. It took a bit of wandering to find it again, but I'm glad I know where it is well enough now to go back!

(Got my grump on, apparently!)

This outfit is a little bit ridiculous, between the hat and neon coat, but nothing else seemed to do that day. I got the hat ages ago, last March, at an estate sale with Jess and had to tuck the thing away for the entire summer before I knew I'd  be able to wear it again! It's kind of huge and insane, but I love it a lot. I have the original box, complete with a note written on the top of it by the owner detailing the date it was bought and what else she got that day.

And then the dress, which is a dream! I've been looking for a 60s cream lace shift dress for ages, but every time I thought I found one it didn't fit, or something was weird about it, or it was way, way out of my price range. The second this popped up over at Custard Heart Vintage I made it mine. And then it arrived on what was truly a no-good day, just in time to cheer me up!

Pictures taken by Jess. Check out her shop for a few hats and coats we photographed at this location as well!