August Favorites

Where did summer go? (Yeah, I'm aware, inserting the same cliché question everyone asks themselves around this time of year). The chaos in Manhattan has officially begun for me ladies and gents. So before I dive into September, let's get into the products and fun stuff I've been digging this month.  (PS, into my new bedroom set up for this year? ME TOO. Products & details are at the end of this very post..)

Beauty 

01. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer- After my discovery of Smashbox Photo Finish last month, I decided to give this one a try after I received it as a sample. And, guess what? I think I like it better! It has the consistency of moisturizer which seems to suit my skin a bit better because I'm currently on an extremely drying prescription topical. That is, anything moisturizing for me in the morning helps! I have combination skin so I definitely get shiny during the day (ESPECIALLY in this New York heat,) and I've noticed that like the Smashbox, this has helped me maintain matte power. I'm still kind of bouncing around with primers though so I'm open to trying some more and I'm not really set in using this particular one or another, but I have enjoyed what I've seen with this so far. 

02. Mac Chilled on Ice Paint Pot- Ah, once again this is gracing my monthly favorites. I seemingly can't help it, I just seriously love this paint pot. It's SO versatile for any kind of eye look with a champagney peachy icey base, and it's just so easy for summer because no lid shadow is really needed, taking away one less step in my eye-makeup every morning. This is one to invest in, folks. 

03. Mac Green Smoke Eyeshadow- Wanna know a particularly interesting fact about this eyeshadow? It was actually one of the first Mac shadows I ever bought. I was really drawn to the gunmetal shimmer in it, and thought it would suit every season, which it totally does! This is brilliant to smoke up an outer corner or define your lower lash line. With that being said, don't let the name scare you, it's really not a "green" green kind of color. In fact, I pretty much thought it was more of a sparkly grey when I first picked it up. I've been reaching toward it a ton this month, and it's a great shadow to transition your summer makeup into fall. 

04. Tarte Park Avenue Princess- Well, well, well. Another favorite in a row! Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a full size of this soon. This is fabulously pigmented, shimmery, and just glorious for that summer into fall transition. This bronzer is great at heightening and maintaining your summer glow and has incredible staying power. 

05. Sephora Cream Lip Stain in #01, with Makeup Forever Aqua Lip Liner Pencil in 8C underneath- This combo is the BOMB, dolls. I first discovered this via Sharleen Joynt (yes, from the Bachelor) and haven't turned to another red lip since. It lasts ALL day and night, and just creates the most eye-catching red lip that I've ever worn. Obsessed. Literally. To check out how to create this combo & more fall combos, be sure to read my Lala article on lip trends for this fall. (yay shameless self-promoting...)

06. Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cocoa Butter- Ahhhhhhhhh. If you're a chapstick FIEND, you need to try this. I've never been a chapstick fiend, and this product has turned me into one. Literally this makes your lips super super smooth and the scent is to die for guys. It's just the perfect amount of cocoa butter to treat your lips every morning, and you have to get your hands on one! (if only I was endorsed for this- lololol)

07. Bioderma- Once again, in my favorites. This stuff is just awesome. It's the most gentle eye makeup remover basically, ever, and I even like to use it in the morning just all over my face before my moisturizer and makeup. It's refreshing, super gentle, and well worth however many euros I paid for it (I believe its like $30 here?!).

08. Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner- I've used products in the Organix line before (the blue Moroccan Oil combo!) and I really liked them so I decided to try another kind, andddd I really like this one even more! It smells pretty scrumptious and really seems to have added a little strength to my locks. The only complaint I really have is that the shampoo is a bit drying, so I would just recommend using the conditioner if you have extra dry hair. 

Fashion/ Miscellaneous 

09. Jeffrey Campbell Soulman Boots- ha, surprise! I've only been talking about these boots non-stop all month! Anyway, yes, I'm in love. They're beautiful, durable, and definitely a great investment. I'll probably wear the hell out of them and I'll use them for a loooong time. If you're in search of a pair of boots to last you a while, these are the ones for you.

10. Society 6 'I Woke Up Like This' Pillow- I purchased this for my apartment living room, and it's just sooo super cute. I love the white text on black background and this is just perfect to add a trendy vibe to any space.

Andddd, drum roll please. My new dorm room this year. You guys loved my dorm room tour last year, so I figured I'd throw in a photo of my new one in my favorites this time around. My bedding and pillowcases are from Urban Outfitters. The LED firefly lights are also from Urban, and the polaroids are ones I have taken with my polaroid camera! My mirror (full length) is from Target as well. 

Finally, my short lookbook& clips from this month:

Here's to September! (and school... and NYFW... AH)

"These violent delights have violent ends"

[Romeo & Juliet 2.6]

Cheers, x

One Sixteen

What do I love more than Shakespeare on a page? Shakespeare on a shirt, DUH. But no really, I'm in love with this Wildfox shirt I recently purchased with Sonnet 116 by my boy William on it. Shakespeare chunks are pretty hefty so I always love when I find a nice, simple, aesthetically balanced and pleasing bunch of lines on a shirt. It's written so delicately and the graphic isn't terribly blaring in any way so it can compliment various bottoms. It has gotten a bit chillier recently (yayyyyy autumn), so I sported these awesome acid washed Bullhead Co. jeggings from Pacsun (side note, Bullhead Co. has the best jeggings ever) to contrast the black up top. Cuffing denim is a huge trend right now, (check out this sweet Lala guide that teaches you to get that precise cuff for every occasion) so I opted to cuff the bottom to give it a little more of a casual and trendy feel. 

Let's talk about these accessories, shall we? Since I don't normally wear that much color, I like to add color in pops. My two favorite kinds of accessories to play around with color are BAGS and LIPS! For my bag, I picked this long-strapped vintage red leather one to add some fire to this edgy look. To give it some more spice, I added Mac's Pure Heroine (yep, the LORDE color, which I think is now discontinued-womp- but you can probably find it on Ebay) on my lips. While reds and purples are difficult to pair, these two melded together flawlessly because the red bag has a bit of an orangey undertone, while the lipstick has a bit of a blue hue. Orange and blue are opposite on the color wheel, and thus look pretty snazzy when put together in an outfit. The blue hue of the lipstick picks up the orangey tone in the bag and vice versa. And there you have it, simple color theory! I added my adorable gold wishbone necklace from Forever 21 and could not walk out of the door without these beautiful Steve Madden Tiper Black Pony flats.  

♡  Photography by Lindsey Whalen ♡

To quote my shirt and leave you with some inspiration;

"Love is not love

 Which alters when it alteration finds"

[Sonnet 116]

Cheers, x

Hamlet [INSPIRED] Lookbook

This is the fourth and final segment of Miss Lindsey and my Shakespeare Lookbooks (for now!). We decided to take it back to one of our favorites, Hamlet. Ophelia's character served as the main inspiration for our styling, photography, and editing of this post!

"He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders 
Of his affection to me" (Ophelia, 1.3)

My first look is the most casual of the three. I started with these fun scalloped shorts c/o Marshalls as a base for the outfit. Up top, rather than going with something simple, I paired it with this black LA Hearts shirt with crochet sleeves c/o Pacsun. The crochet at the shoulders picks up the lovely curves at the bottom of the shorts, adding just the right amount of flair and balancing out the intricacy. I added my Jeffrey Campbell Soulman boots to ground the look a bit, and popped on my fun maroon flower crown from Forever 21. 

"Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?" (Ophelia, 3.1)

My second look is probably my personal favorite of the three, because I think I had the most fun with this one. I started with these FABULOUS black and white vertical striped pants (I refer to them as my Beetlejuice pants) and added a black Brandy Melville tee to break up the pattern a bit. My Beetlejuice pants are c/o Pacsun and are from Bullhead Denim Co. I added my faaaavorite (with four a's) pair of flats for summer by Joy Divisions and this fun feather necklace I borrowed from Lindz. This is a perfect example of black & brown mixing flawlessly, for the feathers and turquoise pops lighten up the deep black of the tee. 

"You must sing 'A-down a-down, and you call him a-down-a.' O, 
how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his..." (Ophelia, 4.5)

For my very last look, which is traditionally a dressier one for our Shakespeare lookbooks, I wanted to recreate a 'modern Ophelia,' the way I interpret her, at least. I started with this really fun dress from Zara I purchased in Florence, Italy back in 2010. I also decided put one of my favorite Aerie lace bralettes underneath so my back wasn't super exposed. This fun bow back detail really makes this dress, and gives it a perfect late summer vibe. Now, here's where I got fun with it. I love darkening up bright pieces, so I added this dark fringe necklace from Forever 21. But, that wasn't quite enough black for me (naturally), so I paired it with my Soulman boots to edge it up. My last fun detail makes the entire look kind of unexpected and off (which is exactly what I was going for, this is Ophelia we're talking about!), and it's these AMAZING black motorcycle gloves. I got these incredible pure leather babies from a cute little glove boutique on Via Por Santa Maria right past the Ponte Vecchio in Florence this past May. These are going to be my staple gloves this fall & winter, but for now, serve perfectly for this lookbook. Take a look at my most recent Lala post to learn how to achieve the gorgeous red lip I'm sporting in all three of these looks!

♡ Photography by Lindsey Whalen ♡

“Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.”

[Hamlet II.2]

Cheers, x

Betelgeuse

What's black and white and terribly terrifying? Beetlejuice, as well as this terrifyingly adorable Brandy Melville top. It's a rainy day here in New York, so I decided to dress to match the atmosphere. I started with this black and white horizontal striped top. I normally dislike horizontal stripes, (vertical stripes for the win!) but these are just the right amount of thin, so the fabric looks like it's own textile from far away as opposed to just a striped top. I paired this with my high waisted light wash denim shorts c/o BDG. I added this black Brandy Melville button down (for similar styles check out their blouses here) to cover my shoulders and arms. 

Finally, I added my beautiful Soulman Jeffrey Campbell boots for a bit of a fall feel. I'm wearing my black choker and fun clear cat-eye glasses from Forever 21 to make this look a little more fun. Stay tuned on how to get this gorgeous berry lip on my next post for the Lala which will be live next Monday!

"Men shut their doors against a setting sun."

[Timon of Athens 1.2]

Cheers, x