JANUARY FAVORITES

January has come to a close, ladies and gents. Instead of out with the old and in with the new, I've found myself loving some old products this month (+ some all time favorites and tricks) that I thought I would share. ENJOY ...

MAKEUP 

01) Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (ORIGINAL)-  I know, I know! They just came out with a new version. I haven't gotten my hands on that (yet...), but honestly, I've found myself really drawn to this one this month. I adore the balance of warm and cool tones, and I just think these shades suit me better than the very gold-browny-blue hues of the new one (this has yet to be determined for the record.) My favorite combo is definitely Marzipan on the lid, with a little Salted Caramel and Hazelnut blended into the crease. It's scrumptious (pun intended). 

02) Ardell Natural Lashes No. 110- I've always gotten so many questions about fake lashes: do I wear them? If I do, when and what brand? etc. As a matter of fact, I used to wear lashes very often a few years ago, and I realized how damaging they became (the more you wear them, the weaker your lashes become generally) so I decided to quit cold turkey on them for a while. Now I'll just wear them out at night (mostly during the colder months- I avoid them in the summer), and most likely for special occasions. My favorite pair to just go out in would have to be #110 by Ardell, they're super easy to apply and the blend nicely with your existing lashes (I also have a few Mac favorites but I don't get those as often as I would the drugstore lashes). [PRO TIP: CUT A 1/4 OFF YOUR FALSE LASHES  BEFORE APPLYING! Make sure they actually fit your lash line or else they'll look like they're way too long and heavy- the ones above in the photo are cut and have been worn already]. 

03) Mac Soft and Gentle- An all-time favorite highlight. I've found myself reaching for this a bunch of times this month, and it's great as a first highlight in any makeup starter kit. It suits just about every skintone and gives the perfect amount of sparkle. I also have extremely dry skin in the winter months (oily in warmer weather), so this adds a nice dewey effect without making me too shiny. 

04) theBalm Cabana Boy- This blush is banginggggg. I purchased this baby off of Hautelook, and it's a nice plummy pink. It's kind of reminiscent of NARS Sin, but its a little more pinky as opposed to mauve-y (The professional photos make it look super pink, but it's actually very purple to me in reality, so I think it's a pretty close dupe anyway). 

05) Mac Boldly Bare- RIP Whirl. Just kidding. Kind of. I lost my Whirl lip pencil about a month ago, (I blame the move from school to home for Christmas), and I've been looking to repurchase it since, but apparently it was backordered forever because everyone ordered it for Christmas (probably thanks to Kylie Jenner). Nevertheless, in the meantime, I picked up Boldly Bare which is a few shades lighter, and I really love it! It has the same kind of staying power as Whirl which I love, but it's more natural-lip colored and I actually think its a great shade if you want to get that super overdrawn pout without too dark of a color payoff. 

06) Mac's Heroine- Contrary to the natural lip by Boldly Bare, I've found myself reaching for purple lipsticks A LOT lately. My favorite pow-purple would have to be Heroine by Mac, it's just super fun to swipe on and makes every outfit look a lot more interesting than it is. Pure Heroine is the darker version, aka Lorde's lip color, and I love that one as well, but this one is definitely more lively. 

MISCELLENOUS

07) Ro's Argan Body Conditioner- If you do not already own this product, I suggest you get in your car or hop on your nearest subway to your closest Lush and get it. NOW. This stuff is literally, literally, literally insane. It's probably the best moisturizer I've ever used and will ever use in my life. It's pricey, but it's well worth it, and it smells incredible too. 

08) Chi Air Straightener- One of my quasi Christmas gifts (to myself), this is one of the best hair tool purchases I think I've ever made. I already have pretty naturally straight hair, but its so easy to flatten it out a little more with this straightener or make it super straight if I work with it for thirty minutes or so. I really dig the ceramic design, and it's really an awesome product that I'd highly recommend.

10) LBD c/o Nasty Gal- I purchased this dress earlier this month and haven't actually gotten the chance to wear it out yet but I really love its cut and lines, and I'm digging these amazing embroidered sleeves. Best part? It was on sale. 

Outfits features on KQ this month:

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be;

For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls 

the edge of husbandry"

[Hamlet 2.3]

Cheers, x

PS: MY NEW JOURNALISM PORTFOLIO IS LIVE !

GOSSAMER

[Gossamer (noun) - a fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders, which is seen especially in autumn] 

Patterned tights need to make some sort of comeback (if they haven't already). I'm in love with intricate, spider-web like tights, which are usually easily found in stores like Urban or Forever 21. These quasi- heart shaped pattered ones are amazing for spicing up some plain pieces like this big furry sweatshirt and black skate skirt (both from Forever). I also adore these kinds of tights because it's like wearing tights that aren't fully covering your legs-- and if you're like me and aren't a fan of wearing tights all the time, these are on point.

I topped this look off with my black knit scarf from H&M, and added my favorite new BCBG faux fur/ leather jacket. Additionally, my signature beanie and glasses made the cut, as well as these awesome motorcycle gloves courtesy of the  Martinelli Leather Glove Factory from Florence, Italy. Also really digging how the gold frames of my Ray Bans pick up the gold zippers of the jacket. My red pout finished off the look, thanks to Makeup Forever's Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner in 8C and Sephora's Matte Lip Cream in Always Red. 

♕ Photography by Lindsey Marie ♕

"The common curse of mankind, - folly and ignorance".

[Troilus and Cressida 2.3]

Cheers, xx

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE

Ever heard of that ridiculous play about two old women murdering every man that comes into their home with arsenic? Although ghastly, I always admired its celebration of contrast: delicate lace & deadly poison. The words "Arsenic & Old Lace" were the first thing that came to my mind when pairing this outfit together with it's undergarment counterpart by ThirdLove. 

Inspired by the shapes, lines, and texture of the ThirdLove set, I wanted to create a look that was gorgeous, lacey, feminine, but powerful look, bringing out the aura of the underwear set to the exterior of my outfit. I started with pairing these incredible silky high waisted shorts over black tights. I then added a black tank and topped it off with a black lacey top by Nasty Gal. To keep warm, I added a grey cardigan, and threw my BCBG jacket over my shoulders and popped on my white Brandy Melville beanie. My necklace, which is a round sort of choker with a crystalized rock detail, is from Urban Outfitters.  

I've been absolutely obsessed with this Lace Balconet Set. Consisting of a beautiful lace bottom and bra, the set comes in a few colors, but I decided to keep it simple and stick with black, and got mint detail on the bra. Both pieces are extremely comfortable and simply perfect for any time of the year, and the cut of each piece fits perfectly snug while still allowing for just the right amount of flexibility. Above all, I have to say that I really adore the style that exudes from both the bottom and the top, the pieces are gorgeous, and they make you feel gorgeous, too! 

Be sure to check out ThirdLove's site to get your set, and follow them on Instagram & Twitter.

♕ Photography by Marissa Legnini & A.Martine ♕

"It is the mind that makes the body rich."

[The Taming of the Shrew 4.3]

Cheers, xx

ღ Special thanks to Hawke Media & the lovely team at ThirdLove ღ

RED DROPS

Snowfall calls for lots of layers, including wrapped flannels of course! I have been meaning to get my hands on one of these original flannels by The Vintage Twin, and I stumbled into them in Bloomingdales the other day and knew I had to pick one up. The notorious sayings on the back range from "I'm So Fancy" to various emoticons and Beyoncé references, but I decided to go the good old Veruca Salt route and picked out this one. Not only is it funny and "fitting" for me (I can laugh at myself too), I adore the white block lettering on top of this red and black checkered gingham. 

To balance out the brightness of the flannel, I went with pretty much black, white and neutral for the rest of the look. I paired this black skinny jeans from Forever 21 with a large, furry sweatshirt also from Forever. I popped on my black beanie and scarf, and added this gorgeous BCBG Faux Fur & Leather Jacket to add some texture. Finally, I threw on my Marc Jacobs hobo & some black boots to brief through this very snowy day in Manhattan.

 ♕ Photography by Lindsey Marie ♕

"On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures."

[Julius Caesar 4.3]

Cheers, xx