AUGUST FAVORITES

And with this, summer has just about come to a close (well, minus the fact that I think the last day of summer is at the end of September, but unfortunately our human calendar doesn't quite fit this schedule). I've had the most bomb August, finishing up my weekly work at the brand new Lala HQ, and having a little relaxation time up in the Adirondacks (an annual ritual). August also introduced to me some more exciting opportunities, as I have begun work as a digital editorial intern at Harper's Bazaar, (specifically, that's BAZAAR.com, for you who have asked). There, I've been learning the ins & outs of a well established and quite massive, at that, digital fashion publication. And to my fellow bloggers and Lala ladies, if digital journalism is the route you are interested in, you already have a leg up with the skills you learn in Blogger and Wordpress. It's actually incredible how much you will be using those very skills (as a point of encouragement from me to you). But I digress, this post is all about the products I've been obsessed with this month, and as per usual, we have some newbees and some old goodies to get through. So without further ado.... 

Beauty 

01. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light, $36, sephora.com :: Well, well, well. I've had my eye on this product ever since I've been using the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, as I knew that that formulation was perhaps not the best choice for my skin. See, all through high school I had extremely dry (and decently good, at that) skin. Once I made the big move to Manhattan, I noticed that my skin changed. I now consider myself as someone with combination skin, but more on the oily side, especially during the hotter months. The Photo Finish Light is meant for oily skin, and was actually a wonder-worker for me in this very hot month of August. My guess is that it is nearly the same formulation as the regular, just not as heavy. And it's paraben free, of course. Definitely a recommendation if you have moderate-oily skin.  

02. Mac Gold Mode, $22, maccosmetics.com :: I couldn't find the exact pigment online, as this was a limited addition kind back from one of the holiday collections a few years ago, but Mac's gold is quite similar, and could be used as a dupe. Not only did I describe the magic of what you can do with loose shadows in this Lala post (nail polish, anyone?), I always find myself going back to them because of the power they possess. Gold Mode is a gorgeous goldy-peach, and has been perfect for all over the lid color this month. I tend to wear less eye makeup makeup in the summer, so it's awesome to just swipe this on with a little eyeliner and call it a day. 

03. Benefit Bella Bamba, $28, benefit.com :: Ahhhhh, SUCH an oldie. So I got this blush back in like, oh geez, when I was first getting into makeup, maybe 2009? 2010? Today, I'm under the impression that it's actually discontinued (sad) but I believe you can probably find it on Amazon (yay?) if you're not afraid to purchase makeup on Amazon, that is. It's literally the only blush in my collection that screams AUGUST to me, it's like this perfect blend of watermelony pink with purple undertone and some orange sparkle, and I always use it during the summertime. I'd say Mac's Springsheen is a descent dupe for this (as it's highly pigmented and has orangey sparkle too,) but you'd probably have to mix it with a purple undertoned blush to really make it Bella Bamba approved. 

04. Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine, $22, sephora.com :: One of my favorite moisturizing lip butters of all time, let me tell you. This was perfect for me all month while hitting the beach and the pool, for it keeps your lips super moisturized. It's made of all natural oils and is free of all that chemical garbage, and it smells out of this world. I also adore the "Pomegranate" scent, and that actually adds a nice red tint to your lips, also another perfect addition to the summery lip balm. 

05. NARS Cruella, $26, nars.com :: This velvet matte lip pencil is exactly how it sounds. I received a mini version of this in some sort of points perk (yay Sephora), and I actually was hesitant to use it until I met one of my friends out and she was sporting this color absolutely flawlessly! I tried it and have not gone back. It's a really cool red, very different than the reds I usually wear, its a bit deeper and has a slight purple undertone which is really different. I think it's the perfect transition lip color into darker shades, like deep purples and browns, which I love to sport over fall and winter months. 

06. Sephora Oil-in-Gel Lipstick Remover, $5, sephora.com :: If you haven't purchased this yet, you NEED TO, (also, it's only $5 now). I'm actually thinking of buying another tube to stock up. I'm obsessed with this lipstick remover, because it gets the job done perfectly every time. Miss Lindz introduced me to this fab product, and I haven't gone back ever since. Seriously, this is a must-buy, now. 

07. Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Mini Roller, set $25, sephora.com :: Thank you Sephora, for saving me this $25. I got the baby white rollerball back in July as a point perk, and what do you know! August seemed to be the month for the baby black rollerball point perk gift. So, I now have both, and I love to alternate them in my bag. As I've talked about many a time before, the black is my favorite, so I've obviously been using this one a lot more. (fun fact, not only did I meet Mary Kate & Ashley at their launch for these fragrances, it was revealed that they spent three years making the black perfume and only a few months on the white!)

Body / Miscellaneous

08. The Righteous Butter, $4, soapandglory.com :: Another must-buy!! This mini-version comes on every trip with me, whether it's just spending the night in Manhattan or traveling out of the country: I've always brought this baby a long. It's just a glorious and really cheap moisturizer that smells amazing and looks adorable. What more could you want? P.S I love Hand Food too, of course. 

09. DVF Sun & Moon Candles :: Gifted to me by Ms. Lindsey Marie (who just finished her summer internship at DVF, and is now gallivanting around Disney World as a member of DCP, while also saving lives at Typhoon Lagoon), these are the DVF Sun & Moon candles that seem to be no longer found anywhere online (limited addition, most likely). They both smell absolutely scrumptious and very DVF (as you would assume they should), and I've been madly burning them since I got them from her back in early August. I prefer the Moon scent (its a bit cologney, darker) as opposed to the Sun scent (its lighter and happier), just because of my aesthetics, but both are individually amazing, and they also compliment each other nicely.

AND FINALLY, CLIPS FROM THIS MONTH + KQ OUTFITS!

"Have more than thou showest

Speak less than thou knowest"

[Lear 1.4]

Cheers, xoxox

FRACTURE

For my final look this August, I wanted to do a really versatile ensemble, something that could be worn casually during the day and then can be dressed up later in the evening. I went with just the evening look for my photos, however, this crop top and skirt could easily be made day-time if a pair of flats or sandals were added. 

I started with my Suzanne Tank from Brandy Melville (similar here), I absolutely loved the contrast of this particular one, with the white as the base and black as the top detailed part. I adore my plain black Suzanne tank, but there's something about this one that makes the whole outfit look a lot more graphic and geometric which I love. To play with proportion, I added this striking skirt from Urban Outfitters, and yes, it is indeed inside out. I prefer to wear it this way as I like the ruggedness of the seams and the deeper colors of the inside. To absolutely polish the look right off, I added my gorgeous SCHUTZ shoes in the Cadey-Lee style. Finally, I couldn't do without my neon clutch and my gold choker courtesy of Orelia. I also wanted to mention my gorgeous lip color- it's perhaps my new favorite Mac lipstick- in the shade, Film Noir. 

"I like not fair terms and a villain's mind"

[Merchant of Venice 1.3]

Cheers, xoxoxox

PARANOIA

One of my favorite Stephen King quotes goes like this, "Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness." I certainly had it in mind when styling this casual ensemble while I was up in the Adirondacks. To personify some "paranoia," I thought nothing else would be appropriate other then mixing two very contrasting textiles. So, that's exactly what I did. I started with this tight striped muscle tee from Brandy Melville. Unfortunately, I purchased this a while back, so I don't think it's still available on the site, but it's become one of my staple summer pieces. Although horizontal stripes are quite against my fashion code, I've made an exception for this item because the stripes are thin enough where they don't quite widen my body. To offset the top, I added this big blanket of a sweater (notice how not only the pattern is contrastive, but so is the proportion- this is done purposely!). I got this beautiful knitted sweater at Pacsun, and I have literally been wearing it around almost every day since I purchased it (it's that comfortable). 

I finally added some skinny jeans from Bullhead Denim to finish off this casual look, and I'm obsessed with the light blue wash and cuts at the knees. They're majorly comfortable, by the way, which is such a plus as denim is going to be really big this fall. I added some quick accessories like my typical Ray-Bans, Topshop Choker, and Marc Jacobs wallet (similar here) for this quick on-the-go look, and I love the way it turned out.

"Blow, blow, thou winter wind! 

Thou art not so unkind as man's ingratitude"

[As You Like It 2.7]

Cheers, xoxox

/ / / /  P O S T  / /  S C R I P T / / / /

Just a fun tidbit of news- I wanted to share with you guys that I'm officially a Digital Editorial Intern for Harpers Bazaar (BAZAAR.COM). Keep updated on my Twitter & Instagram to read/see some fun behind the scenes stuff, as well as projects I work on. I'm super pumped to contribute to their kickass team and I'm so excited to learn + grow from my experience with them. <3 XO

APPARITION

I'm happy to report that the rest of this month's posts are all from my vacation last week in the Adirondacks, so get ready for some beachy-inspo and lots of white washes for the rest of August (which by the way, check out my Instagram for a TON of white inspo if you haven't seen it yet.. I took a leap of faith on this one and went full out). 

For my second #lakelife ensemble, I went for a super casual look to balance out the dressy-ness of my last post, so I started with as beachy casual as it gets: seersucker denim. That's right. I own seersucker. But this seersucker is actually so camouflaged because of it's thinness and colors, (white and very very very pale blue-green, almost seafoamy) that I'm actually kind of loving how it came out looking in these photos. It's hidden, and I think that's pretty cool. My two favorite things, though,  about these Bullhead Denim cropped jeans, have to be the rips in the knees and the frayed bottoms. Frayed pieces are going to be perfect for transitioning from summer to fall, so these jeans will be one of my staple pieces. I wanted to pair it with a stark white top (PRO-TIP: a stark, almost blue-hued white will certainly bring out a tan, and is thus, perfect for this time of year), so I added this Brandy Melville tank (similar style here). To edge up the look a bit and add some sportswear vibes, I finished it off with my beloved Steve Madden Buhbas. 

"Angels, and ministers of grace, defend us!

Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damn'd.

Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell.

Be thy intents wicked or charitable. 

Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, 

That I will speak to thee."

[Hamlet 1.4]

Cheers, xoo

HEMIPLEGIA

A little black, white, and red all over is just what the doctor ordered! Bienvenue from my home away from home over the summer: the Adirondacks. It's quite nice to be out of the city for a few days, but for my first look here, I wanted to bring some urban feel to these acres of wood. I started this outfit with my shoes: a trick I love to do when I'm not sure what to wear. I pick a pair of shoes that I know I'll definitely be sporting, and I build the outfit around that. 

I started with these strappy DVF beauties (somehow I didn't get around to recording the name of these, so I'm still looking to find the exact ones online to link up). The bottom of the shoe is a beautiful burgundy suede, and the straps are a thick black elastic, making the shoe so incredibly comfortable and stylish. A shoe like this is perfect for the transition between spring and fall, the contrast of a thicker, wintery textile is a simply brilliant contrast to the sandal. I wanted to play with the shape of the shoe so I added a very dramatically shaped pencil skirt, which I picked up for probably less then $20 at Necessary Clothing. The trick with this skirt is to put a lining underneath it: it flattens out the texture and it makes it look a lot more expensive then it is. Finally, I finished off with my Thin Chiyo Top from Brandy, and I finished it off with this gorgeous vintage Italian leather handbag I got back in 2010 in Florence. My choker is from Topshop, and my necklace is from E.Taylor Designs. 

Sophisticated, edgy, and a head turner on this lake. 

"You cannot call it love, for at your age

The heyday in the blood is tame, it’s humble,

And waits upon the judgment. 

And what judgment would step from this to this? 

Sense sure you have, else could you not have motion"

[Hamlet 3.4]

Cheers, xo