FEBRUARY FAVORITES

Ah, February. The bridge between what we like to think of as spring and the hopefully end of winter. I can only really say that I like February because of fashion week, to be honest. And, because there are random 50 degree days, which are the best when they fall on the weekend. But this year, this month actually takes the cake not only because it's a leap year (yay for 366 days), but because I got to see Miss Lindsey after 7 months. (Yes, you read that right, SEVEN months). So cheers to that. I also had a lot of fun with makeup the past few weeks, as you'll see in my favorites, and have delved into, dare I say, a lot of pink lip colors. So without further ado....

Beauty

01. The Porefessional Matte Rescue Primer- All hail this primer, y'all! I am really liking this blue jelly goodness from Benefit. I'm already a big fan of the Porefessional products, so it wasn't hard for me to try this out from the get-go, but it actually exceeded my expectations. It's a refreshing blue gel that really brightens your makeup and keeps foundation from slipping and sliding throughout the day.  Not to mention, I get really oily on warmer days, so this keeps my face super matte and shine-free. Definitely a must-try if you have oily/combo skin and you're looking for a new foundation primer.  

02. Suede Seduction Palette by Buxom- Oh my god you guys, this is actually the only eyeshadow palette I've been using for the past like three weeks straight. I am simply obsessed. I've never actually used Buxom shadows before, (I've only ever delved into their mascaras), so I was a bit hesitant when first trying this out. Truth be told, the colors are wicked cool and the pigmentation is glorious. I've been loving the third, darkest coppery shade in my crease, and the peach tone on my lid, with a little bit of the icey grey on my outer corner. It's really such a brilliant palette because it's such a fresh take on nudes and greys. I never thought I'd say it, but I almost like this better than some of the Naked palettes, for real. 

03. Colourpop La La- Well, well well. I know I'm extremely bias of the name, but this eyeshadow lives up to the Lala standard, from what I can tell. It's a lovely metallic copper, that is simply the perfect balance of warm and cool.. it's not too much, but it's not too subtle either. It's quite reminiscent of Mac's Tan pigment (which I loooove), and is easily a dupe for the shade. Bonus: it's only five dollars.. aka, it's the best purchase ever. Sidenote, I LOVE the consistency of Colourpop shadows (I have a few others as well), and I'm so into their motto of getting really quality makeup for a lot cheaper than most brands. So so smart, and so so cool. 

04. Mac Zac Posen Haute Contour- If there's anything I love, it's a high fashion designer collab with a makeup brand. Zac Posen recently teamed up with Mac to produce a totally chic line of powders, lipsticks, and more, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on his contour compact. It comes with a bronzer  and "highlight," which certainly looks more like a blush shade of pink and gold. The powders just leave you absolutely glowing, and it's so beautiful, inside and out. 

05. Colourpop Lumiére- And so begins my cliff dive into the world of pink lippie stix. I purchased this earlier in the month with the hope of it being a nice dupe for the pink shade in the Kylie Lip Kit, and boy was I on target. It's the most gorgeous mauvey-pink matte lip color that I think I've ever owned, and I haven't been able to stop wearing it. Oh yeah, and it's only five dollars. All hail Colourpop. 

06. Colourpop Trap- Last Colourpop product in this batch but certainly not least, I also picked up Trap this month as I was in search for a cool purpley greige- pink. This is also a matte lip cream so the consistency is very wet in the bottle but immediately dries on the mouth, which I love. This color reminds me of bubblegum, cool girl bands, and Tumblr. It's amazing. 

Miscelleneous 

07. Batiste Dry Shampoo- I recently ran out of my beloved Nirvana Dry Shampoo by Elizabeth and James, so I opted to run out and grab a quick replacement for the time being. I've talked about my love for Batiste in other monthly favorites, but I wanted to place it in a current monthly favorites as I've rediscovered how much I really like it. This is the original scent but I also really like the Cherry + Wild. 

08. #BLOCKOUTTHEHATERS Sleep Mask by 41 Winks- How freakin cute is this guys! I received this lovely mask in the mail and I'm simply obsessed with it's aesthetic, and moreover, it's anti-bullying message. Stay tuned for a piece I've written in correspondence with this mask's message on the Lala, where I share a personal story about cyberbullying. 

&Finally, a wrap up of my favorite outfits this month and clips from FASHION WEEK!

"Men at sometime are masters of their fates"

[Julius Caesar 1.2]

HAPPY MARCH!

Cheers, xoxoxo

P.S CHECK OUT MY RAD PHOTOGRAPHER, AVERY BART, ON HIS NEW ONLINE PORTFOLIO. SO MANY SNAPS FOR THIS ONE.  

SECRET VALENTINE

For the very end of February, I thought it would be fun to finish off fashion month with a super dramatic, play-with-proportions kind of look. So here, I did just that, and I'm quite pleased with the avant-garde outcome. I started with these lace black bell bottoms from Necessary Clothing, and added a cream blouse with decked out collar from Nasty Gal up top. I wanted to really rock the "dress over pants" look so on top of that, I layered this velveteen dress from Urban Outfitters, and finally another layer of bomber jacket. I love that this look takes traditional pieces and redefines them, creating a whole new spin on the dress, the pant, and the collared shirt-- they all have truly transformed into new pieces of clothing when placed together in this manner.

I kept the color palette pretty muted, but added pops of reds and coppers with my bag and shoes, as well as a nice pink lip from Colourpop, in the shade, Lumiere (obsessed with this matte lippie). 

It's certainly amazing what a little layering can do. 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"What's in a name? 

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

[Romeo + Juliet 2.2]

Cheers, xoxox

FLATLINE

I'll be honest, bright blue denim hasn't always been my cup of tea. I've always preferred grey or black cuts, particularly when it comes to skirts (me, trying to avoid looking like my 7th grade Abercrombie denim skirt-clad self). But I spotted this blue denim dream at H&M and just had to get my hands on it. There's something about this skirt, not sure whether it's the very clean cut or rose gold buttons, or the fact that it actually looks extremely more expensive than. It screams "spring" to me in every way, and I'm really excited to style it for the rest of the season. Plus, how cute will it look in the summer with a simply cropped top? SO versatile.

I paired this beauty with a big white vintage sweater for this look (this actually used to be my grandfather's sweater, believe it or not), and added a light cream jacket on my shoulders from Forever 21 (similar here). To pop off of the rose gold buttons, I decided to go with coppery- brown accessories, with this vintage leather bag and my 99 Tie JC's. As it was really warm this weekend in New York, I opted for a half top knot to finish off the look (you can't really go wrong with one, after all.)

♡ Photos by Avery Bart♡

 "They have been at a great feast of languages, and stol’n the scraps."

[Loves Labour's Lost 5.1]

Cheers, xxx

ICE QUEEN

If you'd asked me a few years ago what would be a great staple in my closet in a few years, there's a 98% chance I would have not said "white overalls." In fact, even after wearing these out a few times, I still cannot believe that I own/ have worn them. Overalls are just so out of my comfort zone, especially bell bottom ones. Alas, an old cliche pushed me to overcome my fear: "fashion is about taking risks.." so I guess, the question we're getting at is, has this thick blankety denim jumpsuit done the trick? Much to my surprise, I'd say so. Gifted to me, these GAP babies are the first of their kind in my closet, and while I probably won't be running out to get another pair any time soon, I'm pretty happy that this particular fate knocked on my door. Why, you say?

The thing I like best about these is the fact that they are so bold. It's already bold enough to rock denim overall ensembles to begin with, but white denim? That's where the line is drawn for most. But truth be told, I actually think these fit better into my wardrobe than a classic pair would (my next overall venture will probably be black denim). I find that solid color overalls end up looking a lot more chic and a little more subtle than straight up blue denim pairs, since your eye, distracted by the color, won't necessarily recognize the familiar cut off the bat. It'll appear more jumpsuit looking, which is a nice baby step into the overall universe if you're just embarking upon it. 

I paired this powerhouse "suit" with a sheepy Forever 21 sweatshirt and a warm MK coat, complete with a fur collar and a sporty vibe (khaki, weather proof material seems to be quite in right now.. thank you Yeezy). Finally, I popped on some gloves from H&M and a beanie from Brandy Melville, and finished off the look with Jeffrey Campbell wedges and nice big Chanel glasses.

Overall, (no pun intended.. sorry I couldn't resist that one, lol) I'd say that this is a nice "winter white" combo, one that is both extremely practical and really suitable for a blistering cold day of New York Fashion Week. Here's to taking fashion risks together, shall we? 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart♡

"The means of weakness and debility; 

Therefore my age is as a lusty winter, 

Frosty, but kindly."

[As You Like It 2.3]

Cheers, xoxox + HAPPY NYFW! 

VICTOIRE

Let the games begin this fashion month. I've always had such a love for Victorian style and things, from architecture to clothing, you name it. I wanted to channel some of that classic look into this mod update, while still keeping it cool enough for a dinner or night out. The center of this piece most certainly has to be this vintage hat I got for Christmas, which exudes that perfect1920s flair. I paired it up with a ruffled black blouse from Ralph Lauren and added high waisted silk Zara shorts to keep the look grounded. 

I wanted to give my legs some defined proportion so I added high knee socks with my suede JC wedges, and finally, I decided to add my fur BCBG jacket to add that last moment of texture. The victorian-style choker I'm wearing if from H&M, and I think it really brings the look back with that retro vibe. And of course, I lost the glasses for this shoot, which I'm sure Miss Lindz is rejoicing about.

Let the fashion games begin ;)

♡ Photos by Avery Bart♡

"“These violent delights have violent ends 

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder 

Which, as they kiss, consume”

[Romeo + Juliet 2.6]

Cheers, xoxo

PS: Check out my latest article on BAZAAR.com, hairstyles by the decades <3.