APRIL FAVORITES

Cannot get over how aesthetically pleasing my favorites are this month^^, amirite? April was such a whirlwind, and it's certainly wild that I graduate in 22 days (believe me, I've tried to wrap my head around this fact so many times and it still hasn't hit me). It's been a  month that really has made me reflect on my past four years at school.. and how much I've changed since I first got here.. or as I'd hope to call it: how much better my fashion styling and makeup applying skills have gotten since I've got here (lol.) But it's not goodbye, of course.. it will certainly be a see you later to all of the indescribably impactful beings that I've met here (yeah, I'm referencing a creepy Disney quote that Lindz would love). But I'm really looking forward to starting my post-grad endeavors, and more importantly excited to actually start a new one of my "lives," in this grand old scheme. I'm also really going to be focusing on my blog a lot more (FINALLY) and really give it the attention it deserves, so stay tuned for some exciting collabs + updates on that. Anyways. Enough with my rant. Let's get into the products I've been die-hard about this month.

Beauty 

01. Glossier Phase 2 Stretch Concealer- What a beautiful brand this is. And the addition of a fresh-faced line from Phase 2 has been such a cherry on top. I was able to get my hands on this concealer about a month ago, and I'm absolutely floored about how natural and light it is. It's far from most of the cakier concealers I've used in the past, but is still buildable enough to have a ton of coverage which I really appreciate. I can already tell this is going to be my go-to summer/beach concealer for the coming months. 

02. Mally Beauty Foundation Brush- So I've always been skeptical of applying foundations with brushes because of A) the apparent "bacteria" breeding factor (always an issue with brushes) and B) the fact that it's more likely to have this bacteria build up if you're applying a wet makeup product like a foundation. To be honest, I'm really not sure how accurately true either of those points are but I was still always hesitant. But of course, little did I know how much I was missing out on when it came to application. I've been using this brush for a few weeks now (with constant washing because of my paranoia) and I have to say, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm really loving it. The flat top is also excellent for foundation and easier to use when buffing, so I definitely prefer that over any flat-brush one. A few thumbs up for me for sure.. I'm impressed.  

03. Physician's Formula Bronze Booster- I'm also the type of person who's very skeptical of bronzers.. mainly because I don't think they give enough bang for their buck. That's why I usually stick to my few favorites from Benefit and NARS, so again, this was a big try for me to say the least (especially since it's a drugstore formula). But I looooooooooooove this. It has gold components which aren't too crazy shimmery which I love, and the pigmentation is wild. Such a great find, this will be my go-to bronzer for this summer, I'm sure of it. 

04) KORRES Mocha Brown and 02 Liner- Move over MAC, these dupes are about to take you over. I got my hands on this lip combo from an extra sample lying around at my internship, and I'm so glad I did. Easily a dupe for Mac's Taupe/Persistence and comparable pencils, this combo creates a gorgeous Kylie-looking neutral lip, and I've been so obsessed with it lately. 

05) Mac Dej Loaf - Can we take a moment to hysterically laugh at the fact that I thought this color was called "Deli Loaf" before I looked it up online. Either I'm losing my farsight, or I'm just silly, and it's probably a bit of both. Either way, I'm obsessed with this gloss. Somehow, lip gloss has resurrected and with that, I can finally use a lot of the useless glosses I've collected throughout the past couple of years. Mac's glosses I think will always be my favorite because not only do they smell like gorgeous vanilla extract, they last for hours upon hours. Obsessed with this shade though, I love wearing it over Mac's Taupe lipstick. 

06) First Aid Beauty Bouncy Mask- First off, I am loving the pale pink packaging of this (such a refreshing take away from the blue). If you've read any of my skincare archives on the Lala, you'll know that I'm all for gentle masks-- nothing too crazy or harsh. This is a perfect example of exactly what I was talking about. This 10 minute mask is super light and very effective. I did it a couple of nights ago, and my skin still feels soft and calm. That's the kind of outcome a mask should have. Well done, FAB. 

07) Rituals Cherry Blossom Body Spray- I have been on the hunt for a good body spray for months now. And I'm talking, something that veers away from the typical Victoria's Secret nonsense (as much as I love some of their scents, #srynotsry). Lo and behold, there she is. I decided to try out this body spray from Rituals, because not only do I love cherry blossom scented things, the packaging is on point... yes, I am guilty of buying things because of they aesthetically look. I will admit it. Sometimes it doesn't always work out.. but when it does, it's pretty amazing. And I lucked out with this one, the product matches the packaging BY LIGHTYEARS! It smells wicked good and I really can't get enough. 

the Lala Shop

08) the Lala Shop Hat- To continue my tradition of now choosing a favorite monthly product from the shop for you guys, next up is this hat! If you know me, you know that I am not a baseball hat kind of girl (never was), but if there's any team I'd rep, it'd be the Lala in style. This black hat is super cute, comfy and really perfect to throw on on any sunny spring day. OBSESSED.

And finally, a look at my outfits from this past month:

♡ Footage by Avery Bart ♡

"We are such stuff

As dreams are made on"

[The Tempest 4.1]

Happy MAY!

Cheers, xoxoox

BLUE MONDAY

I think one of my favorite parts of the "day" to dress for would have to actually be the night. As the weather gets warmer though, the more confusing it becomes to dress for a happy hour without immediately reaching for your denim cutoffs from UO (we know, it gets real hot in the boiling concrete jungle). The way I like to handle this is mainly with proportion and light textures.. and take it from me, dress shorts are your best friends during summer eves. 

I started with these incredible silky shorts that I got from Marshall's, legit, not kidding, Marshall's. Miss Lindz actually spotted them for me and I fell in love upon first glance. I'm also really impressed with the material.. they're definitely a poly blend but they still have a ton of structure, so they're perfect for all day to night wear. Up top, I added a cool lace top from Nasty Gal, paired over a black bandeau (yes, bandeaus are still in guys, in my opinion at least) and I threw on my Zara vest to add a little proportion and cover up a bit (this is always a great idea when going out on summer nights... I'm way more comfortable with an extra layer so it doesn't look like I'm heading to a beach instead of a bar, plus, the extra layer screams a little more demure and sophisticated). Last but never least, I finished this look off with my Sam Edelman lace ups and a cool neon clutch I purchased back in Italy a few years ago, which is the perfect grab-and-go accessory. 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"The arms are fair, When the intent of bearing them is just"

[Henry IV Part 1, 5.2]

Cheers, xoxox

NEVERCHELLA

I'm hardly a festival goer, but with the wrath of Coachella that's seemingly unescapable, I decided it might be fun to style an affordable Killer Queen version of my own (I mean, who doesn't love a little fringe and flowers on a spring day?) I started with this fringed top from American Eagle (I know, I haven't shopped there in years either, until I somehow stumbled inside over spring break). Who would've thought I'd actually find something quite summery and pleasing to my aesthetic... but I'm glad I did. I paired it over this black BDG button-down skirt from Urban, and added this adorable lace cardigan I scored at Beacon's Closet a few years ago. 

Now, festival seasons are all about the accessories, right? After all, you can't costume a Tim Burton movie without adding a couple of parasol umbrellas, velveteen top hats, or a couple of bloody razors—same way you can't finish off a festival outfit without a flower crown and suede choker. First, I pinned a floral headband from Forever 21 around my half up bun, then wrapped a thin suede choker by Eterie around my neck a few times (I'm loving this tied choker look lately). Finally, I couldn't finish off without this adorable pocket fringe-bag and some black lace-up sneaks.

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man"

[Hamlet 1.3]

Cheers, xx

HARDWARE

If you couldn't already tell, I love mixing and matching pattern and texture. And I love mixing and matching even more when the garments are separated by a cool double buckle belt. How fun is this Asos one?! So I've been looking for a belt like this for ages and 90% of the ones I found were over $100 dollars, which I wasn't ready to dish out on my current budget. Low and behold, the Lala posted a kickass Instagram with one and passed on their affordable belt wisdom :: ASOS! I've only shopped online here a few times here and there, but I totally re-discovered it and am so glad I did. I'm obsessed with the silver textured detailing and the double buckle swag.. this is definitely a college budget friendly must have. 

To ramp up the texture even more, I paired it with this Urban Outfitters maxi skirt that I got a couple of years ago, paired with this Zara ribbed lace up top and my army green bomber from H&M. Of course I finished off with a ribbon choker and my typical Ray Bans.

"Ignorance is the curse of God; 

knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven."

[Henry IV Part II, 4.7]

Cheers, xox

BACKSTAB

April fashion goes one of two ways: light, airy, and chic, or dark, heavy and covered up. One of those, of course, is for the out-of-nowhere 90 degree days, and the other is for when, it's well freezing rain (really not a fan of April showers). With this look, I decided to play with a bunch of different light-white colors—from stark white, to ecru and seersucker light blue. I started with this pretty peasant-y top from Free People, and popped on a long whiter waistcoat from Zara. To keep the light feel but still compliment the look with some structure, I added these seersucker jeans from Bullhead & Co. 

Accessories were fun to play with for this one. First, I wanted to totally offset all of the white going on with a nice cherry magenta red: Amsterdam by NYX. Next, I wanted to add a shoe that totally contrasted the clothing as well, but still had a tinge of white detail—these Steven Madden NYLEE's did just the trick. Finally, I popped on my classic bag and glasses to finish the ensemble.

♡ 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, xoxoox