JULY FAVORITES

First thing's first, it definitely wouldn't be appropriate to post this without acknowledging a "happy birthday" to Harry Potter. Contrary to what you might assume, I've actually always been a huge fan— in fact, I can probably explain the wizarding world just as well as I can talk about makeup or fashion or Shakespeare, it's that engrained in me. But if you ever asked me why I'm so wrapped up in narratives like Shakes plays or Harry Potter, I'll answer it simply: a truly successful story to me is timeless — it can transcend any time and any space, and recognizes the real characteristics of what it's like to be human (or in this case, a wizard, but still a very humane wizard at that). That's why I love to look at the world through a bit of a literary lense.. and that's why I'll always end my posts with "a sprinkle of Shakespeare sagacity" — those quotes are, ultimately, pretty useful. But alas.... enough with my rant (I can go on with this for hours) and let's get into the products I've been loving this month.

Beauty 

01).  Makeup Forever Pro- Sculpting Palette- An excellent starter contour palette for individuals like me who don't really want to spend too much time or energy contouring! No but seriously, this is a great find if you're looking for some colors to shape your face.. I'm especially in love with the champagney-highlighter swatch. The consistency of these are also great, excellently creamy but not sticky or over-pigmented. A simple swipe of these on your face, with a little blending and you're good to go. Super compact for traveling too, so I will be taking it with me when I'll be away for the next few weeks. 

02). Mac In The Sun- So since this is my 'oldie but goody' product for the month, it's been  discontinued as far as I know, so I linked the newer version of Mac's large sparkly shadows (which are very similar). But this is probably one of my favorites in my entire collection because it's the perfect mineralized combo of gold and maroon that looks gorgeous on the crease. It also screams summer to me but is really gorgeous for all year around!  

03) Mac At The Beach - This is from Mac's new collection of pro-longwear waterproof colour sticks, and I've been using it non stop on my lids as either a base or solely by itself. It has just the right amount of sparkle where it's not overwhelming, and it's perfect for swiping some color on your lids if you're actually heading to the beach or pool (pun intended? lol). 

04) Mac Paragon - Another nude, champagney color I've been loving this month on my tearduct and a little on my waterline (if you have sensitive eyes, I would be careful with this as it's a shimmery pencil that might irritate your waterline if you use it there, just a warning!) It really does the trick of lighting up your eyes and just looks gorgeous on tanned skin. I love versatile products, so I played around with it as a lip liner/highlighter and it works just as brilliantly. 

05) NARS OASIS - Another oldie but goody!!! I LOVE this blush guys. I kind of rediscovered it in my collection this month and it's just gorgeous and really compliments a summer glow. It's a mauvey-pinky-purple tone with gold flecks, and it just looks absolutely beautiful on any skintone. Definitely a must-buy if you don't already own it. 

06) King K by Kylie Cosmetics - So after being incredibly impressed with Dolce K last month, I took the plunge and purchased a few more Kylie colors, King K being one of them! First off, I have to say I love the "metal matte lip" idea. It's something I've always thought would be so beautiful on the lips because I always loved Latte by Lush Cosmetics (a metallic peachy-champagne), so when I saw that Kylie was coming out with actual liquid lipsticks of the same concept, I knew I had to try one. I went with King K, because well, I love gold, and I felt that this one would look the best with my skintone. Needless to say, I'm impressed with this product once again, and wore it a lot over other lipsticks this month (it looks glorious over Mac's Touch and Mac's Taupe). So, well done again, KC.

Misc/ Fashion

07) Bandanas!!!! - So I definitely felt I had to throw this into my favorites this month because I've been obsessed with wearing these around my neck. They just compliment every outfit so nicely and add a trendy flair without overdoing it. 

& Finally, all my looks from this month:

Here's to August guys--- SO many exciting things coming and I can't wait to share them with you all. Keep posted on my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to see what I'll be up to. 

"Heat not a furnace for your foe

So hot that it do singe yourself"

[Henry VIII 1.1]

Cheers, xoxoxo

DAHLIA

Two reasons why I love this post: it features this kickass floral mini I got in Italy back in 2010, and it shows the absolute imperfection of fashion blogging. What you guys didn't see, was the blaring 100 degree temp that day we shot this (you may have gotten the idea from my furrowed brow/ sweaty mess of hair!) But, I do really minimal photoshopping on this blog (+ fun filters cause why not!) and didn't actually realize how much photoshop plays into fashion blogging until I was well into the practice. Turns out, about 90% of the fashion blog photos/instagrams you see are heavily photoshopped, I'm talking way more than even a Victoria's Secret ad, it's a part of the photography process in most cases. So, while these are slightly tweaked in pattern, I like to keep the editing to a bare minimum—and kept them organic enough to almost have that brutal hot day shine through (literally..). 

But honestly, who really cares how I look anyway, because this is all about the clothes, after all. I paired this cute floral Zara minidress with a sweet bandana and Adidas Superstar kicks to edge it up. This is a really great dress-up day look which I love, and I finished it off with an over the shoulder Rebecca Minkoff mini. 

"This bud of love, by summer’s ripening breath, 

May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet."

[Romeo and Juliet 2.5]

Cheers, xoxox

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

In case you couldn't already tell by the title, I'm feeling a little Disney in this post (which is probably pretty good considering the fact that in 20 days, Miss Lindz and I will be jetting off to the happiest place on earth, wooohooooo). But seriously, something about that mirrored backdrop really has me feelin' some Snow White vibes, and I think this outfit is actually such a cool mod version of the classic narrative.

I started this look with this denim BDG skirt from Urban Outfitters and added a long sleeve v neck from American Apparel to balance out the heaviness of the bottom. Next, I wanted to add a little more literally "snow white" details with my killer Adidas Superstars and this adorable bandana. Finally, I had to add some pops of color to the look so I thought it would be fun to add this sweet vintage rainbow bag. Pretty killer look with a whole lot of ~~magicallll**~~

character. 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"To show virtue her own feature, 

scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the 

time his form and pressure."

[Hamlet 3.2]

Cheers, xoxox

ENIGMA

Ever since I was a little girl, I always had one favorite coloring book activity: the maze. You know, the little square ones you find on the back of a children's book or newspaper. Mazes intrigued me.. I definitely loved figuring out the right direction to go in, but more so, I adored the visual confusion. For years, my elementary school self practiced on every maze I could get a hand on, and eventually, figured out ways of cheating on every maze to get it right every time. But as I got older (brace yourself for the cliché), I realized that mazes were the way I could look at life... constant twists and turns and lots of dead ends. But past all of those road blocks, the maze still continues. 

I loved this maze-like inspired backdrop Avery and I found in the Lower East Side the other day, and my head was dinging with nostalgia as I posed against it. For this scorching summer look, I paired one of my favorite summer skirts by Levi's with a clean white halter from Brandy Melville. I love the proportion of this skirt especially paired with this kickass ASOS belt and these strappy Sam Edelman's. Next, I popped on my suede Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel that I can't stop dragging with me everywhere,  and finished off the look with these cute glasses from Illesteva and Kylie Cosmetic's True Brown K. 

Bring on those mazes. 

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"And I have thrust myself into this maze, 

Happily to wive and thrive as best I may. 

Crowns in my purse I have and goods at home, 

And so am come abroad to see the world."

[The Taming of The Shrew, 1.2]

Cheers, xoxox

TINCT

About 89% of the reason why I love blogging has more to do with the locale than the clothing (okay, it really is mostly both equally). But scouting cool spots to shoot in front of certainly is one of the most fun aspects of it, and this shoot in particular is an excellent example. Hidden deep within the sizzling streets of Harlem are two adorable sister spots: a bar and a coffee shop, situated right next to each other with darling matching aesthetic. I have yet to experience the bar half of this locale, but the coffee shop side is simply delightful and has pretty yummy hibiscus iced tea— so with that, I was sold. 

What I loved the most, however, was definitely that this locale really matched my outfit to a tee (lol pun intended). Staying stylish on really hot days can be absolute hell (because obviously all you want to do is get in a tank top and shorts and call it a day), so I came up with a look that's simple enough to keep you cool but stylish enough to gain some double takes. I started with this bralette by Brandy Melville, and complimented it with a high waisted black denim skirt from Urban Outfitters. To add a little swag, I went with a black bandana tied in a triangle around my neck, and paired the look with new shoe loves in my closet: white Adidas Originals. Super easy look that works in the sizzling climate apropos for both a coffee or a bar...

♡ Photos by Avery Bart ♡

"Under these windows, white and azure laced

With blue of heaven's own tinct."

[Cymbeline 2.2]

Cheers,