Stray Sequins

New Year's Resolutions...

2010-01-05T01:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone makes some sort of 'resolution' around New Years, and by March they are forgotten. I've decided that 2010 will be the year of new beginnings and a greater focus. This is just for my life in general, but me being me, this all relates back to fashion. -duh!-

I've realized that over the last few years I changed up my style a lot. I appreciate such a variety of styles that I seem to feel the need to partake in all of them in some sense. Not just the latest trends, just personal style in general. I sway from being super girly to edgy and 'punk' inspired to ghetto B girl to godknowswhat. This has left me feeling unfocused and like the dreaded 'I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!' I have been spending so much time trying to look like something that I've ended up not looking like myself anymore.

Also, I buy pieces that I love and can't seem to live without in that moment, but once its at home and the new shiny feeling wears off...a lot of times I realize that it doesn't go with anything I already own. So, it just sits in my closet and I admire it and think about how other people would wear it.

So my mission is to start over. Easy, since I'm getting rid of the majority of my belongings and moving to NYC in a little over a month! The real test will be what I do with the best shopping right at my fingertips.

I am going to focus on rebuilding a wardrobe piece by piece and only buying things that work with what I already own. Also, take a step back from something and see how I feel about it in a few minutes. If I still love it, then its probably a go. And only buying things that fit me properly and work for my body type. Sometimes I love an item so much that I buy it even if it's not the most flattering thing on me. And last, I am going to buy less cheapo throwaway in a month items and invest in key pieces that will last a long time. Yes, for trendy items ill do the F21 and H&M route, but not for my whole wardrobe.

For me, fashion is so much more than just buying what you like. It's a whole equation that needs to add up properly. And restraint. Lots of restraint.

New York...you will test my will power to the limit for sure!

Maybelline Major Fail

2009-12-28T23:37:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that Maybelline is credited with inventing mascara as we know it today. So why is it that every time I try a Maybelline mascara, it totally sucks? Everytime I say to myself 'I'll never buy another Maybelline mascara! I'll just stick with the expensive stuff!'

But I got sucked in again with their new Lash Stiletto mascara. Maybe it was their sexy TV ad that I see multiple times a day. Maybe it is because it references shoes in the title. Maybe I was duped by their promises of longer, fuller, patent black lashes. Who knows. But I bought it. And I hated it.

Honestly, it didn't do a whole lot to my lashes. And the mascara gets really hard when it dries. If I touched or tried to bend my lashes, it just felt like they would snap. Also, because they get so hard, the mascara starts to flake and gets in my eyes. LAME.

When I purchased the mascara, there was a 'value pack' that had both the Lash Stiletto mascara and the Line Stiletto liquid liner. I wear liquid liner every day, so I am always up for trying new ones that may be better and cheaper than my current fave. BUT...this sucked too. The major problem is that it is a felt tip and not a brush tip. I have nothing against a felt tip on liner, but this one didnt actually come to a point! It had a rounded end, so achieving the cat eye liner that I do daily was next to impossible. Also, the liner was a little transparent. I like a thick opaque color with my liquid liner.

Maybelline...I really want to like you. I really do. Please prove me wrong.

(These products were purchased with my own money and I am in no way affiliated with Maybelline.)

L.A.M.B. is singin my song

2009-12-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Gwen Stefani for her music, style, and attitude. So when she released her fashion line a few years back, I was skeptical but excited. Most celeb-gone-designer efforts usually end up lame over-priced clothing, but Gwen's line is well thought out and holds it's own against higher end designer lines.

I have always kept tabs on her lines and products, but honestly, a lot of the items weren't really my style. It's not that I didn't like the products, they just weren't in tune with my personal style and not things that I would be able to incorporate into my personal style...

...until this season. Everything that L.A.M.B. has come out with this season I DIE FOR. Loves it, needs it. All of that. Here are my two faves:

Oh hello chartreuse purse. I love you, dream bag. If you know me at all, you know my obsession with the color chartreuse. The more pukey, fluorescent, and neon the better. Basically, the more obnoxious the color the better. I like that the quilting is subtle and not a huge monogram "LAMB" all over the bag. Nothing is more off-putting to me than logos barfed up all over a bag.

Okay, okay, okay. This is obviously a rip off of the Ann Demeulemeester boots that everyone had a heart attack over. But rightfully so. Both the Demeulemeester boots and these L.A.M.B. ones are drool worthy. What I love about the L.A.M.B. ones is the heel. Its more of a Dr. Marten feel to it opposed to the chunky heel of the Demeulemeester version. Anyways, both wayyyy out of my budget but whatever.

A girl can dream, right?

How can you not love Polyvore?

2009-09-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

Gothic Opera by zombiehearts featuring Christian Louboutin shoes

Hard Candy Cosmetics for Wal Mart!

2009-09-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hard Candy was the first brand of 'high end' makeup that I fell in love with back in middle school, and they are highly to blame for my continuing obsession with cosmetics and beauty products.

A couple months ago, Hard Candy put their entire line of cosmetics on super clearance, and then disappeared of the face of the planet. Needless to say, I was heart broken. Their cute packaging and fun colors sucked me in every time, and I was sad to see them go. I mean, come on, plastic rings with every bottle of nail polish...who wont miss that?

The online beauty community was baffled with their departure, wondering if they had gone out of business or possibly changing their packaging or maybe starting over fresh. No one really knew for sure.

BUT... As I was perusing the Wal-Mart beauty section today, I stumbled upon a brand new display that was completely empty of makeup. All of the signage was in place, and it was decorated with roses and sparrows and traditional tattoo flash. The only make up title I remember was a 'lip tattoo' which is a lip stain. And above the display, in big, bold letters read, HARD CANDY COSMETICS, COMING SOON!

Excuse me? Hard Candy? At WAL-MART?!?!?! So, I rushed home and found a few articles on the subject. Seems that Hard Candy is doing an exclusive makeup line for Wal Mart with products ranging from $5-$10. It's much like the Go International line at Target where high-end designers make collections for Target.

I am curious to see how the quality of the actual makeup is, and I will definitely be picking up some pieces when it is released! Not that I need any more makeup...but whatever.

here are some articles on the subject:

Wal-Mart to Offer Hard Candy to Woo High-End Shoppers

Wal-Mart Stocks Shelves with Hard Candy Cosmetics

Hard Candy Wal-Mart Product Line:

Review: Kat Von D for Sephora Tattoo Liner

2009-09-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

Now, a lot of people have strong opinions on Kat Von D, both good and bad. When she released a cosmetics line for Sephora, I was skeptical. Actually, I didn't want to have anything to do with it. The tattoo references and 'badass' color names were just annoying to me. Sorry Kat.

Curiosity got the best of me and I tested a bunch of it out at my local Sephora.

...This makeup is awesome. The pigmentation is super high and you can't find some of these shades anywhere else. When I was on a mad hunt for the perfect tomato-orange lip stick, when it was all said and done, I ended up with Kat Von D's Painted Love Lipstick in Stiletto.

Her newest creation is the Tattoo Liner. It is a liquid liner that looks like a felt tip pen. The pen-like applicator makes it SUPER easy to put on, and it lasts all day long. Needless to say, this is a life saver and my current favorite thing ever.

It's only $18 and comes in Trooper (black) and Skater (blue)

LORAC also makes basically the exact same product called Front of the Line PRO. It comes in black and brown and is a little more expensive than the Kat Von D version at $22. I haven't tested this one out, but based on the reviews on sephora.com it seems to be amazing as well.

Anna Sui for Target available today!

2009-09-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of buzz about the Anna Sui for Target collection...and today it is finally available to the public!

It is available at 250 select Target locations and on target.com. The website is already sold out of some sizes so shop quick! According to reviews, the collection is running small...as do a lot of the Target designer collections.

I ordered a bunch of the pieces online last night, and will give you a full review when they come next week!

Forever 21 Twist "Cirque 21"

2009-07-25T12:17:00.000-07:00

Forever 21 is coming out with a limited edition line on July 29th called Forever 21 Twist - Cirque 21. I have no other details on it, other than the look book available on the forever21.com website.

It is very fun and whimsical and heavily influenced by the circus and carnivals. Lots of stripes and bows and tulle. TOTALLY my style. Here are a few of my favorite look book photos:

OPI Matte Review

2009-07-17T14:28:00.001-07:00

I have been anticipating the release of the OPI Matte collection for a few months now and finally got my hands on a bottle. I chose 'Linkin Park After Dark' which is said to be matte black. I was curious about this being black, since the Linkin Park After Dark Non-Matte shade is more of a dark plum. This ended up being the case for the matte color as well.

The matte polish is very thick and drys SUPER fast. This makes it hard to get a good, even coat. If you put it on thick, it looks like a gloppy mess. But if you put it on too thin, you see brush streaks in it...even after layers upon layers of polish.

Overall, the idea of matte nail polish is genius, but I was rather disappointed by it in reality.

Old Navy

2009-07-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm not a huge Old Navy fan, but certian things they do make me love, love, love them.

When trying to find a swimsuit to take to Hawaii with me, I ran all around downtown Seattle searching for a swimsuit that wouldn't make me gag. The only ones I found that I remotely liked were $100+. Yeah. Right.

So, I went into Old Navy and found an awesome black one-piece with gold studs on it for 12 bucks. Can't beat that price, and the suit was actually cute!

Moving on....

Old Navy always has a "special of the week". They typically feature items that I do not have any interest at all in. BUT....this week, the special is "slinky tees and tanks for $7". WHAAAAAAAT?! I had to go check it out. Oversized pocket tees and tanks. Henley tanks. And then a bunch of drapey gross stuff.

I bought 3 tanks. 2 henleys (black and grey) and one pocket tank (rusty orange).

Here's the black and orange. (I'm wearing the grey right now...love it!)

In response...

2009-06-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

In response to my patent black oxfords post, I have obtained a much cuter version than the ones below!

I am the proud owner of these babies, only 50 bucks from aldo:

Black patent leather.
Pointed toe.
Cut out.
Oxfords.

And...they happen to be super comfortable with or without stockings on.

I wore these Pride weekend on Capitol Hill and this cute, highly-flamboyant man told me they were 'super cute'. Therefore, it is a fact that they are cute.

T-Shirt Shredding

2009-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to childhoodflames' post... I am now working on my own shredded tee.

This technique is all over the runways this year...

Raquel Allegra is known for this technique. Her designs go for hundreds of dollars.

I'm going to experiment on a men's XL t-shirt I bought for 10 bucks.

I'll keep ya posted on the progress.

Shoe Lust #1

2009-02-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Steve Madden "Oxxie"

These are the perfect black patent oxfords that I have been looking for. Everything I've found just hasn't been quite right. But, I stumbled upon these a little too late. They are sold out literally EVERYWHERE. As we speak, I'm scouring eBay for a pair. Or at least for something similar. Drool.