Wants: Bib Necklace

Crescent Leaf Necklace, Forever 21, $6.80

I've never been a huge fan of statement necklaces. I think it's just because I've never had one that fit my body shape. I remember when the long multi-strand necklaces were in style. I even bought one. But the strands would cling onto my boobs for dear life unless I wore something that totally covered me up. Even then, they would travel along the sides and frame out my chest to everyone. As if they weren't obvious enough!

Lately, I've been thinking of getting a bib necklace, one of those that goes across your neck instead of down your chest. I shop quite a bit at Forever 21 (cause I'm poor) and I kind of like, love this necklace.

My boobs more or less make a shelf for necklaces and it always draws so much attention to the girls. I think having something across my décolleté will draw some attention from my fun bags. Hopefully. In any case, these won't get lost in my cleavage. I think it would also balance out the width of my chest as well.

What do you think?

Thanksgiving

I've always liked Thanksgiving as a kid. The food, the family, the chatter, it was really cool. For the past few years, my family stopped celebrating Thanksgiving and I've always been kind of sad about it. My mom works during the holiday and my family just doesn't have the motivation to have a huge feast.

Thankfully, my friends started celebrating it together so I was able to have the experience. It was fun just putting together a dinner all together and catch up.

What am I thankful for? I'm thankful for the health of myself and everyone that I love. I'm thankful that I have a home. I'm thankful for my boyfriend, of course. <3 I really like the feelings that Thanksgiving brings about.

It used to be all about family and food, but nowadays, it feels like people talk more about Black Friday or how excited they are for Christmas. Don't get my wrong, Christmas is great, but do we really need holiday music for all of November and December?

Anyways, I'm excited to eat myself into a coma tomorrow. I'm celebrating it with my boyfriend and his family. :)

Edit: I think Thanksgiving should be reserved for family, but if you do want to shop for beauty products on Black Friday, you can get some nice deals online so you don't have to wait in the cold.

Temptalia has a list of codes. :)

Trends: Dotted Tights

Frenchi Dot Tights, $12

Frenchi Dot Tights, $12

I was browsing lookbook.nu today and it looks like dotted tights are appearing everywhere. I'm kind of excited for this because I've been rocking my old H&M pair for the last two years or so. I really love them to death. They're pretty sheer so I'm thinking about layering colored tights under it. I think it would have a nice effect. What do you think?

I'm actually kind of obsessed with tights. I really love fall because it means I can start wearing the thicker ones without worrying about getting all sweaty. I also wear these in the freezing (well, Davis isn't quite that cold) winters. I don't know, tights seem to feel warmer than pants. I also like wearing them in the rain because they seem to dry faster than anything else I wear.

Lusting for Leopard Wedges

Mercer Wedge Boot $110

Mercer Wedge Boot $110

I don't know why, but I've been lusting over leopard wedges. This is weird because I've never liked wedges and I've always thought leopard should be reserved for the cats themselves, but somehow, I'm dreaming about leopard wedges day in and day out. I'm particularly in love with the above pair.

I think paired with some skinny jeans, a simple tee, these shoes would be so fierce. If only $110+tax would just fall into my lap. :'(

Designers for Less: Versace for H&M

I've been hearing a buzz about the Versace for H&M. I've never been a huge follower of designers. Fashion came really late for me and I really can't tell designers from each other. I guess in a way, it's pretty lucky because I would be lusting over all these designer pieces that I can't afford. But I'm always impressed when designers do a line that's more affordable than their main label.

I've never really looked at Versace's designs, but when I heard about Versace creating a line for H&M, my interest was piqued. The lookbook is out and here are some pieces that I think are interesting.

Love the waist detail and the charming arm slits!

I really like this dress. It's simple, yet classy. I think the little slits on the arms just adds a hint of danger without trying too hard. I also love the detailing around the waist. Love the different textures and just the touch of gold.

How luxurious does this look?

Funny thing about faux fur. I always thought it was super tacky to wear fake fur. Why would you want to have some dead animal hanging off your frame? But as I look at more fur stylings, I fall more and more in love with the idea of a fur vest or a fur scarf. I think depending on what you pair it up it, it can either look classy or cheap.

Every girl has to have some sparkle!

As with the faux fur, I always thought sequins were tacky as hell. But I'm getting more and more adventurous with what I wear to go out at night. I love how sequins reflect off light. I would take off the belt though. I think the belt looks too bulky and actually takes away from the sparkly goldness.

This just looks badass to me.

I LOVE this jacket. The gold detailing is so nice and I love the juxtaposition of having leather and gold studs. I think the gold actually warms up the jacket. There's enough detailing to make this jacket unique and not tacky.

I don't know why, but the bondage-esque top screams out to me.

I really like this color. I don't know if I could personally wear this dress because I don't think my girls would be happy in the top part, but I think it's one of those dresses that I would admire off someone else.

I love the back straps, bust detailing and the layering of the skirt.

This is probably another dress that I wouldn't personally wear because it has so much attention at the bust. But I really love this dress. All the straps and the corset-inspired top makes it looks really sexy, but then you have the soft flowy skirt. It's one of those little black dresses that just seems so unique.

Overall, I really liked some of the pieces from the collection. I wouldn't buy anything, per se, but only because I don't have the income for it. Even though it's significantly less than the designer prices, the items from this collection aren't cheap, in my opinion. Also, there's such a buzz about these that I doubt I would even be able to get my hands on it before it's all sold out.

I really enjoy these designer collaborations with every day people retailers. I think it's nice to be able to get some designer pieces at a lower price. After all, a girl needs to eat.

Wants: A Mustard Scarf

Looks so cozy!

I've been hearing that mustard yellow is the it color for fall this year. I love love love this color, but I never manage to find something that looks right on me. When I saw this scarf, I fell in love. It's so bright and cozy looking! I think I would be able to brave any storm. I've been really liking oversized knits lately, but my curves wouldn't look good in slouchy knits. I think a chunky scarf is a great way to play with some bulk without adding weight. It just looks so comfortable. Alas, the $31 price tag is just out of reach for me. (Poor college student has to eat)

I'm hoping that the mustard trend doesn't go away because I really love the color and I think it complements a lot of skin tones. Plus, by next year, hopefully a job will come in and I can afford scarves like these. :)


The scarf shown is from here.

BzzAgent: Maybelline's Baby Lips

I got the honor of getting sent some samples from Maybelline through BzzAgent. I got some Great Lash Lots of Lashes mascara and their new Baby Lips line. I was super excited to try them out. I was going to try condensing both product reviews, but I haven't gotten a chance to try the mascara yet. So I'll post that one up at a later time.

~*~*~ BABY LIPS ~*~*~

Current selection of Baby Lips by Maybelline. Love the packaging!

Current selection of Baby Lips by Maybelline. Love the packaging!

I was really excited to get these Baby Lips products! There was such a buzz about these. Before I even signed up for the campaign, I decided to buy the peach kiss and drenched ones before I received my package. I was super excited to get the rest of them in the mail because now I can review them all.

Tinted lip balms have become really popular lately. I remember when Burt's Bees came out with their tinted lip balms and when CoverGirl came out with NatureLuxe. I'm glad that Maybelline decided to step into the game as well. I personally don't really like wearing lipsticks because they always seem to dry out my lips no matter how I prep them. I also hate lip glosses because they always seem too shiny or too sticky. I think tinted lip balms are a nice compromise when I just want a hit of color and a ton of moisturizing and protection.

In order of left-right, top-bottom: Quenched, Peppermint,  Cherry Me, Peach Kiss, Pink Punch

In order of left-right, top-bottom: Quenched, Peppermint, 
Cherry Me, Peach Kiss, Pink Punch

The balms all fully retracted into their containers so you won't have to worry about nicking the product when you put the cap back on. Also, all these lip balms have SPF 20 in them to protect your lips. I love that about them. I didn't even notice that the first time around till I looked closely on the package. Lips need a lot of protection, but are often neglected when it comes to sunscreen. I've had sunburned lips before, it was definitely not fun.

Here are some swatches:

Top-bottom: Cherry Me, Peach Kiss, Pink Punch

Same swatches, different background

As you can see, the lip balms are decently pigmented. They applied heavenly; there was no problem with tugging. I almost didn't know if any of the product went on. I really like the fact that the tinted lip balms and the colorless ones all applied the same. Sometimes tinted balms almost feel gritty, but not with these.

On my lips, Peach Kiss tends to blend into my natural lip color. I even thought these lip balms were supposed to be clear since I only bought Peach Kiss and Quenched. To me, Peach Kiss might as well be a clear lip balm. The scent is really subtle compared to the other ones, but you can detect the peach scent. I find it very pleasing.

Pink Punch is a nice baby pink. I think it is a warmer pink. On my lips, it looks a bit like a frosty pink. I've never had much luck with pink lipsticks so it wasn't my favorite color. I find that pinks just sink into the lines of my lips and stay there. It's not my favorite, but the scent. Ah, I love the scent. It does smell "punch"-like, but I also feel like I can smell berries. Though, that might be reminiscent of the color. It's stronger than the scent of the Peach Kiss, but still not overtly offensive.

Cherry Me is my favorite one in terms of colors. It's hard to describe, but it's like a nice barely there red. It looks like how your lips would look if you were having a good lip day. Does everyone have those? I have days where I wake up and think, "Wow, my natural lip color looks nice today!" Maybe it's just me. Scent's a typical cherry. It's a bit juvenile, but I don't mind it.

Peppermint has a nice minty scent. I actually really like minty lip products because they make my lips feel all tingly. Like the others, peppermint isn't too strong of a smell, but you can tell it's definitely there. I feel that peppermint is the one that you can keep feeling on your lips. I think the smell lasts the longest.

I had a hard time figuring out Quenched out. The scent is just so... unique. Because the name quenched didn't give any clues to what the scent was, I just kept wondering. My boyfriend said he could smell pineapple in it. It does seem to have a tropical scent to it, but I just can't seem to put my finger on it. It's not offensive, but it does make me double take.

Me wearing Cherry Me. Excuse my nostrils!

So I tried to take lip samples of all the colors, but with my current lighting/camera combo, they ended up looking all the same. I decided to put this one up so you can see the finish of the lip balm. It's nice and slick without looking too much like a lip gloss.

I wore these for about two weeks, but I don't find that they're moisturizing enough. They're very lightweight so I feel like they just disappear. Wearing them overnight seems to dry out my lips rather than moisturizing them, so I think I would limit them to day use. I don't think they're quite moisturizing enough for winter alone so I think I'm gonna layer them over a heavier lip balm.

Overall:

• Color: Like the Cherry Me, didn't particularly love Pink Punch, Peach Kiss is more or less colorless on my lips.
• Texture: Love the effortless glide. Has nice sheen, not too greasy looking, but has some obvious shine.
• Wear: Pretty short wear. I find myself having to reapply pretty much throughout the day, but that might be because I tend to mess with my lips a lot.

Final impression:
I really do like these products, but I don't think I would use them as much as I'd like. The weather has gotten much dryer and these products aren't moisturizing enough for my dry lips, but I think I might use them in conjunction with another heavier lip balm. If you want to try it, there's a coupon on Maybelline's facebook.

I love fall~!

photo source

Fall has come and I really love this season. As a kid, it would always represent the beginning of the school year so I was never really excited for fall to come, but now that I'm in my 20s, fall brings me tons of neat things:

Fall leaves. It's kind of silly, but I get this swell of happy feelings when I see leaves fall. It gives me inner giggles when I see a ton of leaves being blown off their branches, watching them slowly drift in the wind. I've always found the effect to be ethereal and calming. I always feel like I'm in a fairy tale.

The weather is really nice too. It's cool, but not cold. I'm a San Francisco girl so I'm not afraid a little chill. Plus I get to pull out my cute coats and scarves!

Hot drinks. Now that the weather has cooled down, it's finally time to pull out the hot cocoa, hot cider, tea, and other hot drinks. I love hot cocoa, but I don't really drink it during warmer climates because who wants to sweat while trying to enjoy something? Having warm drinks on cold days are the best because you can feel yourself getting warmed from within! Oh, I also love chilis and soups during this time. Yum!

Thanksgiving. I LOVE Thanksgiving. I feel like Thanksgiving gets overshadowed by Christmas. After Halloween, it seems like stores just switch to Christmas music and Christmas ornaments. I personally like the idea of getting together to give thanks and having a meal much better than the consumer crazy culture Christmas seems to envoke. Though, even Thanksgiving is being overshadowed by Black Friday...

Fall Fashion. I couldn't end this without talking about fall fashion! I really like the fact that we can start layering our clothes. And tights! I love tights because they keep me warm (sometimes I wear two pairs) and they're so versatile. You can dress up or down an outfit with just the right pair. I also really love scarves and hats. Fall lets me wear them without worrying too badly about being too cold. Winter just forces me to bundle up and it doesn't always look cute.

I also love the colors of the season. Right now forest green and mustard yellow seems to be everywhere. I've been on the hunt to find the perfect forest green nail polish.

I love fall. There's just something magical about it.

<3 Teresa