The Style Cake – Lifestyle and health blog

How To Style: Casual Menswear 2021

Posted on February 26, 2021February 26, 2021 by The Style Cake

As a child, my mother dressed me in plenty masculine clothes. Did I love it? Absolutely not! Ugh! I hated those baggy, brown plaid, squarely designed and patterned clothing. It was not me and I spent time trying to wear as many clingy pieces that I could when I got old enough.

As an adult, I somehow always find the appeal in menswear. I style my husband and son quite often because I love the intricacies of suits and accessories, matching and contrasting colors, plaids and stripes. Once when my son had school pictures, I dressed him in a hoodie and jeans. I couldn’t be “normal” though so I had to add a blazer on the outside and a button up shirt underneath the hoodie. He felt so cool and I think I almost loved the outfit more than he did!

I was a bit inspired this time around to wear something inspired by what my son wears these days. He’s almost a teen which I can’t believe but I enjoy watching him put things together. It gives me inspiration to get put together on days where I feel like being frumpy. Since I still feel frumpy most days, I wanted to put an outfit together that not only reflects that but something of a outfit that I can go out for drinks in and still feel cozy. Maybe it’s just me, quarantine can really damper the desire to get all dressed up!

I grabbed what I had in my closet but with tags still on and created the look I was going for: casual menswear. One of the most comfortable things I wear are my husbands shirts and joggers. This time I wore my clothes even though I felt like I was wearing his…but in style!

Hat: Pretty Little Thing.

Boots: SOLD OUT.

Shirt: Calvin Klein.

Joggers (Green SOLD OUT): J Lux Label.

Blazer: Boohoo.

How To Style: The Comfort of Sophistication

Posted on February 12, 2021February 9, 2021 by The Style Cake

“…go ahead and switch the style up…” -50 (shrugs).

Not the most sophisticated quote huh? That’s what I remembered when I decided that I would start blogging again. Things have changed for me though. Before, blogging was sheer experimentation with fashion. I’ve enjoyed playing with trends and toying around with colors, patterns, fabrics and eras that these fit into. I’ve always had a “style” but I figured I was boring. I needed to find some fun venturing into the broad lanes of fashion. I enjoyed the ride and am ready to be comfortable in my own style again. While venturing into fashion, I could’ve cared less about being polished or “put together”. Sometimes, my outfit just turned out polished. Being polished wasn’t my goal, experience was.

I now know what I love. Even more, I know what fabrics fall best on my body. I remember from my initial discovery of my style what colors I love to see against skin as well as patterns. I decided to only wear styles of skirts, dresses, pants, tops, etc that compliment my body no matter how gorgeous it looks on screen, mannequin or hangers. This is my style. When you find your style, you’re most comfortable. There’s something very sophisticated about being comfortable in your own style. Wearing things properly fitted in patterns that compliment the skin tone you have and accentuating certain parts of the body is sophistication. No NEED for “labels” or monograms, spending tons and draining the account. The comfort of sophistication costs nothing! I switched my style up…back to the original me and I’m comfortable with that!

Coat: Old, Pants: OhPolly (sold out), Bodysuit (similar): Pretty Little Thing, Handbag: H&M (sold out), similar: Rainbow, Belt: Vintage, Hat (Alternate Color): Pretty Little Thing, Sunglasses: Forever 21 (sold out).

How To Style: Not Quite Winter White

Posted on February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 by The Style Cake

Eh! Where has the time gone?! These last few years have been crazy for me. Even more so, everyone has been in a time warp of this new decade we’ve started a year ago. Things have been beyond crazy. Most of us are tired of holding on to the edge of our seats because we want to be out and about. Understood. As crazy as everything has been, I’ve been trying to carve out some time to get back into blogging.

I will update you all on everything that has transpired (as much as I can). In the meantime I’ve been doing some working. I have some projects that I’ve been working on a for years and this year, I am trying to get them off the runway.

I’m trying to take care of myself and be safe. That in itself is a LONG story. I’m hoping that all of my readers are doing well and your families are safe. Thank you so much for sticking around and supporting! I look forward to sharing more of me on this blog!

This is my first styling post for this year and I wanted to make sure it went up on the first day of February. Partly because it should have gone up before January was up. February means it’s snow on the ground here in Michigan. This post was done before last week’s snowfall. I wanted to be comfy and chic because this weather makes you want to be cozy. I created this outfit for comfort first and style second.

My boots although high heel are comfy and easy to walk in. The cardigan feels like a blanket and my dress is soothing on the skin. Anyhoo, I hope you like what I put together. More to come. IG posts coming back soon! To everyone that has left me well wishes and have been concerned about me, I appreciate you and love you guys…thank you so much for even caring!!! Stay safe, enjoy some comedy and the outdoors to preserve or encourage mental health.❤️

Cardigan: Pretty Little Thing, Dress: H&M, Carole Heeled Boots: Shoedazzle (for alternate search Mattison), Handbag: Aldo (sold out). Belt: vintage.

5 Survival Tips for Winter 2020

Posted on January 24, 2020January 26, 2020 by The Style Cake

I’ve done one of these posts a couple of years back and I really think the tips could help get anyone through the perils of winter! This year, winter came out of nowhere, well, not really but it had been pretty mild considering I live in Michigan and then BAM! Snow, wind, cold, cloudy days and looooonnnnngggg nights! I usually have an easy time until the end of January hits and then I’m struggling to get through winter lol.

1. Let’s start with recreation. It can be human nature to simply stay in the bed, stay on the couch and binge watch tv or read, eat and become immobile. In reality, we were meant to discover, explore and venture out. To encourage mental health, getting out of the house is very important! Isolation is not healthy! Not even for introverts! Go grab a coffee at the local coffee spot, visit the library or art gallery or hit a winter festival. Grab a bite to eat at a local inexpensive restaurant nearby your home. Take a cooking class, go to your local hardware store and complete a project for the home. There are a plethora of options to choose of things to do besides sitting in the house the entire season of winter and this is coming from someone who hates winter!

2. Besides just getting out of the house, getting completely away from your environment and going on a weekend vacation is enough to revitalize your mind and body for a couple of months! Maybe visit a quaint town in your state and unplug from social media and technology. Take in the sights and feed your senses without any interference!

3. Body care is so important during this harsh time of the year. It’s easy to slack on skin care in particular because the sun isn’t shining through the cloud but sunscreen is still needed. As is moisture! Continue to drink plenty of water to hydrate the skin. Likely, the winter has plenty of dry moments so water will feed the body moisture from the inside to prevent cracking from dryness. Beyond that, below I’ve linked a few things I love to use for body care during winter months. One is a lip product, body and hair products and facial care products. Check them out below!

A. Chapstick Total Hydration 100% Natural (Eucalyptus Mint)

B. Koils By Nature Nourishing Hair and Body Butter

C. DDF Ultra Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew (Spf 15)

D. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2

E. Carol’s Daughter Wash Day Delight (Water to Foam Shampoo) [My new ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCT AND I WILL DO A DETAILED REVIEW SHORTLY! ;-)]

4. Let’s talk ducking and dodging colds, flu and other healthy efforts. One thing leads to another, right? Well, you NEED hand and body cream in the winter especially because hand washing is still important! How else can you avoid getting sick and stay in good health?! Starts with handwashing first! Since I already gave you a suggestion for dry cracked hands, I wanted to share what I like to keep on hand for immunity and health below!

A. Zarbee’s Naturals Elderberry Immune Support

5. Lastly, reorganize your life! This could include examining your personality, organizing closets and storage spaces, refreshing or learning new skills and/or working on your body and health more in depth. Have a person that you’ve been allowing in your life but they are dragging you down or isn’t supportive? Maybe it’s time to rethink your association. I’ve been doing a lot of rearranging myself, it takes work but it’s worth it! Decide to save money, go back to school, fix your credit or purge things while keeping only what you need! Taking the time to invest in yourself will take up a ton of your time and help you survive a possible tough couple of months in the cold!

Hello Y’all, It’s Me Candace…

Posted on January 3, 2020January 3, 2020 by The Style Cake

Man. It’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve been on here writing. Quite frankly, I was feeling ashamed at my unintentional absence. Days turned into a week…weeks turned into a month…months turned into over a year. Smh. Yes, I’m actually shaking my head. I’ve been uninspired almost the entire time I’ve been absent. Life really just has been a lot to tackle over the past couple of years. I could go on with specifics, but I’m sort of a private person and out of respect for my family I won’t indulge.

Otherwise, I’m truly excited to be back! I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared my name but by now you’ve probably figured out that it’s Candace. I just wanted to reintroduce myself but in a private, personable way. Look, plenty of influencers take breaks and I’m no different. I never thought I would NEED a break from blogging because I loved it so much but this time off has taught me a ton! As a matter of fact, that’s the reason I wanted to start off by telling you guys my name. I intend to exude parts of my personality more in this style blogging thing-a-ma-jig. Y’all ready? Set? Let’s go! Let’s see what I come up with! To be continued…

2019 Favorites!!!

Posted on January 1, 2020January 27, 2020 by The Style Cake

Can’t believe it’s the year 2020! Time truly waits for no one and has flown by! This past year, I took a much needed break. I needed to focus on me.

In doing that, I had to really make some repairs to myself. I started taking full advantage of chiropractic care and really communicating with my doctor about how I wanted my healthcare to go. I was unwilling to be unheard as my health largely depended upon ME! It can be scary to not only speak up but also disagree with your doctor about the care that is being received. I had long conquered that fear because in the end, I pay for a service and refused to just go along with care that I didn’t agree with since I would be the one living with the end results.

Some things I refused to go to the doctor for. I was suffering terribly from skin issues. It seemed that no matter what I did, my skin condition worsened. I began to get frustrated as I was not even eating certain things that were known to aggravate my acne. The acne I was experiencing was cystic in nature. I sat in pain for days sometimes. My frustration increased when that wonderful time of the month rolled around, que eye rolls, I was also suffer from hormonal acne. Needless to say, I did heavy reading and research to figure some things out.

My hair was having shedding issues. Now I do have Hashimoto’s disease so the shedding can be a problem from time to time but my shedding became coupled with massive tangling and some breakage. Again, I did research and found what I needed to help.

I didn’t play in makeup much this year, I only wore makeup about 8 times this past entire year. I did make a purchase for some faves that I had run out of…I was a hostess in my big sister’s wedding so, you know how that goes…I HAD to look good! Otherwise, I made sure to focus on healing my skin. I will still share what I bought to replace my long used favorites!

I’m on a weight loss journey so I’ve been avoiding sugar and carbohydrates like my life depended on it, partly because it started to. I had gained weight due to medication and became insulin resistant. That insulin resistance made it incredibly difficult to lose ANY weight!!! When I tell you I cried (and I’m not a crier) but I swear I could have jumped out my window without opening it. I was so done. The only thing i could think of was trying the Keto ‘way of eating’ again. Honestly, Keto is not a diet to me. I’m not indulging in anything that can contribute to insulin resistance or diabetes. If you’re unsure, be sure to do your research. One thing is sure, the SAD diet (standard american diet) has the appropriate acronym. I’m not by any means telling anyone to do keto or low carb, do what works for you but please take care of your health and eat for nourishment! That being said, below I will list all of the faves I have for this past year.

I hope you have a great day, week, month and year! I’m back to go through it all with you! 💪🏾

Favorites of 2019

Health

Hair

Skin

Sports Research Vitamin K + D3 with Coconut Oil
Tumeric Powder (used to make a mask with milk, yogurt and honey)
Shea Moisture African Black Soap Problem Skin Toner
Philosophy the Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash
Tetyana Dark Spot Corrector Brightening Serum [LOVE this stuff!]

Keto/Eating

Makeup

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Trying the “Pink Mask”

Posted on October 17, 2018December 2, 2019 by The Style Cake

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I have two aunts that have had breast cancer more than once. I won’t be specific about who they are to respect their privacy but I thought it’d be cool to do something to bring attention and awareness to this terrible disease.

There are a few misconceptions out there so I’ve included some links at the end of this post to offer both clarity and information on the subject. In the meantime, I’m deciding to try out Boscia’s Luminizing Pink Mask and share my thoughts.

Recently, I’ve shared a bit of what I loved for skin care. If you haven’t read that post, click here. Anyhoo, this mask is supposed to help brighten and boost skin tone as well as remove impurities and excess oils (which I could definitely use). It boasts ingredients that help improve elasticity in the skin. Since I’m over 35, I definitely have no problem with that benefit!

To apply, you’re supposed to slap on a somewhat thick layer, avoiding areas like hair and eyes of course. After waiting 30 mins you can start to peel of the mask to see the results. The texture of this mask is tacky and kind of like liquid candy in thickness. As it dried, it started to lift a little which is okay with me. Here’s what it looked like on face when I first applied it:

After it was dry, I peeled it right off pretty easily. There’s minimal pain so you shouldn’t be screaming unless you caught hair in the mask. The results? Quite frankly, I didn’t see much of a difference in my skin. I don’t know if my expectations were just too high but in my opinion, this mask was just okay. No change in my skin except for a little softness. Here is my skin before:

The results look like this:

What do YOU think?

If you want to try this mask, it retails for $22 at Sephora and $34 at Ulta online but I only paid 13 bucks for mine at TJ Maxx!! I recommend going to your local store’s beauty department to see if they have any if you want to try it! If you try it, come back and let me know what you think! In the meantime, style posts coming soon!

Natural Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast Cancer Causes

September 2018 Favorites

Posted on October 1, 2018October 17, 2018 by The Style Cake

You guys! Please don’t be upset at my extended absence. I promise it was not intended to be long at all. A few days turned into months and I’m ashamed that I’ve not connected with you guys. Honestly, I didn’t think that I would be missed but people in my personal life made it a point to let me know I needed to get back in here…and fast! So I thought I’d get back in here with what I’ve been loving since I’ve been absent. These items will have links, definitely feel free to check them out. If I find any coupon codes, I’ll put them below because THIS lady does not shop without them.

Skin Care:

CeraVe– I have to say I have actually been loving this product for almost a year now! It’s been part of the new” skin care routine that has helped to really clear my skin and keep the pizza face away. (Insert eye roll.) I’ll be keeping this as a favorite for the long haul but you know I’ll let you know if anything changes.
DDF Glycolic Toner– This is another product I’ve been using for quite some time now, well over a year now and it has made an enormous change in my skin. This helps a ton with evening out the skin as far as texture and hyper pigmentation. It can burn when first starting to use this, however, it’s far from unbearable. It is most definitely one of my favorite favorites!
DDF Lite Moisturizing Dew– The short of the long of it is this stuff is great! I have yet to find a better moisturizer. Every time I try to venture out to another brand, I fall right back to this old faithful. I’ve been using this for 5 years since I received it as a sample from Sephora….best sample I’ve received! This stuff isn’t heavy, it doesn’t make me greasy and I have oily skin!
GlamGlow Supermud– So this product is the last thing I use in my skincare regimen. I’ve tried other muds but I just don’t get the results that I love. My skin can be tricky so I like a hardcore, heavy duty but natural based mud to do the heavy grime lifting. Guys I LOVE this stuff! Yea, yea, yea, I’ve heard it’s over rated….if you guys know of a better mud for way cheaper, please feel free to let me know!

Body Care:

Pienki Blieu Body Butter– If there is anything that if I could buy on a weekly basis, it would be these body butters. I won’t be buying anymore body lotions or creams because NOTHING I’ve found on the market works like these products. You literally have an amazing glow after using this product! No need for body lavas or shimmers…these butters provide a natural lustrous and sensual glow…all while providing uber “moisture” to the skin. I’m helplessly in LOVE! Do your body a favor, grab some of these! There are other products available on the site but I haven’t tried them yet. Stay tuned because I have another order coming and a full review!

Makeup:

Let me start by saying I have not been wearing much makeup lately as I’ve been trying to get my skin in tip top shape! My reach for makeup has been minimal so I’ll share the couple obvious faves I have.

Lash Extensions– I am officially addicted to getting lash extensions. A friend of mine tried to discourage me from getting them a few years back but being a woman I’m allowed to experiment and make up my own mind lol. I decided to try them and you know what? I LOVE them! They really accent my natural face and allow me to look polished makeup-free. They also eliminate the need for lash strips and wasting time trying to apply strip lashes. I don’t see me giving up lash extensions anytime soon!
Floss Gloss Nail Polish– Among some of my fave polish brands, is Floss Gloss. The quality is amazing and the colors are so modern and fresh. I find myself reaching for this brand more often than not! Right now I’m currently wearing Floss Gloss Picnic. It’s the perfect fall color!
Milani Moisture Lock (Rose Hip Infused)– Before this September, I had no clue about this product. I was browsing the makeup section in TJ Maxx and found these as I was about to leave. I decided ‘what the heck’ and grabbed one. I wish I had grabbed four or five! These are amazing! This product keeps my lips from being chapped and flaking all while giving them a great non-sticky high shine gloss! I’m going grab more at TJ Maxx….that’s where they’re the cheapest!
Alba Botanica Fast Fix…Tinted Plumping Lip Gloss– Firstly, this is NOT your typical gloss! I really don’t know how to describe it but I use this in conjunction with the Milani Moisture Lock. Together, they work beautifully! This has cinnamon and other herbs and those herbs excite the lips with a little stinging. The stinging supposedly means it’s working to plump the lips. Give it a try!

Ebates:

If you aren’t signed up for ebates yet, what are you waiting for? And while you’re at it, type in your fave store so you can get discounts AND money back! I love this site and it’s truly easy money. I’ll put my link here. Below, you’ll get the scoop on ebates. The only thing I dislike about ebates is that more stores aren’t linked to them. It would be nice to get a rebate for shopping ANYWHERE and get back money!

Scentbox:

I still love Scentbox and they are improving as time goes on. Check out my original post about how I happened upon Scentbox. You can check out Scentbox for yourself and sign up HERE. It’s just a subscription service that allows you to try different perfumes and colognes every month for a low price. There are premium high end brands and you get a new canister to hold the scents with every shipment. There are other subscription services out there similar but so far, I like my experience and I’m content so I’m sticking with Scentbox lol.

(Why?) Thrifting Saves Personal Style From Going Down the Fashion Drain…Avoiding Fashion Nova

Posted on May 5, 2018May 26, 2018 by The Style Cake

I think if you follow any bloggers these days you know that a ton are both fashion and style bloggers. But if you’re surfing for inspiration, it can be hard to decide what works for your wardrobe and what is just the white noise of the blogging world/pure entertainment. I remember even before I ventured into blogging my personal style, I used to see tons of pictures that showed fresh and new ideas, takes and angles on fashion and style.

As of recent, I can’t say that I really see anything that inspires me in the style/fashion blogging world anymore. It seems everyone is following each other’s lead, without even considering whether their wardrobe choice fits their personal style. This honestly makes everyone look redundant so to speak, with no bravery to veer off the mainstream path. I can’t say that I haven’t decided to ride the wave a couple of times but I quickly learned from my horrible mistake of second guessing myself! That being the case, what keeps others from truly identifying their personal style? Currently, everything sold in stores seems to push the “let’s all look alike” trend. Every store has all the trendy pieces and although you can still find classic and eclectic pieces, you won’t be noticed much if you’re not wearing and further exaggerating the current trends…or will you?

Probably a year ago, I vowed to thrift less and devote more time to grabbing newer, contemporary pieces. Well, rebuilding my staple closet pieces has been going well. Staying true to me? That’s been a little more difficult. Not because I am aiming to appear popular and poppin like those bloggers that mimick the Kardashian style but because the retail stores don’t have the variations of pieces that allow true style. My closet isn’t skimpy by any means but I purge and rotate frequently to keep my wardrobe refreshed, functional and age appropriate. When I’m looking to re-up on some things, I almost have to thrift for quality and options. At least I have more money left for savings while maintaining my sense of individual style and taste right?

The fact of the matter is that when buying clothes, quality is just as important as style. I’ve ventured into fast fashion myself and I can tell you that fast fashion is another name for throw away clothing. I recall putting on a dress and putting a hole in it. Smh, such a shame as I had no nails, not that that should have mattered anyway eye roll. I don’t even label clothing like that “pieces” because they really don’t add anything to a wardrobe. At the thrift stores, it’s completely possible to find quality pieces…even those that are on trend.

Vintage also provides uniqueness and quality on a budget without looking cheap, dated, or unpolished. Even though some boutiques offer polished wardrobe pieces, the quality is just not there. Generally, you’d have to spend major bucks to get a sturdy quality made blazer in a feminine silhouette at the department store. Try thrifting, often times you can find those blazers for about 95% off the original price! Of course you don’t have to buy designer pieces specifically, I don’t…but I recommend that you search for quality while searching for your style. This shouldn’t be hard since most times the fast fashion pieces never hold up long enough to even make it to the thrift store lol. Trends are are always revolving so thrifting allows you to find trendy pieces on a dime as well. These trendy pieces you can keep because the quality keeps on giving!

Tip:

Just like you would any department stores, hunt for your treasure! Be sure to visit various thrift stores in your area and in the surrounding area. Also, if you go traveling out of town, check out the stores in that area. Different climates and areas breed different styles and availability of trendy pieces. Use coupons and ask if there’s a mailing list to receive them. For online thrifting, check Etsy and Ebay…just remember not to pay retail prices for thrift items online! Have fun and be stylish!

My Slight Obsession With Colourpop…

Posted on April 21, 2018March 26, 2018 by The Style Cake

I won’t make this a long post so let’s cut to the chase. Those blotted lip products. Pure seduction. Seriously. I check the site frequently seduced by the thought more will be uploaded as “new items”. Yea i know, almost everyone goes for their liquid matte lipstick but I have to tell you why I love the blotted liquid lipsticks so much.

It’s weird because so many people actually have said that they dislike this line of Colourop products. Well, I don’t know what they tried but I think these lip products make the perfect kissed lips. Yes. These lip products make it look like you just finished a lovely make out session. Eh, for some of you that may not matter but as married woman…this tickles me. The pigment is definitely enough to look put together and or made up while not being over done. Literally, this is the best lip for a casual but flirty outfit! If you’ve seen the Glossier craze and the lip products they’re pushing, just know these blotted lip products by Colourpop are just the same…but kinder on the pockets. I’ll pop back in with a review on some more Colourpop, I promise!