Black Friday

So I apologize for the false alarm upload earlier, it was certainly a faux pas on my part. This post, like most posts on Fridays will be a very short post so that you can get off the internet and get the weekend started…*wink*

I have been enjoying the fall season because I love to wear dark colors. (In the winter I love pinks, whites, nudes, etc., but I digress.) Dark colors tend to be very seductive and mysterious for some reason. I wanted to wear all black but was going to go against that thought initially because I will be wearing all black again Saturday under a different setting. Who says that you can’t wear a lot of black two days in a row? Since it is causal Friday, I thought my very own “Black Friday” would be perfect.

I’ve been itching to wear my spiked Litas by Jeffrey Campbell for a couple of years now and I am finally pulling them out to play!! I love these booties, they’re so comfy and stylish. My mother calls them “Herman the Monster” shoes lol but I still think they are a perfect statement piece for a hot look. Very simply put, I wanted to be in all black so grabbed a basic tank from H&M and my ashy black cuffed shorts from Forever 21 over some decorative tights. I put them both together with my cardigan from Naked Wardrobe and a statement necklace from Aliexpress. I threw on an oversized cashmere houndstooth scarf to balance the look so it didn’t appear to be a grunge fit (although I do love a grungy look). Let me know what you think!! I guess Black Friday is a great name for this look seeing as that I want to go shopping so bad and all the sales have already started lol. Anyhoo, I have a special post on Monday, so be sure to be back here and I will talk to you guys then!!

By Cupcakes!

IMG_7822

 

Shopping My Closet: Fur Boots

Since it has gotten increasingly colder these past couple of weeks, I have been grabbing for my boots. I have only purchased one new pair this year because honestly, I have my own shoe store lol. That being said, I recently pulled out my rabbit fur and leather boots, purchased from Bakers…you guessed it…years and years ago! These boots boast a pointy toe and a silver buckle detail on the shaft. The boots are calf height boots and are so warm and comfy. This was one of my first big wardrobe purchases as an adult. I can’t tell you how excited I was about these boots. To actually purchase “genuine leather” anything nowadays costs and arm and a leg, so these boots were truly an investment when I purchased them. They’ve held up quite nicely and at the time that I purchased them, they weren’t more than a hundred bucks!!

I love to shop my closet and I am finding myself leaning towards purchasing investment items for my wardrobe now more than ever. That is what finding your own style is all about. Now, lets get into the “deets” of this outfit. So, I chose another staple piece that I purchased years ago for this look and that’s my hat from Forever 21. I thought that this would be cute with some plain ole jeans and a cropped top that I wore underneath a thrifted sheer, sleeveless blouse that I instead utilized as a short cardigan. My jewelry is quite simple, arm candy is from Aldo and my necklace is from Neon Wild. I chose a lighter lavender lip to brighten up the look. My bag was handmade by Turquoise Soul Bags. They have great stuff and not just handbags!!

I hope you like my fit! Always shop your closet first before you hit the stores. When shopping, purchase statement pieces and essentials as well as investment pieces that continue to come back around in the fashion world…but only according to your own style of course. Don’t be afraid to use pieces for other than their intended purpose and remember to have fun with your style!! You can’t go wrong, style is your personality and your expressed opinion of fashion!! Until Friday…

Bye Cupcakes!!

Top: Naked Wardrobe (old). Sleeveless Blouse: Thrifted. Jeans: Fashion Nova. Boots: Bakers Shoes (old). Necklace: Neon Wild. Arm Candy: Aldo Accessories. Hat: Forever 21 (old) Bag: Turquoise Soul Bags

 

IMG_7635 IMG_7598

"Baby It's Cold Outside" 

If you live anywhere in the north of the country, it’s not warm….even though it’s officially spring. Ugh! This bi- polar weather is so confusing. I want to put up my winter wear but it’s just not time.  Well, I decided to mix winter and spring with this outfit. Let me know what you think!

Sweater: Vintage (thrifted)

Skirt: Love Culture

Clutch: Turquoise Soul Bags

Glasses: eBay

Trench Coat: Loehmann’s

Shoes: Depop

Turban: BSS

017

"Baby It's Cold Outside" 

If you live anywhere in the north of the country, it’s not warm….even though it’s officially spring. Ugh! This bi- polar weather is so confusing. I want to put up my winter wear but it’s just not time.  Well, I decided to mix winter and spring with this outfit. Let me know what you think!

Sweater: Vintage (thrifted)

Skirt: Love Culture

Clutch: Turquoise Soul Bags

Glasses: eBay

Trench Coat: Loehmann’s

Shoes: Depop

Turban: BSS

017

Style Series: (Sweatshirt) & Pumps

*Sings* “Just one of them days…” Well, not one of THOSE days but…

It’s one of those days that I don’t feel like dressing up, but I don’t want to be bummy either. Ugh, the dilemma right? I found this cute graphic sweatshirt in my closet and paired it with some cute jeans. I was supposed to upload this last Saturday but life, well, you know. Let me know what you think of my get-up!

Sweater: Vintage

Button Up: Thrifted “Ralph Lauren”

Jeans: Target

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood x Melissa Dragon Pumps

Clutch: Forever 21

Necklace: H&M

 

Fur, Velvet, Snow & Such….

I’ve been apprehensive since I started this blog about posting fashion looks. So, I’m being very transparent in this post when I say that I have a fear of failure and not being able to measure up to myself and what I expect to become. Welp, I’ve decided this year that I need to be adventurous and willing to take risks! So….here I go! The weather is not necessarily permitting but this snow is not going anywhere anytime soon. I decided to incorporate a little velvet (velour), fur, leather AND of course, snow! Please let me know what you think of my first fashion post/ootd! Peace!

P.S. I was an event for The Lip Bar.
(Blog post on the event will be up Monday).

image

My Winter Skin Care Routine

So….it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Life has a way of intervening but I am now truly getting back into this thing I love: blogging. Anyhoo, on to the main feature of this post: my winter skin care routine. For those of you that don’t know, I live in the state of Michigan and in the winter my skin needs tlc because the air is so very cold and dry. It took me a little while to get a good routine going because I had to find products that truly satisfied my skin. First, let me say that I wear makeup occasionally. More often than not, I wear a little clear gloss, neaten my brows and hustle out of the door. However, there are moments in time that I will wear makeup several days in a row. When I do, I must detox my skin after. One of my fav products to do this happens to be GlamGlow’s SuperMud. This product leaves my skin refreshed and clean without feeling stripped. The smell of it reminds me of mint and black licorice but I will deal with that for the benefits. Impurities are pulled from my skin and I can truly rid my skin of the leftover makeup residue that even washing leaves behind. After I use the SuperMud, I follow right behind with the ThirstyMud. This hydrates my skin without making my skin look oily. I tend to do this detox routine at least once a month. Occasionally, I use the YouthMud on my face after that feminine time of the month (because my skin stretches out due to some water weight gain) to reduce the appearance of darkness after the water weight recedes. Don’t judge me lol. This is my routine straight, no chaser. The YouthMud can feel a little….umm…volatile, if I may use that word, on the skin. It burns quite a bit. However, I do see a change in my skin. Hyper pigmentation has been reduced over time and my skin feels smoother.

*Side note, sometimes I use the SuperMud and the ThirstyMud BEFORE I do my makeup and my skin looks luminous! I love that!

Next, I will talk about my everyday skin routine. I typically don’t do much or use a ton of products because I don’t want to “confuse” my skin. In this dry air, moisture is top priority. I use to think that because my face has an oily t-zone, that meant my face could not get dry. Wrong! Dry skin can happen to anyone. My fav thing to use this season as a cleanser is Julep’s Bare Face Cleansing Oil. I rub the cleanser on my face, let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse it off. My face has no residue left behind and my skin is left moisturized and “bright”. After cleansing, I follow up with my Vitamin C Skin Boost by the Body Shop in my “highlight” facial areas. I also use REN Hydra-Calm a Day Cream on the rest of my face. I do this in the morning and before bed. Lastly, I take Hair, Skin & Nail vitamins daily.

*Side note: To take makeup off I use Witch Hazel and for acne pimples, I use Oxy Spot Treatment.

On my lips, I use a very popular baby product: A+D Ointment. It doesn’t have the best ingredients but I love it to “seal” out the cold dry air. Other lip balms seem to dissipate from my lips during cold months still leaving my lips dry so this ointment does the trick for me.

So that’s my complicated yet simple skin routine. Along with this routine, I eat a healthy diet to compliment my outer efforts to maintain healthy skin in these cold winter months. How do you take care of your skin in these cold brutal months?

Eating for Healthy Skin in Winter Weather

winter foods

This winter weather can wreak havoc on our skin and hair. So far, in my area temps have reached a low in the negative of fahrenheit. That, I am NOT a fan of. To combat the frigid temps and to make sure that I don’t look sallow once the spring months come around, I try to take care of my skin and hair. I will be doing a hair regiment soon but for now I will focus on what I do for my skin. Firstly, I eat foods that are high in healthy fats such as avocados and salmon. I prefer wild caught salmon so there is not as much fat as farm raised but it is still a great fish to give the body healthy oils. Also, I incorporate coconut oil when I am cooking. If you are not a fan of coconut oil, try sesame oil. My fav is toasted sesame oil. It tastes great in Asian inspired dishes. The next things that I like to eat are a wide variety of legumes and nuts. My favorite are cashews. Be careful that you don’t eat too many as they are high in calories. I also like egg whites and eggs for omelets in the morning. As a treat, I indulge in oysters. If you are a seafood lover like I am, you will get a great helping of selenium which has great antioxidants that fight to protect the skin from harmful rays. FYI: the sun’s rays are stronger in the summer but the snow can reflect up to 90% of the rays. While we may be covered on our bodies, the face can suffer from the UV rays. Lastly, I like vegetable based smoothies and coconut milk (vanilla flavored) and to keep my hydrated of course water. These help provide nutrients to protect us from the harsh winds and cold that winter a bombard us with. Here is a link for more winter helping foods. I will be doing a natural skin care recipe soon. Stay tuned!