ModCloth Wins Again

How COOL is this dress on ModCloth?!

(Queen Of the Cosmos Dress- $69.99)

It looks to me almost like a colorful McQueen piece- the print is similar, no?

Just got back to school last night and I'm already procrastinating... here's to finals!

-B

Winter Necessities: SWEATER TIGHTS!

Sorry for the blogging hiatus, I've been feeling really boring and inspiration-less lately.

I've decided to do a little series on the fashion side of winter necessities, starting with sweater tights! They are a wonderful, warm staple to a lady's wardrobe during the cold(ish) months of the year.

They're really affordable and last a lot longer than regular tights. No runs or tears unless you've had a fight with a blackberry bush!

You can go with plain:

(Hue Flat Knit Sweater Tights, $18.00)

Ribbed ones add a little fun texture (that's what she said!):

(Frenchi Ribbed Tights $12.00)

Or you can throw crazy patterned ones under a sequined black LBD for a holiday party!

(Nordic Fair Isle Sweater Tight- $18.00)

Some great places to find sweater tights for cheaper are places like Nordstrom Rack, TJMaxx, or Ross!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

-B

Saving Winter Skin

Winter is not nice to your skin.

Keep it glowing!

Tips:

-When it snows, sunscreen is a must, because the white magnifies and reflects the suns rays.

my ultimate winter pick- suuuuper gentle on weather ravaged skin

-Exfoliate get rid of ashy dry surface cells

Queen Helene is a great drugstore brand, I love this face scrub because it is so mild.

Lush Ocean Salt is my newest purchase, and it makes me skin so happy. I also have used it on my sister who has SUPER sensitive eczema prone skin, and it makes her skin happy too!

Mario Badescu is pricey, but worth every penny. This scrub will have your face feeling like a baby butt after one use.

(a great alternative to a store bought product is mixing epsom salt with honey- I do this at school because it is easier than buying products!)

-Moisturize using a heavy duty product day and night

Dr. Haushka is a WONDERFUL organic brand, and this lotion is super gentle and extra humectant.

This is my favorite moisturizer of all time. It super soaks your skin but is really light and non sticky.

This is the best for really ruined skin. It soothes redness, plumps up cells, and if you use it over night, your skin will be like new in the morning. Also, it actually PREVENTS future irritation.

-Keep lips happy using a superpowered lip treatment

This popular favorite is great, but the menthol is very strong and can sting or be annoying tasting after a while. It depends on what you are up for.

My go to balm, works fast and long term, is cheap and smells nice. Also try Rose salve for a thicker product

For advanced dryness, this creates a moisture barrier, sealing in moisturizing agents and protecting lips.

-Use a cream blush to put some color back into your face

Tarte is an organic brand, and I love it.

Their cheek stains are wonderful, long lasting, nice smelling and versatile. The best colors for winter are Tipsy and Flushed. They work on any skin tone!

MAC creme blushes are beautiful, but have a unique dewy feel.

If you are sensitive to the feel of products on your face, try this out in the store first.

It can feel sticky to some people.

I love Lillicent for olive yellowy skin tones,

Lady Blush for lighter warm skin

and posey for cooler skin tones (dark or very light)

Nars Orgasm is a universal favorite and looks amazing on everyone.

Questions in the comments!

Stay lovely!

<3

Claire

AWARDS SHOW MANIA: American Music Awards

Oh I'm HOME HOME HOME HOME

and its SNOWING!

The American Music Awards just happened,

with the expected wardrobe distasters. YAY!

(I realized this was a lame post, so I vamped it up a bit. Sorry for beinga lame-o!)

i don't want to see your awkward unitard spanx-

but hey, thanks for being so generous as to wrap it up in lace for me.

now you just look like a hooker granny

instead of just a fleshy blob of german blehhhhhh

Now this is a story all about how

This family got flipped, turned upside down

In the dark

During a tornado

In space

Whitney Houston looks AMAZING!

wait.

nvm.

thats Rihanna.

Nicki Minaj, aka Miss Frizzle, tryina teach the class about

why 4Loco was banned in Washington.

And Ke$ha, still on her crusade to make every outfit out of trash bags,

looking like a drunk futuristic garbage monster,

with boobs starting approximately at her elbows

HAY!

who else has pulled this desperate move before?

OH RIGHT!

and he couldn't sing either.

<3

Claire

Coolest Falsies EEEEBBBBERRRRRR

Check these:

From Paperself

Paper eyelashes, cut to precise perfection.

Entirely impractical, but ridiculously beautiful...

I have been dreaming of these for the past three nights

oh googooloveysnickerdoodles

4 days until I go home for thanksgiving!

<3

Claire

"Joy Ride." by Aishah Amin. on LOOKBOOK.nu

"Joy Ride." by Aishah Amin. on LOOKBOOK.nu: "See looks like this and more from real people around the world on LOOKBOOK.nu."

I love love LOVE that sites like Lookbook.nu are starting to see fashion from women of a wide variety of cultures and religions. Love it.

-B

Tattoos

Tattos are quite popular these days-

How do you feel about them?

Stay Golden

Original, badass, beautiful

Gawdy, meaningless, plus this girl is a pointless bitch

I don't understand, but hey, maybe it means something

It looks nice...

Damn sexy

Narwals are awesome

Obviously, she is pulling this off

I seriously doubt he has killed four people.

I love this. Especially on a man.

Jimmy Carter is incredible but... ?

Robert Frost FTW

Hmmm...

I think it depends on how they are used, what they represent, and obviously, how they look.

I used to think that I would get one, but now I'm not so sure...

Thoughts?

<3

Claire

Jean Paul Gaultier

oh man.

oh man.

oh man.

<3

Claire

Boot Lust

You're all probably so sick of my bood-lust posts... BUT AREN'T THESE PERFECT?!??

(via Modcloth)

These have "kick some ass and take some names" written all over them...

-B

Some Halloween Creations

So my dorm used to be a hospital.

Creepy, I know.

Which is why, every year for halloween,

we put on a Haunted Hospital event for charity!

I did makeup, and here are some pictures

Killer Doll

Creepy Cannibal Child

Suicidal Male Nurse

Cannibal Victim

I WISH I could find a picture of her close up-

this was my favorite project of the night!

We covered her arms and legs in pre-made latex/toilet paper prosthetic wounds,

then put fishnets over them and stippled red and black scald marks,

so she looked nice and cooked up for supper!

Will have more interesting posts with better pictures this weekend!

<3

Claire

Ballerina Project

The Ballerina Project photographs ballerinas around NY. So lovely.

-B

Advice to Miss Angela: Studying Abroad in a Tricky Climate/How To Diversify Your Wardrobe

Last week my friend Angela sent me this:

"I'm leaving in a few months to spend a semester studying in Galway, Ireland and I could not be more excited. I got my rain jacket on Summer clearance from REI and I'm getting new rain boots for Christmas. The only thing that worries me is that they go out four nights a week over there and all I own are jeans and V-neck tee shirts. I never even wear jewelry. I'm just a little college student, and I need to save money for essentials, like food and hard cider, but is there a way I can build up a few basic "cute" looks so that I don't embarrass myself?"

I'm going to attempt to answer this in a helpful way that'll also be useful to others- basically, how to diversify one's outfit for "going out" and for climates like Galway. If you guys didn't know, Ireland is like Seattle if it swallowed a bottle of overcast, rainy steroids. It's not as difficult to dress for as say, the African Congo, but it still poses some challenges.

First off, Angela, you can absolutely diversify your wardrobe on a budget! It just takes patience and good organization. Both will really help you if you end up shopping where recommend: thrift stores.*

*I don't know how most of you feel about thrifting, but in all honesty the majority of my wardrobe has come out of a Goodwill, Value Village, or Salvation Army. If you form a good list of what you'll need and give yourself some time to scour the stores from them I'll guarantee you'll come away with good quality stuff for a LOT cheaper. (Click on the links to find locations!)

The two main guidelines for whatever you buy are this: make sure they're versatile and good for layering. I can guarantee you that in Galway, Ireland and anywhere else during the Winter/Spring months you'll never regret layering (except for maybe if you're in SoCal like me muahaha!). So here goes!

1) Boots

And I'm talkin' leather boots. Or faux-leather. Europeans love they boots, ladiez. Plus they're comfy, warm, and dry during inclement weather. They also will open up your wardrobe: dresses and skirts will suddenly become accessible when you've got some boots to pair them with.

This might be something you want to spend a little extra money on, but you can get a nice, durable pair of boots for a price that won't give you a heart attack. And you'll wear them a LOT, I promise.

(Target Merona "Kasia" Boot- $59.99)

2) Accessories

Accessorizing doesn't mean that you have to have 5,000 pairs of earrings or every damn jingly charm necklace from Forever21. It just depends on what you like. Do you like headbands? They're a good way to dress up one of your infamous v-necks, Angie. Here's some accessories I do heartily recommend, however:

a) Tights: if you invest in a few good pairs of tights or leggings (The Nordstrom Rack will have some great ones- if they have some that feel like sweaters, BUY THEM. THEY ARE GOLD) that you'll be able to layer under skirts and dresses. Skip the cheap ones (unless you want to buy some fun colored ones) and spend the ten bucks on a good pair that won't run or be itchy.

(Frenchi Ribbed Sweater Tights- $12.00)

b) Belts: belts are super easy to come by and will be invaluable to your wardrobe. It's always great to have some belts in a few different widths, colors, and textures to use to add a little somethin' to your outfit. All of mine came from a thrift store, and my two most used ones are a thick suede-ish black one and a thick braided brown leather one.

c) Scarves: again, easy to find at a thrift store. Find a few in a cool color or pattern to brighten up a raincoat or a bar-going ensemble.

3) Bottoms

Comfy, worn-in jeans are the best. But there are some more stylish, easy options that are just as comfy.

a) Tailored, dark jeans: When you've got a sleek pair of dark-wash jeans you can pull anything off with them. Dark washes are sleek and flattering on everyone. Even better if they're a bootcut/skinny fit so that they can tuck into boots! Jeans are one thing I might recommend not looking for in thrift store unless you have a LOT of patience. Since dark wash jeans are so common, you can find some anywhere- Nordy's Rack (I recently found a pair of dark James Cured skinny jeans there for 30 bucks. For real.), Forever21, Gap... depends on your budget and body type!

(Forever21 Classic Sig Skinny Jeans- $17.80)

b) Skirts: they're wonderful and so easy to find in different styles and colors. If you like fitted bandage/pencil skirts or fuller skirts to wear up higher on your waist, go for a black/grey one and then try to branch out- a bright color maybe, a crazy pattern, or SEQUINS. For winter/gloomy weather I'd advise softer/stretchier knits that you'll be able to feel cozy in. My black knit bandage skirt was $5 at H&M and I can wear it with anything. Boom.

4) Tops

Guess what! Your v-necks will be rocked with the help of accessories and some diverse bottoms! But if you ever find yourself looking at a cute top while at Goodwill or some little boutique, don't be afraid to spend a little extra dough on something unique! While it's great to have versatile pieces in your wardrobe, you also need a good balance of gems that really speak of your personal style.

a) Sweaters! They are the best! Plain cardigans, striped grandpa sweaters, and the list goes on. What do you like?

b) Coats: If you think you'll want a coat other than your rain jacket, leather jackets are sassy and easily found nowadays (and yet again great for layering). Peacoats are a little more classic but are smelly when wet :/

Whew... this is probably a big post of verbal throw-up that I'll probably edit later. Hope this helps!

-B