iWant: 30 Accessories all under $150

InStyle had an online article in their On Trend section called "30 Accessories All Under $150- http://m.instyle.com/128535/h

The link is available above & the rundown of the article basically names the hottest fall accessories as: Black & gold, brocade, metallic graphite/ gunsilver ( my favorite!), tweed, houndstooth & plaid. Examples from the article posted below. 

Cuuuute. I actually had these on my iWant list already!

Love this. The geometric elements make this necklace truly versatile & due to the size of my bust, I prefer short necklaces any day. 

Not a fan. 

Not really a wearer of loafers- I think they're making a comeback, there's two examples in this list alone. (I don't know why this reminds me of the Emperor's New Clothes so much!)

Headband is a little too gaudy for me but I'm loving the textile's actual look. 

Louis XIV. Smh. 

Aha! Brocade doesn't have to look like curtains! The stripes are refreshing. 

This is 50 shades of awesome. Despite my White Rule I'd definetly wear this. 

Yes. 

*squeals* #ineedthisinmylife

Saaaame. 

I just fell out of my chair. I go crazy for industrial, raw textile. Yessss. 😍

Never really been a fan of tweed- it's just something about the plethora of color that doesn't sit well with me. I love the style of these pumps though. 

I could see this in a winter setting. On some one else. 

Not a fan. 

This is tweed I would actually wear. Mind blown right now. I think glamming it up with the chains helped to take this clutch further to the edge. 

I have mixed feelings about houndstooth 

I actually like this. Would be so fun with t-shirts. 

Cuuuute. 

Cute but not really my style. 

Blah, I'd never have use for these 😭. 

Loveeee. 

On the fence about this. 

Ugh. 

OOTD: Winter: ugly sweater season that makes finding a blazer implausible but not impossible.

For the holiday season it was a bit chilly (here meaning 50°F instead of Miami's usual 70°F this time of year.)
However, for some reason, at this time of year, every other major company (yes, Target, I'm talking to you) thinks that providing a variety of hideous cableknit sweaters to drown in constitutes as legitimate winter fashion. I don't think so.
I went on the hunt... Looking for exactly what I found...  My diamond in the rough. A funky black blazer versatile enough to wear with tights, slacks, jeans & dresses. The material is what throws me the most- its a soft sweaterlike material. The buttons have a brushed gold finish & faux pockets. Marshall's surprised me with this one... I usually am warded off from converting to a usual customer by their prices but at $17 USD, I figured it was a worthy investment.
Yes!

Rant: Neo nineties revolution

They're back. So back. We can thank the hipster influence in society. I'm half expecting to see the sunflowered Blossom jeans to make an appearance. Dark nails, high waisted jeans & shorts, cropped shirts, snapbacks, flat top haircuts, joggers, etc. 

Things I'm predicting to reappear

Girls: bob haircuts, velvet clothing and accessories, clueless (schoolgirl) attire, windbreakers. 

Guys: Brightly colored suits, wearing button up shirts buttoned all the way to the top with no tie, silk shirts.

Nailed: New Nails Everyday (Elle/Sally Hensen) Purple manicure

Another ad in the booklet features a grey-purple shade the first day. 

Silver nailpolish is dabbed on the second day to create a faux ombre effect. 

The following day, jewel tones are coupled with the grey-purple base to create a geode (prismic) look.

Finally, (Which I find genius) the smudges are hidden with strategically placed crystals. (I'm not really a fan of crystals because of the time and effort that goes into placing them but yolo.) 

Rings & Things: Call It Spring

More rings! I really must stop before this becomes an addiction!

Call It Spring finds. 

The first venture into Call It Spring (which I discovered was started by Aldo as an attempt at a younger line for school aged kids) this afternoon brought me more goodies to add to my ring collection. 

The first thing that caught my eye were these talon rings. I'm usually not a fan of this ring type. Normally I despise these 'double' rings because if the limited finger mobility, etc. but in this instance, I feel that it was so necessary! They're also not too gaudy either so I can totally get away with wearing them to the office. 

And of course, my favorite, a cross ring. This is the second and hopefully last addition of a double ring to my collection but the way it sits is honestly so awesome that it had to come home with me. 

Review: Maybelline Color Sensational Limited Edition Fashion Week lipgloss

I purchased these two bad boys on a whim from my local drugstore. I mostly lean towards more higher end makeup (yes, I'm a prestige snob) so getting these was merely to see what the colors would look like. Plus, sadly enough, marking anything as limited edition is usually enough to make me purchase. Fashion Week being plastered across the entire display drew me to it & from then on it was fly vs flypaper.

The two colors purchased were Purple Royale (295) and Chocolate Lust (315). I must say they are ten times better than Electric Shock (90), the pink that I regret picking up for my Playboy costume last Halloween.

The quality of the gloss itself is impressive. Not only is it thicker than its everyday sister but it wears longer. The purple is interesting because it morphs while you wear it going from the dark purple that you can clearly see in the photo to berryish pinks and fushias. The brown also changes as you wear it starting as a deep brown mahogany and lightens to a darker red.

<a href="http://m.maybelline.com/Products/Product/?id=8690E607-EB26-4B4D-9802-6B46A78531DE">Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss</a>

Review: Smashbox Lash Primer

Against my better judgement, I purchased this primer when my trial of Tarte's Lash Primer was finished. Dissapoinment city. Trying a primer before using it on a trial basis is a wonderful example of the fact that all primers are not created equal. 

Pros: It works. Just not as well as other lash primers. 

Cons: It's goopy/thick while on the brush but doesn't transfer well to the lash. The brush is awful, borderlining pathetic. Example: Dior's DiorShow Lash primer has a comb brush. 

Fragrance: Honey by Marc Jacobs

I have never been a fragrance girl. I'm usually the one in the group that freaks about eyeshadow and lipcolor on someone before I'd stop the same person after getting a whiff of their scent and demanding to know where to find it. 

The first experience where I actually felt like a fragrance girl? Checking out at Sephora getting my nail polish strips (LINK) and randomly sniffing the sample bottles that are left to lure poor unsuspecting shopaholics such as myself. My eyes widened after a simple whiff and double after the second. It was Sephora's new exclusive fragrance from Marc Jacobs appropriately entirely 'Honey'. Turning to my coworker, I told her, "The day this comes out on rollerball, I'm getting it- no questions asked." 

About two weeks after, my heart stopped while browsing the trial section near Sephora's checkout. Laying halfway through the trial display was the polka dotted rollerball I'd been waiting for! I didn't hesitate to toss that into my basket along with my clearance loot. (LINK)

Review: Urban Decay Vice 2

Urban Decay: Vice 2 Palette
Closed.
Great Packaging as always.

Open.
Gotta love that huge mirror.

Actual Pallette.
So vibrant.
Everything that was missing from the Vice is here!

Moments ago, I received the most wonderful email. The subject? 'You have received a UPS box.' I knew that my Urban Decay: Vice 2 palette had finally arrived in the mail. My squeals, without a doubt, echoed throughout the entire office. 

Having darker skin away makes it impossible to find great pigmented eyeshadow that will actually show true. In the three years of our relationship, Urban Decay has never let me down in regards to having vibrant colors that last. The Naked Palette, though great for others, was definitely not for me. All browns. 😑 I felt as if it wouldn't even show up on me for the most part. I'd always have to wait for year-end when the Book of Shadows was available to get colors. So when the Vice debuted last year, I listed that at the top of my Secret Santa list. I said to myself when I finally received the package containing it that I will henceforth buy every version of Vice that I can get my hands on. 

Samples of colors. 

I'm overjoyed. The colors that I'm truly excited to try are Rewind (a matte color that will serve as a base), Betrayal (an electrified shimmery lavender-lilac), and Prank (an indigo resembling that of a mermaid's tail.)

Nailed: New Nails Everyday (Elle/Sally Hensen) Red Manicure

Elle magazine had a booklet in their latest issue; I'm trying to find it online but alas, it's lost. If I find the link, I will be sure to post it. It's an ad for nails but I'm thinking that I'll probably try all off them eventually due to the extensive material in my home salon that I've blown over 100$ on. I'll post each manicure separately with minor changes. Then I'll update with my own version of these manicures.

First up is the white to a twist on the classic red manicure.

The first day starts with a simple glossy white nail. I would definitely do a modification on this. I'm black. This will look like chalky WhiteOut on my nails. I'll probably end up going with a beige or something super light pink, my skin will wash out the color anyway.

This is followed by a tan stripe added to create a reverse french. In that case- a very pale pink will be used. I think that would look amazing with the gold.

After that the white is used as a base coat for a red polish with a gold glitter tip. I kind of want to try sticking some sequins, kind of like the gold stars inside the snowglobe onto my nails when I do this one.

 
The following day glitter is added to the rest of the nail. I'll either use multicolored glitter or Essie Luxe Effects on the nail. I have it in gold.

Review: Dior Mascara

Shopkicks roped me into trying this mascara and I must say I'm having completely mixed feelings about this mascara. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise (I'm not at the level where I buy makeup simply because a designer slaps their name on it.)

The primer has a 'comb' brush which is perfect for primer but the actual primer solution itself is... Complicated. Either too much comes out or not enough comes out for the tube, but that may be user error. 

The mascara itself has a traditional brush. The solution is decent, a close third to Bad Gal & Smashbox's Lash DNA.     

Halloween 2012: Year of Playboy Bunny

As much as I hate store bought costumes, I truly wanted to be a Playboy Bunny at least one Halloween in my life. So I've done as always- accessories from the store and came up with the attire myself.

 

I wanted a more authentic look (as always), so I opted for a bustier rather than the shapeless option from Spirit of Halloween. The 'sexy' shop in Miami that is literally Halloween headquarters had a zip up bustier that was perfect for my purposes. Not only could I go braless (I wanted a strapless number that would work for me), it was form flattering and as comfortable as a corset gets. I decided on a bikini cut panty with the same material. (Yes, I was running around on Halloween in my underwear.)

All accessories came from Spirit of Halloween. I wanted a solid color for everything, and white (due to my ongoing war with that absence of color) was out of the question. Black ears were incredibly difficult to find. At the fourth store, I finally scored the last pair. Instead of gloves (which I originally wanted but didn't fit right, or go along with the traditional bunny that I wanted to portray), I got the cuff-links. Totally glad I did because making this costume work appropriate called for them later.

Making it work appropriate.

We have an annual costume contest so in order to enter without getting shunned or fired- I paired the bustier with a collared hi-lo sheer white top with rhinestones on it (to create the illusion of a tuxedo). I was incredibly surprised to find this in Loehmann's. The white 'tuxedo' shirt was genius as I had cuff-links to further create the  image of a full shirt.

I also used a blast from years of Halloween past-the shorts from the ringleader costume- rather than panties. Fishnets were still a go to cover my legs.

Look book: Pinterest recreation (Blue/yellow eyes)

Source: weheartit.com via Andi on Pinterest

Theirs Mine

Rant: Dear People of Fashism

Dear People of Fashism,

After over a year of being a member of this site and after the two generous glasses of wine I just consumed, I feel that we are on an honesty level to which we adhere & thus i'm writing this letter as there have been some things on my mind that I must address.

To those who defend their outfits when receiving well needed criticism,
Your outfits average at a 52% approval rating. This hereby meaning you need help getting dressed in the morning. Luckily, you came to a site of people who with try to help you look better. We can't help you if your catty "I know how to dress" statement follows every comment aiming to help your pathetic sense of style is made. If you knew how to dress, you'd average higher. Stop being catty bitches because we called you out. If you don't care what we think, don't post.

To those who have 4+ pictures with the same hideous article of clothing,
It is not the only article of clothing in your closet. If we thought it was ugly the first three times it was posted, what makes you think we won't realize you have tried to pass it off as something else and vote it off the proverbial island yet again? Have you ever stopped to think that this article of clothing may be killing your ratings? It is still ugly & newsflash, you haven't tricked us, you've just made us angry that we have to comment on it & call you out on it so that we can stop seeing it surface every 26 minutes. Jesus! Try some variety!

To the retro enthusiasts,
I get that you're trying to thrift and wear things that were worn in 1989 regardless of whether they flatter you or are attractive & that's awesome. Good for you. My only request is that you stop calling something 'retro' everytime its something old school & ugly. That just insults fashions of the day & consequently pisses me off. Blossom, Six, Clarissa Explains it All & the entire cast of All That wouldn't appreciate you butchering their iconic fashion memory.

To the serial belters,
There's more than one way to define your figure without using a belt. Stop telling people to "add a belt". Adding a belt doesn't solve your problems. It doesn't make them magically disappear. If the article of clothing didn't flatter them in pattern and/or shape then it certainly won't after. You add a vest, or a cardigan, blazer, tuck the shirt in ( if its a shirt that CAN be tucked in) or you can change the shape of the bottom or just change completely because let's be honest, most high fashion is modeled on twiggy 19 year olds that are 5'10 & have -2% body fat, not the general public. Dress for your body type!

To the flip flop freaks,
Flipflops are not suitable attire. They are meant to be worn to the beach, on college campuses, or while running errands or doing housework... Cinderella housework. They can also be worn when you don't want to ruin shoes (while raining) or when your feet hurt (on after wearing a kickass pair all day as a last resort) They scream 'I don't give a rat's ass about the way I look today.... in fact, I didn't feel like trying at all so this is the end result, plastic shoes that allow me to go into placed that require shoes. There's nothing fashionable about flip flops. Nothing. So stop telling me to take my hooker boots off & put on flip flops because that will only happen behind closed doors as I find them tacky & distasteful. Shame on you for that advice.

To the legging/jeggings/skinny Jeans lovers,
Leggings never have between, and never will be pants. Stop telling people to pair their outfits with leggings rather than going back to their closets & finding a real pair of pants. Especially when the poor girl is overweight. Also, throwing this out there, skinny Jeans & jeggings are only appropriate at certain times with certain outfits and at times certain body types. Real friends don't let friends try to pass leggings off as pants.

Last but secondly not least,
To the tweens that get mean,
You've come to us for advice & when we tell you your outfits either aren't right for you, don't match, or anything negative you try to get even by posting negative feedback about anyone who actually tried to help you to not become the hot messes we were when we were twelve. you're fucking twelve. If you can't take constructive criticism without going on a vengeful rampage to ruin the very nice people who to help you look better, then try getting on this site again after puberty.

With all my love & honesty,
LongLivethe Queen.