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Horse Shampoo – Does Mane ‘N Tail make your hair grow faster? posted on August 19, 2009
“Low Maintenance Blonde”: Is Fall’s Ombre Hair Trend Here to Stay? posted on November 11, 2011
I Searched for a ‘Signature Scent’ and Her Name was Lola posted on February 22, 2012
5 easy hairstyles for medium, long, wavy, curly or straight hair posted on April 12, 2011
New obsession for style inspiration and photo sharing: Pinterest.com
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There are a lot of websites out there for photo sharing and style inspiration: Lookbook.nu, tumbler.com, flickr.com, boutiques.com, etc. I have invested a small amount of time into getting to know most of these sites, and although they all have slightly different uses, the end goal for a lifestyle blogger like myself is the same: share the things that you find beautiful. And of course, get inspired by what other people share.
My latest obsession is Pinterest.com. While some of those other sites I mentioned only captivated me for a couple of minutes, Pinterest has drawn me in and engaged me for quite a few hours now (and I only joined yesterday). Pinterest is a virtual pin board (or bulletin board) site that allows you to collect, categorize and share images of the things you love. Most of the images are linked back to the website on which they were found, which makes it easy to trace the path and the origin of the photos. So you don’t have to replace your Lookbook or Tumblr account to emerge yourself in Pinterest.com, because Pinterest allows you to share what you found on those websites.
I use Pinterest to collect and categorize the things that I find inspiring. For example, I have a virtual pin board for timeless styles that I love, seasonal styles, office space inspiration, home decorating inspiration, holiday inspiration, hair style inspiration (I even found a photo of myself that was being repined in various peoples’ hair and makeup inspiration pin boards!), recipe inspiration, etc. Other people can view the photos that I’ve “pinned” and pin them themselves, or comment on them, or “favorite” them.
This system ultimately makes it easy to keep track of the ideas and inspirations that usually slip your mind moments after seeing them. It’s really awesome.
Pinterest also makes it easy to find your friends’ pin boards, because right when you first log in it prompts you to allow it to search through your Facebook and Twitter friends and track down their boards. Hence the fact that I’m following so many people already – I didn’t have to search for anyone, the application did it for me. It’s that easy.
So, check out my pin boards – hopefully I can inspire you too! And if you haven’t already, sign up for your own Pinterest account and I’ll follow yours back!
New jewelry system: One step closer to completing my closet
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As I mentioned before, I’ve been working diligently to create my dream closet and I’m not going to post photos of it until it meets all of my closet needs in an ascetically pleasing manner. That being said, I’m one step closer to being finished now that I’ve ordered these from Etsy:
They’re vintage button thumb tacks and I’m going to use them on a cork board to hang some of the jewelry that I wear most often (and to inspire myself to remember to accessorize). I’m hoping this will be a beautiful and efficient way to display my jewelry so that it’s easily accessible as I’m putting together outfits. If you like this idea, check out these other cute, homemade thumb tacks from Etsy.
As you may remember from this blog post, I use jewelry holders from Urban Outfitters (pictured below) to store the bulk of my jewelry.
That worked fairly well for me when I had a nice nook in the wall of my old apartment to display large jewelry holders, but I don’t have the same designated nook in my new place. Unfortunately, in the new apartment, my jewelry holders have become an afterthought in our decor, tucked away in one of our storage closets, only to be forgotten about when I’m deliriously getting ready for the day at 6 in the a.m. (I’m NOT a morning person). Hopefully, my new hanging jewelry system will prove to be more efficient.
Unfortunately, my new system doesn’t give me any ideas for what to do with my watch and my rings at the end of the day. Do you have any ideas? What system do you use to display your jewelry?
Stage Mom
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The breeder called my boyfriend Carter last week and told him our new puppy Winston was ready to be picked up on Friday! We were so excited that we cancelled all our weekend plans to spend the entire weekend with our new puppy. He’s absolutely adorable and the sweetest, most well behaved seven-week-old puppy in the world. We couldn’t have gotten luckier – he’s already mostly potty trained, sleeps through the night, and socializes well with other people (we haven’t introduced him to any other dogs yet).
His only flaw seems to be that he happens to be as in love with my closet as I am. This wouldn’t be as big of a deal if he wasn’t teething right now. But since he loves to chew everything he comes into contact with, I have to be careful not to let him in there if I want to keep my shoes from turning to shreds.
Carter calls me a Stage Mom because I made Winston pose for all these pictures this weekend. But can you blame me? I want to document this time when he’s smaller than a wine glass and gets his greatest pleasure out of laying on my feet and watching Ice Loves Coco. Before we know it he’ll be in his “terrible teens” and be more interested in chasing his tail and chewing the furniture than sleeping on my lap. That’s when I’ll need a reminder of his newborn days.
At any rate, this weekend with him was pure magic. I love him so much! How was your weekend?
LiLash eyelash grower review and “after” pictures
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I know I said I wasn’t going to post any photos of my lashes after using LiLash, but as I was putting my mascara on this morning I was just so blown away by how well LiLash had worked. So I had to take these photos.
Okay granted, I was wearing a LITTLE BIT of mascara in these photos (my eyelashes get really blonde in the summer so you would have barely have been able to see them without mascara) – but yes, those are my real eyelashes thank you very much. I’m extremely impressed with this product. I highly recommend it.
In case you don’t know anything about LiLash, the abbreviated description is that it’s a non-prescritpion serum that you put on your lash line that is supposed to make your eyelashes grow longer. One of it’s biggest competitors is Latisse, which I reviewed here.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take any “before” pictures of my eyelashes before I started using LiLash (but you can look at my “before” pictures from this post to compare). But I can tell you that my lashes were short and uneven before LiLash entered my life. I used to spend a ton of time applying mascara in the mornings. Now I spend mere seconds. And unlike my experience with Latisse, LiLash has given me no irritation.
I got a couple of really good questions from readers in the comments section of my last post, which I answered there but I’ll also answer here because they made me realize I left some important information out of my review of Latisse.
Question: Kelsey, an awesome beauty blogger from Makeup Downlow, asked: “Where do you buy LiLash? Also, how expensive is it?”
Answer: I know that some hair salons sell LiLash, but you can also buy it online through their website at http://www.lilash.com/categories/LiLash-LiBrow/. It’s $139.97 online, plus shipping, I assume. When I bought it through a hair stylist, I think I paid about $170 for it. So it looks like you can get a better deal online.
Question: Katie asked: “Even though you didn’t have the same irritation with LiLash as you did with Latisse, did you have any irritation at all? Like watery eyes? Also, is it easy to apply? Those are the only things I was wondering before trying it myself.”
Answer: It’s honestly a little difficult for me to tell if LiLash has been irritating at all because my eyes are STILL a little irritated from Latisse. But as far as I can tell, I haven’t encountered any additional irritation from LiLash. But like I said, it’s a little hard to tell.
And yes, it’s really easy to apply. With Latisse you had to go through a whole bunch of brushes because they instruct you to use a new one for every application. With LiLash, you apply it like liquid eyeliner – but clear liquid eyeliner so you don’t have to stress too much about being precise.
1) ONLY apply LiLash one time a day (or even every other day). Applying more often will not make your lashes grow faster, it’ll just irritate your skin.
2) Wipe the extra solution off the brush onto the inside of the applicator (as you would if your mascara brush came out clumpy). You only need a tiny bit of the solution because it’s very potent. This will also make it last longer – bonus!!
3) Don’t put any of it on your bottom lashes.
Following these tips and the directions on the bottle will help prevent irritation and still give you awesome results.
I’m glad I was able to share my experiences with all of you! What do you think? Are you considering trying a lash growth serum?
Latisse review and Latisse before and after pictures
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I just found this draft of a post that I took photographs for almost two years ago. I don’t know how I managed to forget to post it, but somehow I did. Anyway, as you might have known from my early blog posts (or talking to me), I tried Latisse in college for about nine months when it first hit the market.
Latisse is supposed to make your eyelashes grow, and I can say with complete and total honesty that it works. Actually, Latisse works really, really well. These photos just don’t do it justice.
Latisse side effects…
You may be wondering why I stopped using Latisse if it works so well. Well, in addition to making my eyelashes grow, it also made my eyelids turn purple-ish red, and itch. I never had itchy eyes before I started using Latisse.
I loved having long lashes, but it wasn’t worth the high price tag (over $100 a bottle!) and permanently (yes – over a year later I still wear concealer on my eyelids) irritated eyes.
Side note: Latisse also can permanently darken the color of your iris’ when you use it. This wasn’t an issue for me because I have such dark brown eyes already, but if I’d had blue eyes I would have been pretty pissed!
So I stopped using Latisse and didn’t use any eye lash growing products for about a year.
My newest eyelash adventure…
But recently, I’ve actually started using LiLash, a Latisse competitor, which is ironic because I wrote this review bashing Lilash when I first started my blog.
LiLash is similarly priced to Latisse, but you don’t need a prescription to buy it. It also last closer to a year, whereas one bottle of Latisse is supposed to last about a month (if I remember right). So, there’s more bang for your buck with LiLash.
I’m still not entirely sure how LiLash works, but somehow it does and I have long eyelashes again. And they’re not irritated, which is awesome. I’ve only been using it for a month and I’ve already seen significant results. So between the two products, I would recommend LiLash. I probably won’t do a full review of this product because I’ve taken my blog in a different direction than it started (I used to do a ton of beauty product reviews). But I do recommend it. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any before and after pictures of my lashes while using LiLash.
Have you used Latisse, Lilash or something else? How about one of the drugstore versions of these products? How did they work for you? Did you experience any side effects?
Pantone’s Fall 2011 color choices
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At the start of every new season, Pantone unveils their latest color choices for “of the moment” hues in fashion. Their decision is made by surveying the designers of fashion week to identify the most “directional” colors. If you’re looking for new ways to incorporate color into your wardrobe this season, look to Pantone’s color pallet.
“Designers take a painterly approach to fall 2011 by artfully combining bright colors with staple neutrals, reminiscent of how an artist would construct a stunning work of art,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Much like a painter’s masterpiece, there is a certain romance to this season’s palette.”
What do you think of Pantone’s choices? I love their rich, sophisticated hues. The only one that really caught me off guard was Orchid Hush. Although I think it’s a pretty color, it’s a little bit too baby doll-ish for me right now. But perhaps it’ll grow on me.
You can learn more about Fall 2011′s colors on Pantone’s website.
What I bought (Part 3)
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I went on a mini shopping spree after my month of not shopping (as I talked about here). These are my purchases, which I justified buying by convincing myself that they will all be applicable come rainy weather and Fall fashion. What do you think? Am I lying to myself, or do you agree that these will transition seamlessly into Fall?
Also, this post has two little surprises for you. The first being a sneak peak of my new closet, which I’ll be devoting a separate post to shortly. And the second you’ll have to scroll down to the bottom to see!
Okay, on to the rest of my purchases…
And now for the surprise! My best purchase of all…?
He’s too small to take home right now, but we get to pick him up in about a month. Needless to say, I’m OBSESSED with him!
How did this happen, you ask? Well, Carter and I are both serious dog people and we’ve been talking about getting a puppy ever since we moved in together over a year ago. Our old apartment was just a tad too small, and the timing was never right.
But since we moved, we have both been scanning the internet for the perfect, wrinkly-faced pup. We’ve contacted countless breeders of English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs. We’ve even encountered a few scams!
Note! Some helpful puppy-buying tips: 1) If the price is “too good to be true,” it probably is. 2) Never pay a “breeder” to ship you a dog from outside of your county. It’s more than likely a scam!
But finally we stumbled across this little bundle of joy. We went to visit him a few days ago, and as soon as his breeder let him out of the gate, he walked right over to me, let me pick him up, and then fell right asleep in my arms. He literally melted my heart. Carter and I knew he was the one, right then and there.
So, as I said before, he’s so small that he’s not ready to be brought home just yet. But I’ll keep you guys updated. In the mean time, we did a TJ Maxx and Marshall’s run (bet you didn’t know they had pet supplies!?!) and picked up just a few goodies for Winston because we just can’t wait for his arrival!
Date night
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Carter and I try to make sure we do date nights fairly often, but with all the chaos of the move a few weeks ago we realized last weekend that it had been over a month since our last official date.
On Saturday evening, we took the Portland Street Car down to a nearby sushi restaurant and looked out at the water as we enjoyed some red wine, California rolls, and green tea ice cream.
Date night didn’t turn out to make much of an outfit post, thanks to all the wind down by the river. But nevertheless, Carter and I had a lovely evening.
Did you do anything fun this weekend?
Fall 2011 Trend Report: Denim EVERYTHING
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I know it’s barely August, but I’m already thinking about Fall fashion. Denim is one of the many 70’s styles that has made a comeback in Summer, and is supposed to keep going strong in to Fall 2011.
Denim no longer implies boring old jeans. Fashionistas everywhere have gotten much more creative. I’ve hopped on the denim bandwagon myself, and put together my Fall 2011 Denim Wishlist. (I actually already own about half of these things, but I stuck them in here anyway so that there would be a more complete visual.)
What to wear with a denim button up? A floral skirt (when it’s warm), or black jeans when Fall strikes.
What to wear with a denim jacket? A maxi dress, sun dress, kakis, colored denim pants or shorts.
See “Denim cutoffs” later in this list.
What to wear with a denim blazer? Colored jeans and a striped shirt would be super cute!
What to wear with a denim vest? How about a sundress, maxi dress, or really any other dress.
What to wear with red skinny jeans? A crisp, white button up. Or a navy stripes on a sweater or shirt. Boots or heels.
What to wear with denim cutoffs? Feminine tops to offset the ruggedness of the shorts, such as florals, a blazer, sequins… etc. Then pair with rugged boots or heels. When Fall hit, throw some tights under your cut
What to wear with patterned denim? If it’s floral, wear something masculine to offset the girlyness of the shorts.
What to wear with boyfriend jeans? First of all, roll them a bit at the ankle so they hit around the middle or above your calve (make sure they hit above if you have short legs.) Then, wear them with a feminine sweater, lace shirt, crisp button-up, or fitted tank top. And throw a blazer on top!
What to wear with a denim dress? Well, you don’t need much. I’d throw on some boots or sandals, and maybe a sweater. If you’re wearing it in fall, try a leather jacket and tights under the dress.
What to wear with flared or wide leg denim? A fitted, striped shirt.
Now that you know my wish list and how I’d wear these styles, what’s on your wishlist for Fall?
