Popular Today
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
Holiday Gift-Giving Guides: Table of Contents
7 comments
I’ve decided to post a different holiday gift guide every Thursday in December, leading up to Christmas/ Hanukkah this year. I’m one of those weirdos who starts her shopping way too early, does extensive research, and gets waaaay too excited about giving people stuff. (This makes me either materialistic or generous… I haven’t yet decided which one.) Either way, I’d like to be able to pass my hours of research on to benefit all of you. So, check out the following posts (I’ll add hyperlinks to the titles as I post the articles so you can come back here and use this as a table of contents if you wish):
“7 Gifts Under $35 for your BFF“
These will be posted Dec. 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd, respectively. So check back!
If you’re interested in even more gift giving guides, check out my post from last year on holiday gifts for the beauty product junkie in your life.
Causal Fall Outfit
4 comments
Although this outfit isn’t exactly revolutionary or terribly original, I wanted to post it because I’ve been wearing some variation of this every time I go out for drinks with the girls and/or on casual dinner dates for the past month or so. Nothing beats a good pair of skinny jeans – and these were $10 at Forever 21 (so, literally, nothing beats that), a polished blouse (which also doubles as a work shirt when worn with slacks or pencil skirts), wedge pumps, and a faux leather bomber jacket. This jacket fits like a glove and literally makes EVERY outfit look more put together. Best of all? The jacket was only $40 at Target! (It’s on sale right now for $27.99). A similar Target jacket comes with faux shearling lining and the one I’m wearing comes in other colors, too. Total steal, right?
Sometimes, I’ll mix it up and add a scarf, different shoes (or boots), and I almost always wear a different blouse. Occasionally, I’ll wear a blazer instead of the bomber jacket (but not usually – because it has been so cold lately). But basically, this been a go-to look I can count on for looking pulled together when I’m in a rush.
Have you found yourself gravitating toward a particular outfit combination as of late?
Forever 21 jeans (similar style), H&M blouse, Aldo shoes (also seen here), Target jacket
Lace Shorts: Yes or a No? Please advise.
12 comments
The lace shorts trend first popped up last spring but has stuck around into fall (except now you’d probably want to add some tights under your shorts). I picked up a pair of lace shorts last summer and had every intention of wearing them – but when I put them on, my boyfriend told me it looked like I was wearing underwear instead of pants. I wasn’t about the leave the house after that feedback.
I still wonder, though – was their “underwear-like quality” the fault of the shorts themselves, or was it just the way I styled them? Perhaps, this is one of those styles that looks good in pictures but not in real life? (Come to think of it – I’ve never seen someone wearing them in person, only in photos…)
I was first inspired to try this trend after seeing Khatu from I am Khatu wearing lace shorts (above). I’m seriously obsessed with her style and of course – she looks perfectly classy in everything… So they don’t look like underwear on her at all.
After Madwell reminded me this isn’t just a summer trend with this look yesterday, I scoured Pinterest for more inspiration on how to wear this style. Here are some images Pinterest helped me come up with.
I tried to choose photos where you could see most or the entire outfit so you could really judge for yourself. Let me know what you think! Am I crazy for wanting to try this style again?
Happy T-Day!
leave a comment
It’s nice to take time out of our busy lives to celebrate everything we have to be thankful for. Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted the things that matter most. I have so much to be grateful for this year: My family, friends, boyfriend, puppy, health, home, job… And OF COURSE – My readers! The list goes on and on.
I consider myself very lucky. There are lots of people in this world who aren’t as fortunate as I have been so I try to remind myself all the time to appreciate what I have.
I’m going to stop babbling and let you get back to your loved ones this holiday. But here are just a few photos of why I’m so thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Make the most of today and don’t forget to tell the people you love how much they mean to you!
Making me happy today
6 comments
Clockwise from the top…
#1: New lo-lo-lo-lo-lowlights in my hair for fall. (I’m thinking about going even darker next time – thoughts? In case you have forgotten due to my lack of outfit photos as of late, my hair is usually quite light.)
#2: Sir Winston. ‘Nuff said.
#3: Pre-holiday yum yums.
#4: New pendent lighting over our breakfast table.
And, of course – Thanksgiving is tomorrow!! Anybody know of any good Black Friday sales this year?! Boyfriend and I are considering braving the crowds on Friday morning (or Thursday at midnight) – so let me know!
Use code ‘fall101′ to get 50 percent off your first jewelry purchase from Kate Bosworth’s boutique, JewelMint!
leave a comment
I’ve always admired Kate Bosworth’s style. She’s got such a grounded elegance that allows her natural beauty to shine through. Isn’t that what we all seek to achieve? So when I was approached by JewelMint – Kate Bosworth’s online jewelry boutique – to promote it as a part of the Portland MBA (Mint Brand Ambassador) Team, of course I said “yes!” But what really drew me to this program was the benefit I get to provide to my readers (that means YOU!) Regularly $39 a month, with a coupon code that is unique to The Confessions of a Product Junkie readers, you can get 50% off your first month purchase at JewelMint.
Use coupon code Fall101 at checkout for 50% off your first month of JewelMint, courtesy of the Portland MBA Team.
Okay, I’ll back up. JewelMint is more than just a jewelry boutique. It’s a boutique catered to YOU! When you become a member, you take the Style Quiz and the JewelMint team puts together a showroom just for you, based on your personal style.
Members see new jewelry designed by Kate Bosworth and Cher Coulter and picked just for them, appearing in their online showroom every month! As an exclusive member, each piece is available to you for only $29.99. (And your first purchase will be half that – $14.99 with free shipping! – if you use the discount code fall101 avaliable exclusively to my readers.)
So yes – you get affordable, quality, gorgeous jewelry for only $29.99 a pop! What’s not to like?
Here are a few of the pieces that stood out to me from my JewelMint showroom this month:
So if you like jewelry (who doesn’t?), you should definitely check out JewelMint.com to learn more! And don’t forget to use the discount code fall101 on your first purchase!
Portland Lifestyle Bloggers Meet up
2 comments
Okay – this is a pretty belated post and most of the other ladies who attended this event beat me to it. But I wanted to share my experience at a recent Portland Lifestyle Blogger Meet Up a few weekends ago and introduce you to some other local Portland bloggers you might be interested in following!
The event was a casual, pot-luck style brunch, organized by lovely local blogger Sara of Glitter and Grace (although, sadly, she’s moving back to Cali this month).
There was the perfect combination of food, crafts and company to keep us all entertained for quite a few hours. Attendees included women who write about fashion, DIY projects (hence my recent DIY obsession), jewelry, home decor and, well, life. Apparently there are over 30 local lifestyle bloggers who update their sites regularly. Who knew?!
It was great fun meeting these lovely ladies and I instantly felt a connection with them. I don’t get to meet many other lifestyle bloggers in person (although I genuinely feel like I know many of them through the online community and their blogs) so this was a real treat!
If you want to read more about the meet up and see a more comprehensive list of the bloggers, I suggest you head on over to Vintage Pretty and let Olga tell you more about it.
Introducing Rachel Bilson’s Shoe Boutique: ShoeMint! Sign up for access to the limited debut collection!
2 comments
After getting an email from ShoeMint, Rachel Bilson’s new shoe boutique, I wanted to take a few moments this afternoon to spread the word! Because, well, you know how much I love a stylish pair of shoes. ShoeMint is best described as: “The impeccable style of fashion icon, Rachel Bilson, meets the vision of celebrity stylist, Nicole Chavez, in collaboration with shoe legend, Steve Madden.”
Sounds like the dream team to me!
Sign up for ShoeMint by simply entering your email (signing up doesn’t cost you anything and you have no obligation to buy) and then you can share your personal referral link with friends to earn rewards (a.k.a. HUGE discounts on shoes!) The more friends you refer, the more you save!
I hope everyone is having a lovely Saturday! Happy shoe shopping!
Versace for H&M: Where it hit and where it MISSED
3 comments
The fashion community is buzzing about the new, limited-time Versace for H&M Collection that launches tomorrow (November 19th). I won’t be one of the people camping outside of H&M, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about the collection, too.
But I’m going to be honest with you – in my humble opinion, the pieces in this collection are extremely HIT or MISS. A few too many made me laugh, do a double take, or just scratch my head in disbelief. Yes – I realize that the pieces I’m talking about are inspired by the archives of Versace styles, blah blah blah. But I’m sorry, would you really wear some of this stuff out in public?
Here’s a look at what I see as a HIT and a MISS from this collection.
Hit: Versace for H&M Silk Dress, $149
MISS: Versace for H&M Silk Dress
Oh… It gets better… Wait for it…
Matching leggings!!! $29.95.
Hit: Versace for H&M Silk Dress, $149
MISS: Silk skirt and top, $199. This looks like Barbie got her apron caught in a shredder.
Hit: Versace for H&M Silk Dress, $199
MISS: Versace for H&M Gold Metallic Dress, $249. Yes – I know Versace was one of the first (if not the first) to do draped metal clothing like this. But come on – this looks ugly and even worse – cheap! (The belt is what really gets me).
Hit: Versace for H&M Leather Studded Dress, $299
MISS: Versace for H&M Dress, $79.95. Okay, this isn’t horrible – but it looks like everything sold in Forever 21. Not that that’s a bad thing, but is it really Versace calliber? Not so much…
Now, lets talk about the men…
Hit: Versace for H&M Blazer, $199
MISS: Versace for H&M Jacket, $129
Hit: Versace for H&M Jacket
MISS: Versace for H&M Sweater, $79.95
Okay – I know I’m being a little judgmental here and unappreciative of “high fashion” inspired pieces. Call me crazy but I’ve always categorized “good fashion” into one of two categories: Wearable & flattering AND/OR a piece of art.
But these pieces from my MISS list don’t fit into either category. They don’t even look like a part of the same collection as the rest of the pieces.
What do you think? Be honest, if those MISS clothes didn’t have the Versace label on them, would you ever have picked them out in a store or worn them? Or am I totally off base here and underestimating Versace’s genius?
See the rest of the Versace for H&M Collection.
Nail Inspiration
5 comments
Lately, there have been some really, REALLY cool manicures floating around Pinterest and the blogosphere. Inspired by everyone’s nail creativity, I decided to do my own creative DIY manicure (see above). This is a combination of OPI and Zoya and it was super easy to do! First, I painted a base coat of the Zoya purple and then did a few coats of the OPI on my tips. And ta da! It’s a jewel-toned, sparkly french manicure.
This wasn’t my first attempt at a creative manicure and it certainly won’t be my last. For Halloween, I tried Sally Hansen’s press on manicure in “lace”. See below.
And last year, I did a variation of the first manicure I showed you but with a navy blue from American Apparel’s line of nail polish (as opposed to the purple), and the same gold glitter polish. See below. (You can read more about this manicure in my blog post “Polished Perfection.”)
Although I’m proud of my DIY manicures and think they turned out pretty well – these manicures below put mine to shame. Oh well – there’s always room for improvement!
And my personal favorite…
What has been inspiring your beauty routine lately?
