OOTD #2

We finally got some much needed rain and HUZZAH HORRAY wildflowers have started blooming everywhere. Which is beautiful, but allergy-ful. That in mind, I popped a Claritin and headed out in search of wildflowers.Well, mostly Bluebonnets - this is Texas, after all.

Knowing I was going to be walking around outside for quite a bit, I tried to plan accordingly: SPF 15 Moisturizer for my face, sunglasses for my eyes, and comfy clothes for ... my body.

My ever trusty and much worn sunglasses were a birthday present several years ago and have gotten me through many a bright day.


I decided to sockbun my hair for 3 reasons:
1. I slept with it up so it was a mess
2. It's hella windy outside and
3. I hadn't gotten the chance to try the midsize sockbun I bought at H&M a few weeks ago and I wanted to.

(ps: H&M's sock bun thingies are super cheap and easy to use so there's not really any need to go crazy and get one that costs more than 3$)

The only downside to sockbunning my hair is that it really emphasizes how long it's been since I've gotten my hair dyed. But, like, an inch and a half of roots is a fashion thing, right? Yeaaaah... That's what I'm gonna go with.

I kept my outfit simple: long sleeve scoop neck shirt, rolled up jeans, and boots. In hindsight, the boots probably weren't the most practical shoes I could've worn to go traipsing around in fields but whateverrr. They are very comfy and very cute. Plus: yay for feet ventilation. 

I found a necklace (that I had completely forgotten about. I think I need to re-organize my jewelry) I bought on my last day in New Zealand, and the nail polish is from several days ago. I have a post on the brand (Formula X) coming up in the next few weeks because it's thebomb.com/supergreat so I won't say much other than I am in love.  

But for the most important part of this post: I now present the wildflowers I found. I'm forever sad that it's illegal to pick Bluebonnets in Texas. I want to press some and make pretty pretty art things. But noooo. I'm not allowed. Pah.

-- Kate

OOTD #1

Spring has tentatively sprung in Texas and oh gosh oh golly am I excited. Last week, on an exceptionally lovely day, I spent several hours at Little Elm Park basking in the sun - reading for a while before wandering down to the lake to take some pictures. 

Little Elm is a little off of my usual path, so I was pleasantly surprised when I had the park to myself basically the entire time I was there (otherwise I probably wouldn't have taken so many pictures). It was  the first time this year that it's been warm enough to not wear tights or a jacket, so I was excited to pull out a pretty simple, and comfy outfit: high-waisted skirt from Forever 21, with ankle boots that I 'borrowed' from my mom 6 months ago and a scoop neck teeshirt from target.

This outfit, with some minor variations, is basically the only thing I'll be wearing for the next few months. Luckily, that means not a tremendous change in what I wear in winter: I simply put away the cardigans and tights until colder weather comes again. For those of you blessed with actual seasons, you don't know what Texas spring is: roughly 2 weeks of 'nice' weather before it gets overbearingly (and unhealthily) hot and then stays that way until October.
I've only just recently accepted how amazing skirts and dresses are, so this spring will be a comfy one. I hope comfort-style is here to stay.

Banded skirts are my friend, y'all. They accentuate the narrowest part of my body and are flowy and do not require special undies to look nice. I love them. I own 7. I've had this one for years and years - bought it before I really even wore skirts but now I wear it almost once a week. Who says Forever 21 can't make stuff that lasts? Most everyone. Because 99% of the time you're paying cheap-o prices for the lack of quality, but this skirt is in that 1%. Same goes for my teeshirt. I'm not sure when I bought it, but I know I've had it for years and it is perfectly worn in and oh so comfortable.

I try to wear pretty sensible shoes in general, but I make sure to wear comfy walking shoes when I know I'm going explore. There's a lot of the park that I haven't seen, especially with the lake as low as it is, and it just so happens that one of my favorite pairs of shoes are great for tramping around in. 

Last time I went there it had rained & this was the result 

 The weather last week was so lovely and I look forward to many many warm and windy days like it in the coming months.
I've decided to make an effort to explore more of the areas near my house, and I hope I'll find some nice places to hang out once Spring actually springs and everything is decidedly less brown and more flowery.
Also more allergy-y, but I like to pretend my allergies don't exist until I have to deal with them.

So, here's to warm days, and to banded skirts, and ankle boots, and a new season: Spring.

xoxo Kate

When I first started to wear makeup on the regs (read: daily) it took me 30+ minutes to do - much to the consternation of my roommate at the time. But that was then (a year ago) and this is now. I've got my '5 minute face' down pat and I'm actually kind of proud of it. Oh the strides I've made in a year.

It's a mix of both high-end and drugstore products - but really it's what I've found that works best for my skin type and for my coloring.
Starting from the top left: NYX Brow Powder in Taupe/Ash, MAC Eyeshadow in Club, Pürminerals Correcting Primer, No 7 Dual Action Tinted Moisturizer in Fair, Revlon Eyeshadow in Oyster, No 7 Blush in Soft Damson, Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara, and Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Strawberry Kissed

I've just recently started using the Pürminerals Correcting Primer and I am in love with it. It keeps my makeup in place all day, feels amazing and creamy on my skin (without getting really heavy) and somehow does a decent job of covering up my acne scarring all on it's own. Which is the most amazing thing in the world, to be honest. I use about a pump and a half of it to cover my entire face, eyelids included. 

For the longest time I had myself convinced that, because I had oily skin I would never need moisturizer. Wrong, wrong and also wrong. Finding a good moisturizer and cleanser has made an insane difference in my skin. Turns out, my body was overproducing oil because it thought I needed it, but with moisturizer that has stopped! Far gone are the days of super oily skin - now my skin is 'normal'. Not something I'd ever thought I'd be able to say. I have the clearest skin I've had in years and I'm pretty sure it's 90% thanks to good moisturizer. The No 7 Tinted Moisturizer is fantastic for days when I don't want a lot of coverage, but still has enough tint to even out my skin tone. Plus, it has SPF 15, which is always necessary in Texas.

 I'm hardly ever fancy when it comes to eye makeup, and my go to eye makeup routine involves 4 things: a base for all over my lid (Revlon metallic shadow in Oyster), a color for the outer 2/3 of my eye (MAC's shadow in Club), a brow filler (NYX Brow Powder in Taupe/Ash), and a mascara (Benefit's Bad Gal Lash). And if I'm feeling a bit fancy/don't want to put mascara on my bottom lashes I tight line my eyes with whatever color that's on the outer 2/3 of my eye.

 I am very very sad that the Target near me has decided to stop carrying No 7 products, because they are gorgeous (luckily, there are lots of Targets within driving distance and Ulta sells No 7 products as well). Their blushes are really lovely, non-sparkly muted colors, are nicely buildable, great for everyday-wear, and are pretty good dupes for much more expensive blushes. Their blush in Soft Damson ($7.99) is a great dupe for Benefit's Dandelion ($28.00).

You don't hear a lot about Sephora brand makeup, so I was a little wary of trying them out. But, their Cream Lip Stains: oh my god, they are beautiful - super pigmented, creamy, and hella easy to apply. I got my first one because one of the girls at Sephora was raving about it's staying power and, like any other victim of false advertising about the 'staying power' of certain 'lip stains', I bought it not thinking it would actually do what it said. I say again: oh my god, these lip stains are amazing. I wore it on New Year's Eve and didn't have to reapply once. And that's with eating dinner and ... drinking quite a few drinks. It looked exactly the same at the end of the night. The only downside to these is that I don't like very many of the colors they have, so I only own 3, but I love them. 

Aaand a quick OOTD because I am sick and tired of winter weather so I'm dressing for Texas spring, dammit. And there you have it! My quick and easy 5 minute face. I hope this was either helpful in some way, or at least a little bit entertaining. 

xoxo Kate

I was once a lipstick novice. I know it's hard to believe it now, but there was a time (about a year and a half ago) when I thought lipstick was for fancy time or business ladies and that was it.
Oh, how I've learnt from my mistakes. And also taught myself how to wear lipstick. With most lipsticks you can't just slap that shit on like a Chapstick and be done with it (which is a drawback, I understand) - but the right lipstick can make an outfit.
I'm a big supporter of red lipstick for any occasion, but my go to lipstick is Mac's Matte Lipstick in the color Russian Red. I could survive on that color alone. I don't, and won't, but I totally could. Bright Red lipstick isn't for everyone, and that's ok, but once you've found your color - be it coral, red, purple, pink, blue, black - you'll know and you'll want to be able to wear it.

1. Prep
Before I was lipstick crazed, my biggest problem with the stuff was that I didn't like how it looked on me. My lips never looked nice or smooth. The best solution: Chapstick with SPF 15 or higher on a regular basis and a lip scrub. You can buy lip scrubs at places like Lush or Sephora, or you can make your own. The chapstick will moisturize your lips and protect them from the sun, and the scrub will remove any excess dry skin and leave your lips feeling (and looking) soft.

2. For Longer Lasting Wear With Less Touch Ups:
Try either a midrange lip stain (sometimes called a lip cream) - my favorites are the Sephora brand lip stain and the NYX lip creams. Both stay on for a crazy long time, come in lots of colors and are under 15$ each. Not too shabby for something that'll stay on your lips without feathering for 4-6 hours. I wouldn't suggest the cheaper ones as they have a tendency to dry out and end up looking flakey within an hour of putting it on. Not Cute, yo.
Your other option for longer lasting is to pair a lip liner with your lipstick. The way to do lip liner (as I was told by a professional) is to almost ... color in your lips with the liner, starting with the center of your top lip and working your way out, slowly and coloring in about 1/3 of your lips. And the nice thing is that a lot of companies are coming out with 'universal' lipliners so you don't have to worry about matching the colors of your liner and lipstick 100%! Liners are the most helpful for going out - with it, you'll worry much less about looking like a clown while eating and drinking. (Wearing lipliner won't stop you from acting like a clown, but that's up to you. At least you'll be a pretty clown.)

3. Actually Putting on the Lip Stick
Take. Your. Time. Do not put it all over your bottom lip and then rub your lips together and think you're done. Unless you have a weirdly even top and bottom lip that won't cut it. The way that works best for me is the same way I do lipliner: starting with doing a swipe on my lower lip, then the middle of my upper lip and working my way out.

4. Tips for Mistakes
If you think you have too much on: get a tissue and blot that shit away.
If you messed up around the line of your lips: put some moisturizer on the end of a cue tip and wipe it away (this also works really well for liquid and gel eyeliners.)
If you're not 100% happy with the color: try mixing it with something more orange or purple based. Or try adding sparkles. Or start over. It's up to you - I keep face wipes nearby when I'm putting on my makeup for this very reason.

My favorite lipsticks: 
Drugstore: NYX lip creams and matte lipsticks, Revlon lip butters (super pigmented and lots of colors) and lip crayons (the matte ones are really lovely), L'Oreal color riche lipsticks
High End: Mac Lipsticks (most bang for your buck), Tarte's Amazonian Butter Lipsticks (really lovely vibrant colors), Bite Beauty's Luminous Creme Lipsticks, and NARS Semi-Matte and Satin lipsticks

The best way to learn how is to practice. And to take your time learning how to do it, but once you've mastered it you feel like you can take over the world with smooches.

Products Used:
Lush's Lip Scrub in Mint Julips
Mac's Cremestick Liner in Red Enriched
Mac's Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam I

**I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned in this post**

Overhaul and Winter Favorites.

hey hi hello.
I've decided to rededicate this blog to fashion things.
1. because it's my blog and I can
and
2. because I want to.

In the last few months, I've become absolutely addicted to beauty and fashion blogs. I use The Old Reader for all my blog viewing and it's almost embarrassing how many blogs I follow. Well, it would be embarrassing if I cared. But I don't, because fashion is fun and, let's be honest: I could be addicted to a lot worse things. (at least that's what I tell my mom every time I come home with more makeup or clothes).
So, long story short: I'm revamping this blog. Into a solely fashion blog. Sticking with the name, but redoing ... everything else. Figuring out how to get a better layout on blogger is going to be interesting, but I've made up my mind as of 5 minutes ago so there.

 Winter Favorites

In Clothes:

I am so digging the whole giant sweater trend that's happening. I hope it never leaves. Ever. Giant sweaters are cute, comfy, warm, and COMFORTABLE. I am so tired of body-con being a thing. Not all of us are stick thin and can pull off skintight everything, thank you very much. H&M has been killing it with their sweaters - both with price and variety.

In Shoes:

BOOTS! Oh God, the boots. Winter really is my favorite time of the year fashion-wise - you get to layer up and look cute. My most worn boots are a pair of brown, lace-up ankle boots I stole from my mom. They're mega comfortable and adorable and waterproof so I can (and have) done some hiking in them. The other pair I've been in love with are these black heeled ankle boots from H&M. Because the heel is so thick, they're easy to walk in and are surprisingly comfortable.

In Beauty:

#1 in my favorites for this winter is Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette. Rosy colors galore, they're heavily pigmented, easy to blend, and the fallout is minimal. It's pricey, but I think it's defo worth the 52$.
In lipsticks, I'm still (as always) in love with my Mac Russian Red lipstick. But, because it's winter and darker colors and plums are in I've branched out a bit and my other go-to's have been: Mac's Diva, Mac's Plumful, Mica's Tinted Lip Balm in Fiesta, and Revlon's Lip Butter in Red Velvet.

In Skincare:

This is the first time in my life that my skin has gotten dry. It's exciting, because my skin has been much clearer, but really sucky because finding a moisturizer that doesn't make me break out has been a trial. I've been loving Lush's Celestial, though. It absorbs quickly and leaves my face feeling clean and not sticky and hasn't caused any breakouts. I've also fallen in love with Yes To Grapefruit Facial Towelettes - they get all of my makeup off, smell lovely and don't leave any residue on my face. And I've finally found a exfoliator that I'm pleased with: Soap and Glory's Scrub of Your Life. It cleans my face without leaving it raw, and my skin always feels soft after use. It's a bit drying, but not enough for me to start looking for something different.

In Haircare:

I have found my Holy Grail of shampoos. It doesn't strip my hair of all it's oils, so I'm having to wash it about half as much, it has made my hair the healthiest it's been since I started bleaching it (to the point that the girl who dyes my hair made a comment), and I LOVE how it smells. So far, I'm the only one that does love how it smells. I think it smells like cola, but no one else does. Whatever. I love it. That shampoo is Lush's Cynthia Sylvia Stout. I've also started using the It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Product. It has realllllly helped tame my mane and has kept the frizz down to a minimum. And my last hair product is my Tangle Teezer - it isn't damaging for wet hair and makes my hair feel so smooth when I brush it in the morning.

What are your winter must-haves?

Have a great day!
xx Kate

On Lush

So, it's been a while.
But we're not gonna talk about that right now. Right now, we're gonna talk about Lush.
I am 100% a Lush-a-holic. I want to buy all the things. The ladies at my local store know who I am. I know who they are. I'm pretty sure it's true love.
Reasons why I love Lush:

1. Their products do what they say they'll do. 
2. They recycle their pots (and will give you a free face mask if you bring in 5 empties) and are big on keeping everything cruelty free, and on using fresh and healthy ingredients. 
3. The people that work there are encouraged to try all of the stuff out, so they can help you find what will work best for your skin/hair.
4. Their bath bombs. 

Now, sadly, Lush is ... a tad more expensive in the States than in New Zealand (which is definitely a first) and the closest one to me is about a 30 minute drive, so I'm going to have to wean myself off of their products and stick to a few favorites.
These are those favorites.

 For Moisturizer: Celestial

I was always scared of moisturizer, because I assumed it was only for people with dry skin. WRONG! This moisturizer has calmed my skin down so much and has lasted me a year so far. It's light, sinks in quickly and smells great.

For Lips: Mint Julips Lip Scrub 

 While I was in New Zealand, I realized the reason I never liked the look of lipstick was because my lips weren't smooth. And no amount of super moisture rich chap stick could make them look nice. THEN! I discovered Mint Julips and glory be, using this once every other week keeps my lips smooth and pretty. Plus, it tastes and smells AMAZING. 

For Teeth: Atomic Toothy Tabs

 This took me a bit to get used to, but I am IN LOVE with this. It's Chai flavored toothpaste that doesn't come in a horribly non-recyclable/non-decomposing/forever in the dump toothpaste tube and it cleans my teeth. Plus, I don't have to be careful about what food or drinks I have for breakfast after brushing my teeth. No nasty flavor combos, just clean chai scented teeth.

For Face Masks: Brazened Honey

Cheating a bit with this one because I only recently bought it, but OH. MY. GOD. This is the smoothest and nicest my skin has felt since ... ever. It smells AMAZING and doesn't leave any residue and I just adore it. I will definitely buy this for as long as it's in stores.

For Face Wash: Ocean Salt

I generally only use this in the shower because it's a bit messy, but it is the best face wash I've ever used. This is probably my 5th pot of Ocean Salt and I will probably continue to use it until I die. The salt in it feels great - I love how clean my face feels after using it. Plus, this shit smells like a margarita.