Friday, January 30, 2015

Weekend Window Shopping: J.Crew Sale.

J.Crew is offering an extra 40% off final sale styles with code SALETIME. Plus, get 1.5% cash back with eBates. (1.5%? Jeez, J.Crew.) Anyway, here’s what would tempt me if I was allow to spend money right now:

Friday #GoHugo

It is extremely hard to find a picture of Joe Manganiello wearing a shirt.  But, lo! I finally found one and it's still pretty good stuff. Fingers crossed for Hugo today! 



Thursday, January 29, 2015

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Frye Melissa Button Back Zip

I am always looking out for you guys so I thought I'd just casually mention that the Frye Melissa Button Back Zip in dark brown and grey are VERY marked down on 6pm.com right now:


I'm $156! That is ridiculous!

If you have your heart set on a black pair they're still under $200 but the real bargain is the dark brown and grey colors. They also have the short version which varies in price (the cheapest is $160) but the real bargain is those tall boots. 6pm.com prices tend to flutuate, so if you want these I'd grab them now.

Leading By Bad Example.

***FYI: Lovely MBMJ tote in the shop! Price drop on fancy shoes!***



  A: Lili! Your mission: Read this whole thing without rolling your eyes out of your head.

L: I got exactly this far, "4:45 Wake up and have a bowl of quinoa cereal. I do an hour or so of 3rd or 4th series ashtanga yoga."

A: Oh, it gets so much better/worse.

L: Adrien, I like women. I would choose to spend time with vast majority of them over any man, pretty much any day. If I keep reading past the second woman who awakes with a prayer of thanks, I fear I'll hate all of us. Forever.

A: Actually, a couple of them seem normal and likeable and have to ask their kids to get up more than once. But you're right about this crap: "6:30 Wake up and express in prayer how thankful I am to have woken up that day because someone went to sleep that night and didn’t wake up."

L: OK, I went back in. And I was all, "OK, so this lady doesn't use her snooze button like crack like I do, but there's more than one way to skin a cat!" Then I read this and I rolled my eyes so hard they got stuck. "6:50 Make coffee (fair trade); microwave Zen Bakery muffin (vegan) First breakfast."  So I'm currently typing this blind.

A: WHY DID SHE NEED TO QUALIFY. If she'd just said coffee and a muffin you'd still be able to see. What is wrong with people.

L: Only person on this list that I could be friends with is Audrey Puente. I think she might be a real human being.

A: I liked her. Most of them? Robots.

L: Maybe they are just telling them what they think WE want to hear so that we avoid judging them. Which....didn't work out.

A: Yeah, I'm judging this: "6:43 Alarm goes off. No snooze. Pull on John Eshaya sweatpants and clogs."

L: I just had to google those sweatpants. They look like normal sweats with words on them. Am I not cool enough to even know why one would name drop those? I guess her clogs are just generic!

A: Why did she name drop her (vegan) muffin? Why is the sky blue?

L: Can we share our morning "routines"?

A: Oh, wait! The sweatpants are expensive. That's why. And yes, by all means.

Lili: 

6:32 - Alarms goes off so I can give myself the false sense of sleeping in when I snooze it til 7:36.
7:37 - Struggle to put pants, socks and shoes on other people.
7:48 - Pour (General Mills, non-organic) Cheerios into Ikea bowls. Encourage eating. Loudly.
8:11 - Start yelling, "Why does no one do anything without me telling them to? PUT. YOUR. COAT. ON."
8:12 - Shove children out door. Luxuriate in 2 minutes of tooth brushing alone time.
8:15 - Clean kitchen chaos. Make just regular coffee
8:16-9:16 Lose all time - don't know where it goes. Now I am late.

Adrien:

6:30 - Alarm goes off
6:35 - Alarm goes off
6:40 - Alarm goes off
6:45 - Lay in bed and check email on phone. Moan quietly.
6:50 - Make regular coffee and non-vegan breakfast.
7:00 - Eat and watch the news until the weather report at 7:20.
7:20 - Forget to leave the couch, drink more coffee.
7:30 - Shower.
7:45 - Hair, clothes, not those clothes, different clothes, hair, makeup, make lunch.
8:25 - Where are my keys?
8:30 - Leave for work (which starts at 8:30.)

A: Really, I have no idea why they didn't interview us. We're leaders, right? Blog leaders.

L: True American heroes.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Adrien: My Secret Weapon.

My dream it to have an entire wardrobe that looks like street clothes but feel like pajamas. Comfort and style! My secret weapon! So, when Kate found me this Sundry sweatshirt dress at Rosemont 310's sale last weekend it was true love. It's basically a sweatshirt... that's a dress. Soft, comfortable, striped, an extra 50% off, all good things. I wasn't familiar with Sundry but they make all kinds of secret weapon dresses.


It's so soft! I wasn't sure about the band at the bottom but it helps to give the dress a little shape and isn't binding at all. I am all over this dress and can see myself wearing it well into spring. 


I'm wearing it with my old Gap tuxedo jacket so I don't perish in the cold. It's a knit so it's only a jacket in theory, which I highly recommend.  This one looks like a really good comfy-yet-tailored option and this cute Gap ponte blazer totally fits the bill if tuxedo isn't your thing.


And for my birthday, Nina gave me this amazing Vince Camuto pave gold spike necklace that could easily double as a shiv:

spike-y
A not-so-secret weapon. Hey, it's important to look stylish and also be able to defend yourself, is all I'm saying.  There are matching earrings too!


And of course, I'm wearing my long-time favorite Loeffler Randall boots and carrying my vintage LV epi speedy. (Do you have an awesome red satchel yet? Get on that.)

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Barney's Warehouse Clearance.

I rarely shop at Barneys Warehouse but every now and then they have a sale that's worth taking notice. Right this second they're taking an extra 70% off clearance items! (No code, they just automatically take it off an item when you put it in your cart, so subtract 70% from the prices below!)

Don’t forget  2.5% cash back with eBates (my affiliate link.) This is CRAZY BALLS. All sales are final, so please keep that in mind.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Review: Bumble & bumble Repair Blow Dry and All Style Blow Dry

Oh Bumble & bumble. Every time I think I'm out you manage to pull me back in. I've been using BB products on and off for a long time. When I had really short hair I swore by their Styling Creme and Sumotech. When I grew my hair out I tried the Styling Lotion (too sticky) and Grooming Creme (too heavy) but never really found anything I loved.

I did really like the Straight Blow Dry balm but the smell didn't thrill me and it was expensive for what it was. Nice, but not a perfect product and maybe a little drying. I get my hair colored and last year when I grew it to my shoulders the ends got super-fried. (I'm not saying this product dried my hair out, it just didn't help protect it from further damage.) I needed something better.

And then, they made it. Something better! With my last Sephora order I got nice-sized sample tubes of the new Bumble & bumble styling products:

All-Style Blow Dry

I tried the All-Style Blow Dry first and it was...fine. It has "microfine oil-absorbing powders" in it to extend the life of your blow dry which is great and all, but I am not one of those people who can make my blow dry last more than a day. My hair is short-ish and fine and every morning I wake up with stupendous bedhead. This product actually contributes to that.

Not to say it doesn't work. It works fine - gives some hold and protects against heat damage - but it didn't really do anything amazing for me and I don't generally need microfine oil-absorbing powders in my hair stuff since I have to blow dry daily. I think this might be wonderful for the long-hairs who don't shampoo every day so please take this review with a short-hair grain of salt.

Repair Blow Dry

Ah...but the Repair Blow Dry. NOW WE ARE TALKING. This stuff is fucking great. It's GREAT. It's described as a "serum-in-creme elixir for dry or damaged hair" and I use it from my roots down, layered under Phomollient (just on my roots for some lift.) It gives my hair smoothness and swing and protects from humidity and static like a boss without weighing my hair down at all. I've been using it for the past week and I will be so sad when my tiny sample tube is empty. This is definitely one I'd consider spending money on. Between this and my awesome fancy hair dryer my hair has been looking a lot healthier than it ever has before.

Have you tried the Repair Blow Dry or All-Style Blow Dry? What did you think?

Friday, January 23, 2015

Weekend Window Shopping: Handbags on Sale.

Who doesn't love a bargain? Especially on something kinda fancy? Right now Last Call is offering an extra 30% off of handbags plus 2.5% cash back with eBates (my referral link.) They have some really nice bags, y'all:



Friday #GoHugo

Alright alright alright. Marianne and I both agree that there is nothing in the world more delightful than Matthew McConaughey. Just nothing.



I mean, are you kidding me?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

More UGG Talk.

A: You bought UGGs. I bought UGGs. Let's talk about UGGs.

L: I got gifted a pair for Christmas which my daughter picked out. I will let you guess what they looked like before I show you what I exchanged them for.

A: Oooh, were they glittery??

L: THEY WERE! And also blue leopard print! Please note: never let the 7 year old pick out your UGGs. These are clearly the ones she wanted so she got them for me:


Heeeee.

A: Wow. I mean, I like shiny things and I like leopard print but those are A Lot.

L: That's a lot of things! Thank GOD they were a half size too small. And when I went to the store they "didn't have those anymore." So I got these with a zipper. Because I am lazy.

UGG Sumner


A: Ooh, fancy zipper UGGs! Mine are just the classic tall and they're like wearing bunnies on my feet. In a good way.

L: In the best possible way. I am perpetually cold-footed and these babies are like MAGIC.

A: It's actually a good thing that I can't wear them to work because I'd never wear anything else. Ever.

L: I have worn them a couple times to work because of the weather. And then forgot to change out of them into the shoes in my bag.

A: Oops. Well, that happens. I just love it when something is popular because of comfort rather than visual appeal. Except for Crocs. Those are just hideous always.

L: I admit I was a hater. But now I'm a convert because I love them the most. Have tried the slippers? I know you're budgeting now, but the slippers!!

A: I want the slippers real bad. REAL BAD.

L: They were the one thing I asked for for Christmas. And bless my mother-in-law for completing my cozy-footed desires. Not to undermine your financial goals, but they do last forever

A: I've got my eye on a pair on 6pm but I'm biding my time.

L: Oooh which ones?

A: The Scuffette. 

L: They are so good. That was the pair I had for almost 10  years. It's a durable, smart, cozy choice.

A: Enabler.

L: The worst kind.

A: Related: My feet are cold.

L: I think you might need to make a medical exception case for work [wiggles toes in sheepskin].

A: Mean.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Adrien: Old As Dirt.

Y'all have all seen this dress a million times. I dug through the archives (haHA) and it's all over the damn blog. I bought it five years ago at Ross and it really should have spontaneously burst into flames after six months or so, but the damn thing just keeps on going. I can't get rid of it! It's easy to wear and I like the colors? I don't even know anymore. Here:


I believe the dress is from NY & Co. (where they apparently still have cute print dresses) but it reminds me of BCBG which is my favorite brand for a beautiful print. Also, Issa London. And DVF. I'll stop now. 


I'm wearing it with a sad Gap cardigan, my favorite Spanx tights and a pair of Chie Mihara pumps that I will wear until the end of time. They're long gone but there are some great deals on cute Chies right now. Just saying


My bag is MBMJ and is long gone, though Revolve has the satchel version in navy blue. I'm so helpful, right?

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Adrien: Back on The Wagon.

Oh hey, so remember back last summer when I had to save a bunch of money and decided to put myself on a budget? I'm going to do that again. I didn't do terribly well last time so hopefully I'll manage myself better this go 'round.  

The rules this time around are a little different. My budget a bit bigger than last summer (hey, summer clothes are cheaper) but any unspent budget goes right into my savings account, it doesn't roll over. My plan is to do this until May, at which point I'll reassess the budget and my needs.


My rules:

  • A monthly style budget of $200 which includes beauty/makeup, clothes, shoes, and accessories. (It does not include hair appointments because that is non-negotiable.)
  • Unspent budget does NOT roll over to the next month.
  • Selling something on the blog or eBay does not count as free style budget money.
  • One in, one out. If I buy something I have to get rid of something.
  • I will definitely still be whining about stuff I want that I can't have.

This starts February 1st and to keep myself honest I'll write an entry at the end of each month with details of exactly what I bought and how much I spent. 


And since we're already here, I thought I'd tell you what I've bought in January. My birthday was last week so I bought myself a couple of birthday gifts. A cool local boutique sent me a birthday coupon for 50% off one full-priced item so I bought myself some UGG boots:



UGG Classic Tall

I love them. SO much. Even though they're really not very attractive. My feet are cold all the time and they are so nice to slip on after a winter bike ride. I have zero regrets. I also bought some black Hudson skinny jeans at the same boutique that were something like 75% off:


Hudson Nico Mid-Rise Super Skinny
They are super-black, have a lovely mid-rise and are very comfortable. I went down a size, though, because they are really damn stretchy. Filed under "less exciting purchases" I bought more of my favorite foundation:


Smashbox Studio Skin

I did get a bunch of samples with the order, including a couple of new Bumble & bumble styling products, so I'll have those to review soon. Finally, I bought some thermal underwear from Target because everyone needed to know that, right? Sure.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Weekend Window Shopping: Fantasy Birthday Gifts.

It's my birthday weekend so I'm being selfish and compiling a fantasy list of lovely gifts I'd give to myself if I could. (I actually did buy the first one but it's cold so they're totally practical):

Friday #GoHugo

So, David Gandy and a puppy is pretty good, right? Preeettttyyy goood. 



BUT, what if it was animated?



Even better. 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Announcements and Such.


I will have an outfit for you tomorrow but today is an announcement day!

Announcement #1:

I would be a terrible style blogger if I failed to mention that Piperlime is right this second offering an extra 60% off all sale items with code BESTSALE plus 2.0% cash back with eBates. (My referral link.) Things are selling out fast so go go go!

Foley + Corinna Framed Shopper

Sabine Crystal Statement Necklace
GENIE BY EUGENIA KIM Dakota
Announcement #2:

OKAY. Now that that's out of the way I wanted to let you guys know that my new cycling/fitness/culture blog now exists and I'm hoping some of y'all will read it: Rule #18. I would be delighted if you would check it out. Sincerely. I also just created a Facebook page for the Rule #18, so if you like the blog, please let me know!


Monday, January 12, 2015

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): UGG. Yeah, I know.

So, I recently became an UGG convert (more on that soon) and while I get the hate I also kind of love it when something is popular because it's unreasonably comfortable. It's like wearing puppies on your feet, people.  6pm.com is having a "sale" on UGGs (though they're already on sale by virtue of being on the site so I'm not really sure how they're more on sale) and while most of them are a bit unfortunate there are a few gems to be had:

I would certainly not kick these boots out of bed:

UGG Channing II tall boot

These slippers are something I would like in my life:

UGG Scuffette II Luster

I was selfishly disappointed to discover that these are men's boots:

UGG Polson short boot

Golden Globe Observations with Kate.

A short text convo with my friend Kate last night...




K: Are you watching the Golden Globes?

A: Yessssss

K: Amy Poehler’s necklace is amazing.

A: Is it labradorite? It’s beautiful.

K: I’m pretty sure it is - with sparkly diamonds on top.

A: For my birthday?

K: You could wear it anywhere.

A: #duh

A: I didn’t even know labradorite came that big ’n crazy.

K: I know! It’s so shiny. I can’t keep my eyes off it.

A: Her boobs look good too.

K: Yes - that too.

A: Damn, we need that necklace. I’ll share it with you.

K: Totally.

A: Now it’s gone. I miss it.

K: Maybe it will come back. Cumberbatch’s shininess actually distracted me from it’s absence.

A: He’s got that airbrush glow…

Friday, January 9, 2015

Weekend Window Shopping: Old Navy Clearance.

I usually only shop at Old Navy in the summer but they’re having a great clearance sale and Old Navy pricing is about what I can afford right now. They're giving 25% off clearance with code SAVENOW plus 7.0% back with eBates (my referral link)! Lots of cute stuff at crazy-low prices.


Friday #GoHugo

Raiiiiiinerrrrrrr. Yes.


Thursday, January 8, 2015

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Cashmere Sale at Last Call

Hey, it's damn cold outside. Luckily, there's a good sale on cashmere and other winter stuff over at Neiman Marcus Last Call. They're taking an automatic 60% off all cashmere and cold weather items and up to 75% off of clearance. Plus, you can get 2.5% cash back with eBates (my referral link.) Here are some things I have chosen to tempt you with:

Do These Pants Make My Thighs Look Chintzy?

A: Nothing says "nope" to the floral pants trend quite like this photo:

image: Trendy Crew

L: Oh no. I think they might've gotten me. I think...I think...these pants have won me over. Maybe it is the model just sellin' to me with that smizing(tm) eye!

A: Lili.

L: I'M SORRY!

A: They look turrible on her! And she's a model!

L: I think you might love them but be pretending you hate them. It's just like those boys in elementary school that one couldn't actually tell one liked, so one resorted to punching them (er...totally not me).

A: Those pants are everything I don't want to be. I like every other element of her outfit and then...floral womp.

L: I'm not saying I would actually wear them, mind you. But I don't hate them. Like how some chintz works out fine in the right British palace.

A: She's wearing a chair, Lili.

L:

A: That looks great! Not on my thighs.

L: That's so chair-ist of you.

A: I'm an unapologetic chairist.

L: I found your next cozy winter sweater.


A: It looks very flattering.

L: Do you need shoes to go with it?


A: I've always wondered what kind of person buys those shoe chairs. It's you, isn't it.

L: I only have two, one for each foot.

A: Well, obviously you'd need two.

L: Storage is a problem.

A: Oh, girl.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

High/Low Reviews - Givenchy Mister Light & Wet 'n Wild CoverAll Foundation

Two beauty reviews - one ridiculously expensive, one ridiculously cheap. Both pretty dang good.


Givenchy Mister Light

Mister Light

I had a Sephora gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I wanted to try one of those fancy illuminating clicky pen things even though they usually disappoint me. YSL Touche Eclat is the perennial favorite but I'd heard good things about Givenchy Mister Light, so I went with that one in the second lightest shade, Mister Milk. First I have to say that I get it, these click pen highlighter things are the biggest scam ever. You pay so much money for such a TINY bit of product. I know this, yet I still want.

The Givenchy pen itself is very satisfying - it's all black with stark white text and made of metal, not plastic. I love the feel of it the same way I love Chanel lipstick packaging. The product itself is very good - it's a bit more pigmented than the Touche Eclat so it works as a concealer but also brightens without being overly shimmery. I'm not blown away by it's magic or anything, but it's a solid product. I am much too fickle to state that I'd definitely re-buy it, but who knows. I keep it in my bag for touch-ups and it's fine in that capacity. The upsides: nice product, elegant packaging. The downsides: expensive, not much product.

Wet 'n Wild CoverAll Foundation

CoverAll

Y'all, I know. Wet 'n Wild. On my face. But, when I started searching around for a decent drugstore foundation this one kept popping up again and again. It costs four American dollars so I figured it was worth a shot. Hell, I'll spend four dollars on a cup of fancy coffee, you know?

So, I went to the drugstore and the WnW display looked like wild dogs had gotten there before me, but I managed to rescue the last tube of the fair/light shade (316) which looked too pink in the tube but is a decent match when I actually slapped in on my face.

The ingredients are...not great. It's basically a shit-ton of silicones and other crap, but it's pretty damn nice looking foundation. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looks and so far my skin doesn't seem to mind. As for longevity, that's another matter. I'm using it over my primer which helps, but no way can it stand up to my go-to favorite, Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour. But... $4 vs $42? Yeeps.

I don't like using the Smashbox every day because I blow through a bottle pretty quickly, so it's nice to have something else to use on weekends, etc. So far, so good. The upsides: cheap, feels nice, looks good. The downsides: limited color selection, no sunscreen protection, might eat through my skin eventually.

Monday, January 5, 2015

Adrien: Review of Everlane's Slouchy Cashmere V-Neck Sweater.

I'm back! I'm feral. I had nearly two weeks off and it was ridiculous how quickly my schedule devolved into a blur of sleeping late and eating fancy salami and cheese for "dinner." It was everything I thought it would be.

For Christmas I bought myself a few gifts (single ladies gotta buy their own damn presents) and one of them was an Everlane Slouchy cashmere sweater. I wasn't intending on this purchase but they sent me a $20 off coupon and most of my sweaters are the saddest of the sad, so it seemed like the thing to do. I got this one:

Slouchy Cashmere Sweater makes you slouch.

Everlane's shipping is fast and it arrived a few days later. When I opened the package I'm pretty sure my face looked like the model's. Huh. The sweater was very basic, very charcoal, and very soft, just not as puppy-soft as I'd imagined. (Now, I can't wear any kind of cashmere or wool next to my skin so I didn't expect it to not be itchy but I did kind of expect it to be softer like my old beloved J.Crew cashmere sweater. Hmph. However, I also didn't pay for premium cashmere so I got over that pretty quickly.)

Then I put it on. And didn't take it off for two weeks. I am not kidding, I wore this sweater nearly every single day of my vacation. It's basically perfect. It's lightweight, warm, just the right amount of shapeless slouchy and just works for me. I desperately want another one in the cobalt color but it's sold out. Ugh.  I promise to do an outfit pic soon so you can see the glorious slouch of it all, but until then here's a very unsatisfying sweater selfie (how does rcbshops do it?) :


Slouchy! Grey! Perfect! So far it's only pilling a very little bit in high-friction areas, but considering how much wear it's gotten in it's short life, it's to be expected. I'm so glad I took a chance on this sweater because it's currently my favorite thing. Well, except for this jacket which I should probably talk about at some point soon.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Friday #GoHugo

Well, of course. Of course! The Clooney wishes you all a Happy New Year. #GoHugo!