Test Shots

Life has been crazy lately; it seems like I make page long to-do lists every day, and although posting on here is always on them, it unfortunately always seems to fall by the wayside. In what seemed to be my biggest attempt at procrastination yet, I decided to pull out the over the top makeup and goof around with my camera. Here are some selects :)

(eyebrows - avon's glimmersticks in tawny; eyes - face stockholm's kräm-ögonskugga in siden, mac penultimate pen eyeliner in rapidblack, chinese brand of 'hi-tech waterproof mascara'; Cheeks - benefit's watt's up, face stockholm for j. crew blush stick in pinched; Lips - face stockholm for j. crew in chili flake)

(Chipped nail polish - essie's tarte deco)

Swing

As much as I love my work, it can get exhausting at points. So exhausting, in fact, that the only logical thing to do was to spend my lunch break doing a little bit of shopping to relax. Basically, I shouldn't be let into an American Apparel when I have store credit and am delirious due to lack of sleep. As much as I love my friends, they are not very helpful when it comes to getting me to not purchase things :) I walked out with this skirt, after my friend told me that it was impossible to own too much denim (and since I didn't own a denim skirt, it was definitely time to invest). I'm very happy I did, because it's hard to find skirts that are appropriate work length. By pairing it with winged eyeliner, red lipstick and a flowered shirt, I felt a bit of a vintage vibe, but that might only be in my head :) Needless to say, I think it will become a staple in my wardrobe, and I'm very happy my friend convinced me to get it!

(shirt: urban outfitters;  necklace: brooklyn flea; skirt: american apparel; shoes: converse)

Comfort Zone

Today was one of those days where the thought of putting on anything requiring effort was out of the question. I somehow managed to hit my head and subsequently sleep for 22 hours on Friday, so I spent my weekend in a sleep induced haze. The only somewhat productive thing I did this weekend was getting a haircut, which I was in desperate need of after a few traumatizing at home and salon dye jobs. Although today's outfit may not have been the fantastic one that my still professionally styled hair deserved, it was just what a semi-rainy Monday called for. Everyone has a different outfit that they immediately reach for when they're feeling this way, and I can say for sure that my go-to outfit is a tank top and jeans. Whenever I'm unsure of what to wear, I know I can fall back on my pretty extensive collection of graphic tees and tanks for inspiration. I'm pretty sure that I'm singlehandedly keeping Brandy Melville in business, because, on days like this, their graphic shirts seem to be the only thing I want to wear. Luckily for me, they're pretty inexpensive :) Also, sorry for the horrible photo quality today - these were taken after a very, very long day at work!

(tank: Brandy Melville; shorts: American Apparel; shoes: Toms)

FACE Stockholm for J. Crew

Before about a month ago, I never wore lipstick. A self-proclaimed chapstick addict, I felt that that was enough. I was always nervous about smudging my lipstick, having it on my teeth, having it bleed, etc. However, this all changed when I decided to randomly pick up a lipstick while standing in line at J. Crew. It was on sale, and I thought why not? The color looked pretty, and I did need to start stepping out of my comfort zone. As soon as I put it on, I was so happy I had decided to buy it. The color was "French Martini" and it's sheer, semi-shiny pink color perfectly complimented my skin tone. Of course, I was so excited by this that I immediately had to go back and pick up several more- at $4.49, they were a steal (and I was paranoid that since they were limited edition, I'd never be able to find a color like this again). I also decided to pick up the other two colors in the line, "Peony Pink" and "Chili Flake", to see how they compared to "French Martini". I am so glad I did, because these three lipsticks have definitely made me into a lipstick person.

left to right - Peony Pink, Chili Flake, French Martini