Prepped for School

I am very very guilty of adding all of these items to my shopping cart...and almost checking out. My birthday is in the beginning of October by the way, just in case you run out of ideas ;)

I haven't had much free time lately, but one thing I've had plenty of is homework. And - news flash - since I watch Gossip Girl even when I'm taking a shower (true story) I watch it when I'm doing homework as well. There's just something about knowing all of the lines and outfits that makes me feel accomplished.

As are 90% of my outfits, this one is also inspired by characters from this TV show. And, for once, it's not Blair Waldorf (gasp). I put together two outfits - one is a bit edgier than usual, and another is more laid-back. The edgier one is inspired by something I think that Jenny Humphrey would wear (in her better, preppier days) and the more casual one is inspired by the bombshell Serena van der Woodsen. 

:: Marc Jacobs flats :: Isabel Marant skirt :: Rag & Bone jacket :: J. Crew blouse ::

:: Chloé flats :: Ralph Lauren skirt :: River Island blazer :: Rag & Bone blouse ::

I've really been into giving a little edgy twist to my outfits lately, but I pretty much fail all the time - only because I own no street style/edgy clothes. I've seen a few classier twists on the moto jacket (of course, the J.Crew one is my favorite) and I think black tones the "edgyness" down a notch. I can definitely see myself wearing this - it's so cute and totally fall-appropriate!

Of course, the "Serena" outfit is more casual and, frankly, more in my comfort zone. The blazer/cardigan still makes the outfit nice and put-together, but doesn't look too dressy or old-grandma-ish. Scallops were a huge thing this summer, so I thought that these Chloé flats are a perfect transition into fall (I love brown leather flats!).

Which outfit would you wear?

xoxo,

Liz

Dress + Boots

Fall is already here where I live, but I know it's still pretty warm in other parts of the U.S. (and the world). However, the cold and rainy weather doesn't stop me from wearing dresses and boots almost every day. Yes, I said it (actually, wrote it). Dresses and boots. 

I decided to make a blog post about this topic because, believe it or not, it's a pretty touchy subject. Certain dresses won't ever match up with some boots and vice versa. The only pair of equestrian-looking boots (that aren't actually used for horseback riding) are these Tory Burch leather boots. I've talked about them many times before, and honestly, I don't even think of getting new ones anytime soon - these are more than enough!

Moving on to the actual outfits, when I put these together I had different temperature/weather situations in mind. As you can probably guess by just glancing at the first outfit, it's meant for colder weather. A forest green cashmere dress has been on my shopping list for weeks now (still can't find the perfect one) and, I mean, who doesn't like walking around in a big fuzzy blanket that keeps you warm (and that actually looks good!)? Another thing worth mentioning - if you're wearing a certain shade of black/brown/any color, be sure to match everything else in that color (in your outfit) to that exact shade. As you can see, the bag (so cute!) perfectly matches the color of the boots and vice versa. 

:: boots :: dress :: bag :: earrings ::

This one (obviously) is meant for warmer weather, but you can make it work on a colder day by adding a cardigan/sweater/jacket, etc. The vintage Chanel bag looks gorgeous with this any outfit and the maroon accessories help transform this outfit from summer to fall. The Frye boots don't scream HORSES as much as the Tory Burch ones (above) do, so it makes the whole outfit a little more laid back and casual.

:: earrings :: bracelet :: bag :: boots :: dress ::

So, what is the perfect formula for wearing dresses and boots together (and actually looking acceptable)? Well, there really is no perfect formula, but this is what I try to do (of course, it's different for everyone, just my opinion and what works for me):

1. don't wear boots that look too equestrian people always ask me where my horse is when I wear boots + leggings
2. make sure the hem of the dress is above the knee to avoid looking like a 40-year old mom (no offense, mom)
3. always coordinate shades of black/brown to any other accessory so you don't look like a 50 shades of brown color swatch

What do you guys think about boots and dresses? Yay or nay?

xoxo,
Liz

Cat Obsessed

Yesterday I got a kitten and he is the most adorable, fluffy, loving thing ever. I think it's safe to say that I am now officially a cat lady. 

I named him Topkek (don't ask why...long story) and since I'm so obsessed with cats now, I decided to put together a little collage of some cat-themed things that are just begging to be mine.

Cat-eye sunglasses fit my face shape best (it's fate) and tortoise is my favorite thing in the world, so these sunglasses are perfect! Too bad the sun hardly ever comes out now - today is the first time I've seen it in a week. As for the Charlotte Olympia slippers, I have wanted these for years now! Must get them soon or I will not feel accomplished. Plus, I'm officially a cat lady now, so I can kind of justify the splurge ;) 

:: mug sunglasses shoes ::

xoxo,
Liz

How To: Get Rid Of Mascara Clumps

Recently I've been noticing that my everyday mascara (this one) has been getting pretty clumpy. Don't get me wrong, I still love it and use it everyday - I just...found a way to make my mascara better. For some reason, yesterday, I decided to just very lightly swipe the mascara on my lashes instead of working it in with the mascara wand. I prefer the more natural eyelash look as opposed to the stuck-together-clumpy-lashes look, and boy does this do the trick.

So if you, like me, don't like to look like a hot mess with huge, really fake-looking eyelashes (sorry I'm not sorry), then lightly brush your mascara wand against your lashes. I've been doing this for the past few days with different mascaras and this really helps.

Hope you found this little tip/how-to thingie helpful!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

xoxo,
Liz

Quick Tip: Water Before/After/During a Meal

We all know drinking water is healthy, you should drink at least 8 glasses of water every single day, it's good for your skin, it flushes out the toxins, blah blah blah. I, too, knew all of these things and drank at least 70 ounces of water a day, but I never knew when to drink it.

My grandma always told me not to drink water while I'm eating, but she never really explained why, so I just kept doing what I always did - drink water 24/7. Recently, though, I've been doing some research and I found a couple of very interesting facts.

Because the "plug" in the bottom of your stomach isn't a valve, it can't be pushed open, so when you drink while you're eating the food can push into your intestines (gross, I know!). Therefore, you should follow the 15/30 rule - drink 15 minutes prior to eating and 30 minutes after, but not during. This will also help free up space in your stomach so you don't get as hungry/don't eat as much.

Sorry for no blogging lately, I've really been busy! Let me know if you have any requests below!

xoxo,
Liz

Favorite Fall Nail Polish

Hey everyone! I'm back! Hopefully this time I'll actually stay around for a little while longer, but I'm not promising anything. 

Today I decided to share my favorite nail polish colors for fall with you all. If you didn't know this yet, I love nail polish. So, naturally, I have quite a few of my favorites to talk about.

I took these pictures on my new point-and-shoot camera (yay for actual pictures!), so the quality is pretty good, but it was raining/cloudy outside - so excuse the poor lighting. It might be deceiving in some cases, so I'll let you know if the color actually looks different on the nails/in the bottle than it does in the picture.

:: Essie "Big Spender" ::

I love dark pink/purple berry colors for fall (pink looks good on me, what can I say?), so this one is definitely a must. It applies evenly and is opaque after two coats, and the color is pretty true to what it looks like in the bottle.

:: Essie "Penny Talk" ::

This has to be in my top 3 favorite nail polishes for fall - a gorgeous, opaque bronze color that is impossible to ignore. But since it's a gold-ish/bronze color, it does look better on warm skin tones than it does on cooler ones, so keep that in mind.

:: Essie "Bachelorette Bash" ::

Now this is the color that looks very different in the picture - it looks like a summer-y, Barbie pink - when in actuality it's a darker, more berry-like pink color. This, in my opinion, is the perfect "transition" pink that is perfect for the late summer/early fall season.

:: OPI "The Thrill of Brazil" ::

This color did turn out a little more coral in the picture - in real life it's a gorgeous rich red color. But it's not a burgundy, dark red - it's more of a true scarlet red that looks gorgeous on every skin color! And, of course, you can never go wrong with classic red nails.

:: OPI "My Pointe Exactly" ::

Now, this nail polish is something else. The color is a gorgeous milky gray color and it applies evenly. But. There's a but. To get an opaque gray color (which is what I want) you have to apply 4-6 coats of this. Which, if you're in a hurry, isn't necessarily a good thing. But I haven't found a color like this that applies better (yet) so I'm willing to sacrifice that little nuance for now.

:: Revlon "Stormy Night" ::

This color is a little more brown than the OPI color and it has more purple-ish undertones as opposed to OPI's blue-ish undertones. This one, though, is opaque in 1-2 coats, so you don't really have to worry about that. These Revlon nail polishes (the Colorstay ones) are one of my favorite drugstore nail polish lines - the nail polish looks so glossy on, you almost don't need a topcoat!

:: Julep "Blakely" ::

This did not show up well on camera at all. In reality, it's more of a silver-y pearlescent color that changes into every color ever imaginable once you change your angle of vision. The colors change from purple to silver to green to pink which makes this nail polish very unique and perfect for colder months when you feel like you want to wear something dark, but not boring.

:: Julep "Oscar" ::

The name pretty much says it all - this nail polish is basically huge, gorgeous gold glitter that just makes you think "red carpet". Of course, glitter is always a pain to take off, so that's a downside.

:: Julep "Lacey" ::

I love navy nail polish for every single day of every single season - it's summer-y, yet winter-y at the same time. I have a couple of different navy nail polish colors and I like this one best for the fall season - it has some dark green/lighter blue shimmers that really put this nail polish into the fall category (as opposed to the "summer" category).

:: Sally Hansen "Wool Lite" ::

This nail polish is the odd one out of the bunch - a weird, birthday-cake-sprinkle-looking coat that you can (and should) apply over a base color. I find that applying 2-3 coats is plenty for a very opaque, fuzzy look. 

Hope you guys found this post somewhat helpful! Let me know if you have any comments/suggestions below!

xoxo,
Liz

OOTD: Back to school

I got homework on the first day of school. It's the second day of school. I still have (more) homework.

Not fun. 

And for that reason I have had no time at all for blogging (sorry!) - I'm planning on scheduling up a lot of posts this weekend, so I don't have to worry about it during the school week.

This is what I would wear on the first day of school (I didn't wear this, in case you were wondering), but I think this outfit could be worn anywhere - you can even dress it up with some heels or wedges!

Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: Topshop (similar)
Belt: H&M (similar)

Shoes: Topshop
Bag: Calvin Klein (similar)
Bracelets & watch: Michael Kors and Michael Kors

As always, if you have any comments or questions - leave them below!

xoxo,
Liz