tonal

flares - theory | tank - h&m | coat - forever 21 | shoes - zara | belt - madewell | pin - asos

I swear I'll be a neutral girl until I die. I for the life of me, can not seem to get into color. I am just all about the classic camels, creams, grays and of course black. Is gold considered a color? There's my answer. Anyways, I paired this perfectly cut crushed velvet tank with my trust camel flares. I layered a bralette underneath for some coverage since the tank is a bit low-cut. I topped off the look with my tan coat, some cream ballerina shoes (which I love for Spring) and my little hairpin that I got from Asos for next to nothing! 

shot by maura o'donnell

XXX

fluffed up, cropped out

coat - zara | tank - theory (similar here) | knit - rag and bone | belt - madewell | denim - topshop | bag - mansur gavriel | shoes - vintage | choker - diana ho designs

An outfit post! At last! I love fur coats. I think they add such great texture to a look. This one from Zara is faux, and I got it on super sale. I am trying to style different pant silhouettes since skinny jeans can get pretty boring all winter, and dresses/skirts are a bit daring due to the 20 degree weather. I like these cropped flares, and I roughed up the hem a little with an army knife since I didn't have a seam-splitter! I was also reading Who What Wear and old lady shoes seem to be making a comeback, so I whipped out my cream tasseled loafers! 

XXX

2015 beauty favorites

The fact that I haven't blogged in two weeks. I would like to say I'm surprised, but let's all be honest here, I'm not. This cold weather seriously sucks! We got about three inches of snow last night here in Boston, and it's just absolutely freezing here today. I have an outfit shoot coming up, I'm just waiting for the finished images, but until then (and I know I'm a bit late) here is what I loved for beauty this past year!

I honestly don't switch my make-up routine too often, so it wasn't hard pinpointing my favorites from 2015. For foundation, it was hands down Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk. I have been using this foundation for months now, and I'm on my third bottle. It smoothes right over my pores and makes my skin look flawless! For concealer, I don't think I've ever even bothered to try something else other than my Nars Creamy Concealer. It's my ride or die, and I think I've been through like 15 bottles of the stuff. I can say I have tried a couple of different setting powders in 2015, but the Makeup Forever HD setting powder takes the cake. I like the Laura Mercier Universal powder as well, but I think the MUFE one keeps my make-up in place for longer. My favorite bronzer of 2015 was the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in luminous bronze light. I have literally used this bronzer everyday for almost 9 months. I haven't even tried anything else. I love this bronzer with ever fiber of my being. It blends seamlessly into my fair skin, and creates the perfect contour. It's not muddy or too orange, and I honestly think I've become a better person because of it. Jaclyn Hill x Becca's Champagne Pop has been highlighting my face since I got it as well! I love the way it lights up my pale skin, especially in the winter months! 

I honestly do not put much into my hair. I use Oribe's split-end sealer (since my last haircut was in 2014, yuck I know) and the Oribe texturizing spray. My hair stays mostly flat when it air dries, so I will usually spritz a couple of sprays into my hair at the top and work it in. I also have a travel size, so I have Oribe with me everywhere! 

Skincare is a different story though. I have been super into under-eye treatments lately. I LOVE the Shiseido Smoothing Eye Masks! I usually will use them about once a week. They're on the pricier side, so I feel extra luxurious when I use a pair. I have also been loving the Glamglow bright-mud under-eye treatment as well. It only needs to sit for 3 minutes, so it's perfect for when I'm in a rush, or just want to go to bed. Aesop was my skincare hero this year. I always moisturize with their Resurrection hand balm and their Camellia Nut cream. They keep my skin calm/sane during these dry and cold months. 

I have a couple of random favorites thrown in the bunch as well. I think my favorite brush was my Real Techniques powder brush. I love it to blend out my bronzer, and to apply my setting powder. This brush clearly needs to be washed, but I do love the gold handle, and the bristles are so soft! I also LOVE my MUFE eyebrow brush. It blends my brows seamlessly and I love using the other side for defining my shape with some concealer. I also scooped an H&M nail polish a while ago, and sort of love the color/formula/packaging. I got the shade 'nutmeg', and it's a perfect 90's shade brown. For mascara, my hands down favorite was the NARS Audacious mascara. I thought I would never find one better than Benefit's They're Real, but I think I like this formula better. My lashes stay long and dramatic all day, it's amazing. 

Lastly, lips! We all know about my obsession for Marc Jacob's Poutliner. I wear these liners all the time. They plump and define all at once. Perfection. I have also expressed my love for Bite Beauty's matte cream crayons before. I actually need to re-purchase the shade Amaretto, but I am currently using Leche. The formula is so butter and hydrating. The color stays put, and they smell great. My favorite drug-store lipstick of 2015 were Maybelline's ColorSensational Nudes. I think I have 8 of them. These could be sold for $30 and I would still buy them. They're super hydrating, and they smell delicious. Pinky-nude lips are my thing, and these are totally in my price-range! 

Wow, lots of products. I feel like I have some more skincare I want to talk about, but I think this post is long enough for now! I can't wait to see what beauty products 2016 brings me! 

XXX

december favorites

Why, yes, I'm a couple days late on my favorites of the month, but this shouldn't surprise not one person. I am always a couple days/minutes/moments late with life, and blog posts are no exception. 

This past month, I've been really into face masks. Sheet masks, eye masks, gel masks, you name it. I've been loving the Dr.Jaart masks to save my skin from the dry weather, but I scooped these Shiseido retinol eye masks, and I love them! I obviously don't have any wrinkles or super fine lines under my eyes yet, but it is NEVER too early to start preventing them. I leave them on for about 10 minutes, and they dry right up when all the product is transferred to your under-eyes. I also re-purchased the Aesop resurrection cream on my birthday. I needed more of their Camellia Nut moisturizer, and scooped another tube while I was there. The Aesop store in Boston is so beautiful. The staff is super attentive and they hand you a cup of tea while you shop, so it's overall top notch. 

I actually subscribed to a new magazine this month. It's called Styleby and they're out of Sweden. The editorials and layout are a blogger's dream. I love love love photographing the pages for my Instagram, and even though I can't read it (hah, too ironic), it's a wonderful source of inspiration! 

For fashion favorites this month, I have been loving my Topshop boots. They're such a soft leather, and while they are on the pricier side (especially after the holidays), I decided to scoop them. I made sort of a large Topshop purchase I put on my credit card right around my birthday, so that was my excuse. I don't regret it though. I needed a pair of stylish brown leather booties. I also made a Luvaj purchase a while ago, I think in November. I have been wearing this ring of theirs all month. I love all the hardware on it, and it's a nice way to spruce up my usual ring game. My last favorite is a choker by Diana Ho Designs on Etsy. It's a beige velvet choker. I am obsessed. I scooped this one, and a black velvet one from another Etsy shop. Why pay $45 for a choker, when you can get a handmade one for a fraction of the price! #shopsmall people! 

XXX

p.s. Does anyone have a solution for better lighting for pictures? I love doing these favorite posts but I feel like my Canon isn't picking up the best lighting to make for a clear picture. I mean I know natural lighting is best, but when the sun sets at a little past 4, it's challenging to get a quality flatlay. I think I'm just my own worst critic, but if anyone has a suggestion, please!