Category: style

OOTD & A Quick Beauty Review

YSL Besace satchel messenger; J. Crew Factory wool mini skirt
Skirt & shirt, J. Crew Factory; shoes, G by Guess; bag, YSL (via Kijiji)

Sooooo … this outfit ended up looking kinda schoolgirlish, yes? It was only somewhat intentional; I started getting dressed, realized which way this was going, and decided to double down with a satchel.

Pretty much ...
Pretty much …

Is it still creepy if I’m old enough to have school-aged kids of my own?

YSL Besace satchel messenger; J. Crew Factory wool mini skirt; G by Guess metallic flats
Bag & shoes details

Hopefully not. And if my hope doesn’t bear out, then don’t hold my sense of the absurd against me, ‘mkay?

YSL Besace satchel messenger; J. Crew Factory wool mini skirt
Non-creepy … I think … ?

I also hope you’re not sick of my incessant chatter about mascara, because I’m about to hit you, baby, one more time. Now, you may remember that I railed against the L’Oreal Miss Manga mascara in a previous post, so this may come as a surprise: I bought another tube of it. Two, actually. I’ll back up.

One of my beauty product obsessions is coloured mascara. I’m talking bright, vibrant, doesn’t-look-like-some-indeterminate-shade-of-black coloured mascara. I have, in my foolish quest, paid upwards of $30 for mascara that promised me COLOUR, only to deliver more drab. So, you will forgive me my excitement when I heard that L’Oreal was bringing out colourful versions of the Miss Manga mascara. So excited was I, that I willing overlooked the crappy brush and questionable packaging/marketing.

At first, it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on any of the coloured mascaras, because all my local drugstores only carried the regular black version. Finally, weeks later, I finally spotted the turquoise one. Bam!

L'Oreal Miss Manga Turquoise
L’Oreal Miss Manga in Turquoise
L'Oreal Miss Manga Turquoise
Bright and vibrant, right?

Success! It’s gorgeous. But maybe not the best colour for green eyes? Off I went in search of the purple version. Ummm …

L'Oreal Miss Manga purple mascara
L’Oreal Miss Manga in Purple
L'Oreal Miss Manga purple
NOT bright & vibrant (whomp whomp)

I should have known how this would end when I pulled out the wand and saw the sorry excuse for so-called purple (more like muddy plum), but I wasn’t fully deterred. “Maybe it becomes more purple once it’s applied?” “Why would they create two bright blue mascaras, and one crappy, almost-black, not-really-purple purple?” The answers, as it turns out, are “Nope” and “I have no freaking idea”. But I’m kinda mad. To add insult to injury, the purple also has a tendency to clump to an annoying degree (see above). Bah!

Bottom line: if you’re looking for a coloured mascara, you’re probably not going to hate the Turquoise and Indigo Miss Manga mascaras. Just give the Purple a miss.

Style by Recipe

Anthropologie edme & Esyllte Phosphorescence skirt; J. Crew hot pink Cece flats
Skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay); top, Gap Factory; necklace, RW&Co.; shoes, J. Crew (via consignment); bag. MbMJ (via eBay)

Floral skirt + striped top = laziest easiest outfit recipe ever! It’s how I roll. Don’t fix what ain’t broken, etc., etc.

Anthropologie edme & Esyllte Phosphorescence skirt; J. Crew hot pink Cece flats
The derpy money shot

But the hot pink flats! They’re hot pink! I couldn’t resist, though god knows how many occasions a thirty-something has to wear hot pink shoes. Here’s an idea: let’s brainstorm … because I need to wear these puppies as much as possible.

Anthropologie edme & Esyllte Phosphorescence skirt; J. Crew hot pink Cece flats
better …

This skirt is growing on me too. (It helps that it’s a perfect match for these flats.) It might just vie for the “favourite” title this summer. Oooh. Smackdown of the floral Anthro skirts? It’s on, baby.

Anthropologie edme & Esyllte Phosphorescence skirt; J. Crew hot pink Cece flats
ok, bye

Staycation Adventures: Devonian Botanical Gardens

Devonian Botanical Gardens; J. Crew Factory seahorse print City shorts
Shorts & top, J. Crew Factory; shoes, Tory Burch; bag, MbMJ

I love visiting the Devonian Botanical Gardens, and the location (conveniently close to home) makes it perfect for a half-day family trip. I’m partial to the Japanese garden, but I love the riots of flowers happening everywhere this time of year. The kids were much taken with the butterfly house. OK, mostly Luka, but he was enthusiastic enough for two. (Teodora was taken … mostly with her shoes. And some dirt she mistook for playground sand, once she escaped the confines of her prison stroller.)

Devonian Botanical Gardens
The Japanese garden at Devonian

The gardens were packed with moms and tots, which I guess is to be expected on a random Tuesday in August. (Actually, not so random. First Tuesday of every month is half price admission. Thrifty adventures, it’s how we roll.) All parent minds think alike, I guess.

Devonian Botanical Gardens; J. Crew Factory seahorse print City shorts
Tranquility (when pictured without the sound of a hundred kids running around in the background)

All the pretty flowers:

Devonian Botanical Gardens
(yes, I have favourites)

The weather was gorgeous, but hot. Hotter than Satan’s sweaty armpit. If I look slightly disheveled and mildly sun-stroked, it’s because I was. Tent-y cotton tops, for the win.

Devonian Botanical Gardens; J. Crew Factory seahorse print City shorts
Slightly sun-stroked …