Belt It Out

Apologies in advance – this will be a longer-than-usual catch up post. I’ve been dealing with personal stuff lately that has bumped this blog even lower on my to-do list; nonetheless, having this outlet still means something to me, so I don’t want to neglect it for too long. And with that, let’s talk fashion and the debut of one of the biggest statement-makers in my accessories arsenal: this BCBG belt. I have been hunting for this type of corset-peplum hybrid belt for a while, inspired by the Loewe version that’s a gazillion dollars. I randomly found this version on Poshmark. It’s not as dramatically proportioned as the designer version, but it has the right vibe (and, being more subdued, is probably more wearable for my life). The white would not have been my first pick, but secondhand shoppers can’t always be choosers and, in this case, it was a provident lack of choice because the white, in my short experience with it, is proving an inspired option. It’s such a fresh, less expected choice than, say, black and yet it’s quite versatile as well. I went all out with this out because I wanted to explore the potential of the belt as an outfit-maker … but, boy, do I wish I had somewhere to wear this.

Graphic Saturday #1

Graphic Saturday started because my collection of graphic tees has exploded, and here it is, still going strong. This Twik tee (and the yellow one below) was an impulse buy on Poshmark, but I love it way more than I thought I would. I’ve been very drawn to pink and yellow lately, which are colours outside my usual palette (which has remained more or less unchanged over the last few years). It’s been fun to mix them into my wardrobe, and come up with new colour combos.

Liquid Gold

I’m really happy with how this outfit came together. I struggle to style this Comme des Garcons cardigan in ways that feel like “me”, but I was inspired to do something different this time – try it with a skirt instead of pants. From there, everything fell into place. I decided to try the velvet vest instead of a regular top — both for the contrast and for the relaxed three-piece suit vibe — and since it’s cropped, I had to choose a higher waisted skirt to compensate. This pleated Babaton skirt fit that criteria, and added its own little extra to the outfit – the metallic gold looks great against the grey, and picks up the little gold heart.

Pattern Play

bl_nk London is a recent discovery of mine, although if you’ve shopped at Anthro in the last few years, it’s probably a brand you will easily recognize. From what I can tell, it does a lot of fun, wild prints and pattern mix pieces. Like this top. That’s right up my alley. The only downside is that the fabrics tend to be thin and cheapish feeling (viscose and polyester) which is disappointing given how much the pieces retail for. Secondhand for the win, again.

Graphic Saturday #2

Here is the other Twik tee I recently bought on Poshmark. I just love the print/design.

Blinging It

If there is one piece in my closet that can hold its own against rainbow ombre sequin jeans (!!), it’s this Marc Cain top. Sometimes, you just gotta double down on outrageous.

Belt Repeat

I’m telling you, this belt is killer. It instantly elevates any outfit, and makes it seem like you tried a little bit harder. Even if you didn’t try at all. In other news, I am still undecided about this Marimekko shirt, but I do love how well it works layered under this Dries Van Noten dress; it’s like they were made for each other. Still, I can’t say that I am a huge fan of layering button-up shirts like this under dresses – I find them bulkier and bunchier than regular tops for that purpose.

Column of Black

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “column of black” outfit, so let’s close off with the return of a classic. I balanced the utter simplicity of the base outfit (tank top and pants) with a fun velvet wrap and double the accessories. Literally:

Start on Casual

Let’s start with the “casual Friday” look this time, even though the concept of casual Friday has really disappeared over the past year. I can wear jeans every day now, if I felt like it which I don’t. In fact, I’ve never worn jeans more seldom. But I’ve added some extra stretchy pairs to my closet, so I’m cautiously dipping a toe back into that particular pool. My love of graphic tops kinda demands me because what better pairing than with jeans? This bl_nk London top was a recent thrifting find, and I am now obsessed with the brand (sold at Anthro). The quality of their fabrics, in my admittedly limited experience, is kinda garbagey buuuuuut the prints are absolutely wonderful. This top is a prime example – I am obsessed with the coordinating mixed patterns.

Mixed Signals

Speaking of mixed patterns, here is that MaxMara skirt I recently snagged on Posh; instead of going with a simple coordinating top, I chose a clashing pattern. What pulls it all together is the colour palette; red and blue are such a classic combo. And the Gemma Redux necklace is the perfect finishing touch:

But Also, Monochrome

Sometimes I go all out with colour and patterns; sometimes I keep it simple. This Pink Tartan dress continues to be one of those pieces that makes me smile every time I see it; I still can’t quite believe how I was able to find it, after 5 years of searching and regrets, at my local thrift store … after I watched someone else almost buy it. And it’s not just the backstory that makes it special. It’s a hella cool dress, period. Also hella cool is this Stella & Dot necklace. I have it in gold, and loved it so much that I bought in silver as well. Solid decision, 10/10, would again.

Graphic x 2

I’ll leave you with this Graphic Saturday outfit featuring a double dose of, what else, graphic prints. I was going to wear the Kenzo sweatshirt with a different, plainer skirt but then I saw this one hanging on the rack and thought “why not”. And it worked! Also, remember how I used to have such cute shoes? Look at those Tiffany blue Ferragamo flats. Sigh. Someday, maybe they will see the light of day again (and not simply for a photo op).

I’m going into my 3rd annual FabFitFun subscription period, and my thought process for renewing was simple: I still enjoy the surprise element, and I still get enough value from each box to make the subscription cost worthwhile. Most of that value comes from skincare and beauty products I would be buying anyway (moisturizer, shampoo and conditioner, etc.); FFF allows me to try new brands at a lower cost, especially higher-end stuff that I wouldn’t otherwise splurge on. I do think that when the pandemic is over, and casual trips to Winners are back on the table, I will re-think my subscription — I used to get a lot of my skincare on discount from the Winners beauty aisle. But, for now, I’m happy to continue with FFF.

The Spring 2021 box was one of the best ones within the past year, although I have a less than happy addendum to that (more below). It seems like FFF is offering way more variety of products than before for most of the customizable options in the box, which is great; there was less of “I don’t like any of the choices, so I’ll pick something random”. The FFF picks (3 of the 8 items) continue to be the weakest part of the box for me, but they were pretty good this time around.

Here’s what was in my box.

The only item I picked from the Add-On Sale was the Sunday Riley CEO Glow oil. I got this before, and it’s part of my regular skincare routine now. I’m still only about half way through my first bottle, but I wanted to stock up at the discount price because there is no way I would pay $100CAD for this. I think I paid about $45 or so, which is not inexpensive but seems reasonable to me — it lasts a long time. I didn’t see this in the last Add-On sale, so it’s not a regular item hence why I jumped on it when I saw it this time around.

This was a FFF pick – they are reusable make-up remover cloths. Or something like that. I gave these to my sister-in-law, as I wouldn’t use them.

Retail value: $15USD.

Another FFF pick, these lip masks wouldn’t have been my first choice for this option (there was a cactus shaped water bottle I really wanted!) but they’re fun enough to try.

Retail value: $16USD

The last FFF pick, this oil is something I’m very excited to try. I’ve recently discovered blue tansy products, and I love them. I’ve been alternating between Lapis by Herbivore (love it but it’s way pricey) and Acure Blue Tansy oil (also good, far less expensive). This is a spirulina and blue tansy brightening oil, so I’m curious how it will measure up. Haven’t tried it yet, but will report back.

Retail value: $38USD

This was probably the tier/option I was least excited about, so I chose the Cocofloss but, honestly, it’s probably one of the most useful items of the whole lot. I’m not sure I know why “bougie floss” is a thing, but I’ll take it. It does smell nice. There is one container (with roll) and 2 refills.

Retail value: $28USD (LOLOLOL!)

I’ve been curious to try this brand (Elemis) for a while, but it retails for a price point that I don’t normally go for. I’ve used this peel (it’s really more like a face mask) once, and I can’t say that I saw immediate noticeable results, but it smells lovely and I am happy to continue using it to see if it makes a difference.

Retail value: $45USD

I was super excited for these MAC lipsticks because one of them is red, and I’ve been looking for a new red lipstick. I recently realized that having a bright lip really helps me look better on Zoom calls, even when I’m not wearing any other make-up (apart from eyebrow pencil, always). I haven’t tried the other colour yet – it looks to be a pinky beige – but I like the red. The formula is powdery, not creamy, and somewhat sheer at first but easily buildable. Staying power is about average for regular lipsticks. Overall, I am a fan; you can control the intensity of the colour from a more sheer “wash” to a full red lip.

Retail value: $42USD

I needed a new moisturizer (my last one, Caudalie, came in the Fall 2020 box and is almost done) so I decided to pick this as one of my “expensive” tier options. I like the smell a lot – it’s kinda graprefruity? – and so far, it seems to work about as well as my old moisturizer. Which is to say, I am happy with it. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this again, but it will do just fine until it runs out.

Retail value: $98USD (holy smokes!)

Lastly, I was very excited about this ring. My experience with FFF jewelry has been mixed, but I really like the Jenny Bird cuff I got a while back, so I thought it would be worth trying again. The ring looks lovely in real life:

I was quite pleased with it … and then the stone fell out the second time I wore it. Luckily, it happened at home; I found the stone and was able to pop it back in. But talk about shoddy quality! I’ve seen a few of these floating around on Poshmark already and if you were considering it, I would say (a) don’t bother, and (b) if you must, don’t pay more than $10 for it. And even that is a stretch.

Retail value: $75 (this is actively offensive)

Apart from the ring, the rest of the box was a winner for me and I’m quite pleased with the products I’ve tried so far especially the lipstick and the moisturizer. If you’ve also ordered the Spring 2021 box, let me know what you thought about the products. Next month, I think I will do a round-up of some of my fave products I discovered via FFF over the past 2 years, and I would love to hear about yours as well.