Blue Collar Red Lipstick

04
Apr
2014

Blah, Blah, Blah … Boots!!!

categories: Favourite things, Love at first sight, style, Success stories

What I Wore: Friday Morning

Josef Seibel Sandra 10 boots — Skirt and top, J. Crew Factory; coat (consignment); bag, MbMJ (via consignment); boots, Josef Seibel

Here goes: I bought the coolest boots ever. The end.

Okay, fine, here’s the rest of the story. I’ve been lusting after these Frye Jenna boots since I saw one of my good friends in Vancouver wear them. I swear, I think I had dreams about these boots, and stalked them endlessly on every shopping website imaginable. It was an obsession, I can’t explain it. And weird, considering that moto-style boots is probably one of the last things you would associate with yours truly. But, the heart wants what it wants … even when the wallet cannot accommodate. And seriously, the wallet cannot. I am generally allergic to the idea of spending $400+ of my very own dollars on boots, but more importantly, I can’t justify doing so at this particular moment, being on mat leave. Especially after recently spending a good chunk of my slush fund on this:

(It was an amazing deal at a resale shop in Van. That’s my defence, and I’m sticking to it.)

Anyway, I was in SoftMoc one day (on the hunt for my magical Fryes, natch) when I spotted these:

I did a double-take because – whoa – that’s quite the lookalike pair. The brand is Josef Seibel, and I think it’s best known for making shoes your grandma would wear. Which makes my new boots just about the most comfortable things I’ve ever put on my feet. Looks wise, they’re not identical to the Fryes … but they were also not $400. More like $100, on sale. Still a stretch for my budget but … a doable stretch.

Phew, that was practically a Bildungsroman.

Here’s a close-up of the rest of the outfit, and my umpteenth poor attempt at a sock bun:

03
Apr
2014

Pink Paisley + Polka Dots

categories: Favourite things, style, Uniforms

What I Wore: Brunch

J. crew polka dot dress — Dress, J. Crew (via eBay); shirt and belt, J. Crew Factory; bag, MbMJ (via consignment)

I like this outfit a lot, and I promised you would see it again, and here we are.

I also like this shirt a lot, despite the fact that it’s paisley and pink, which sounds terrible but isn’t. And I like this pairing of pale pink and burgundy, which reinforces my belief that burgundy is the new black. Here’s an indoor shot to get a better look at the colours.

Also, polka dots. Lots and lots of polka dots.

Oh, and sticky toddler fingers on my dress. Of course.

02
Apr
2014

Beauty Chat: Maybe She’s Born With It …

categories: Beauty products

In my case, it’s always the Maybelline. Or L’Oreal. Or Clinique. Well, you get the point. Nature compensated for my red hair by making me as colourless as possible in every other physical respect. So I need all the help I can get to look, well, alive. Yeah, that’s a good starting point.

Maybelline kohl pencil, nude eyeliner — Oh Instagram filters, how I love thee!

I don’t have much time or money to experiment with beauty products these days, but I’m still as pasty as ever, so the no-makeup look is not an option. Quick and easy beauty tricks? Yes, please. I read somewhere recently about the whole nude-eyeliner-on-the-lower-rim trick (supposed to make you look more “awake” and beauty queen-ish) and would have forgotten about it already had I not shortly thereafter spotted the Maybelline kohl pencil in “beige” at Superstore. It was under $5, and I thought “why not?”

Unlike doing a cat-eye, lining the lower rim is pretty easy. The pencil is soft and doesn’t scratch; people have been using kohl this way for many years, so I suppose it’s as safe as any make-up. The effect is subtle, but it definitely does create a more wide-eyed look, which I guess translates into looking awake, fresh, and whatnot. The main downside is that it doesn’t last very long, at least in my experience – a couple of hours, tops. If you don’t want to fiddle with re-applying it all the time, I’d suggest using it only when you plan on taking close-ups (hello, blogger peeps!) or have an important work/personal meeting where you want to look especially tip-top.