let's talk lipstick

up until a year or two ago, i rarely wore lipstick;

however, if you told that to my ever-growing collection, it would laugh at you (!!!). 

my lips are naturally rather dark, and i think i was afraid 

of drawing more attention to them. blush and eye shadow and long lashes?

yes, please! lipstick was seemingly intimidating. 

my opinion has changed, and now, i can't seem to get enough. 

i have several drugstore and department brands that i'm drawn to, 

and choosing a lipstick color is an important part of my makeup process!

^^^ bite beauty is one of my favorite lipstick brands, available at sephora! ^^^

above are three lipsticks i recently received as part of the influenster program.

by bite beauty, these are the amuse bouche lipsticks in gazpacho (left), beetroot (center)

and pepper (right). i'm wearing the color beetroot in these photos.

i love how easy these are to apply, as the colors are creamy and incredibly pigmented. 

i had to use a makeup remover wipe (or two) to remove the beetroot color at the end of the day.

it stayed on beautifully, despite eating and drinking! 

another plus? these lipsticks are ever-so-lightly scented and smell a bit fruity. 

photos by elizabeth kathryn photography

blouse: nordstrom, jeans: american eagle (similar here), flats: thrifted (via goodwill), 

bag: dooney & bourke (hand me down from my mom!), ring: gift, lipstick: c/o bite beauty amuse bouche lipstick in 'beetroot' (exact here)

i feel very 'hippie chic' in these jeans and love how soft and stretchy the denim is. 

american eagle jeans fit me better than most other brands, 

and for the price, i'll take it! this exact pair is no longer available (i found them

in the clearance section a few weeks back), but i linked a similar light wash, 

that is also a high waisted pant, above. i've been wearing these

vintage, pointed toe flats, from my local goodwill, on repeat with the warmer weather. 

whenever i'm out thrifting, i always check the shoe section!

how has your week been? mine is absolutely crawling by, 

but i think it's because the coming weekend is my birthday, 

and all i can think about is sleeping in and eating far too much cake, 

ice cream and cupcakes (!!!) #treatyoself

happy wednesday, everyone!

xoxo. 

nude lipstick and palm trees

palm tree dress: no rest for bridget, sandals: birkenstock, 

bracelets: pink fitbit band & turquioise 31bits, sunnies: forever 21

when looking through these photos, 

i kept thinking to myself, 'why does my face look so strange?!'

and then i realized - it's the nude lipstick i'm wearing.

it looks like i don't have any lips! 

before visiting california last week, 

i wanted to stock up on a few beauty essentials.

i picked up conditioner, face wipes, and wanted to try 

a new shade of lipstick. i have seen several bloggers

and beauty babes wearing 'nude' lipstick as of late

and wanted to try one, too!

i stopped by my trusty m.a.c counter and asked one of the women

to help me find a shade of nude that complimented 

my lips and skin tone. 

my lips are naturally very dark, in fact, 

i have a difficult time finding lipsticks that are dark

and pigmented enough to show up on my lips.

when looking for a neutral color, such as nude, it proved to 

be even more tricky. the woman at m.a.c said, 'these

colors aren't showing up because of whatever shade

you came in wearing. you need to wipe it off.'

uh, those are just my lips! 

we finally found a color that seemingly worked, 

m.a.c kinda sexy matte lipstick. in theory, 

i love the color; however, i don't think this particular 

shade looks good on me, especially in photos. oh well, 

perhaps i just need to swap it out for a different shade :) 

have you ever tried a beauty trend that just didn't work for you?

xoxo.

let's talk lipstick

a few years back,

 i would have been terrified at the thought of wearing lipstick - 

especially a bright color (red? no way!).

however, now, i often think of lipstick as a beauty staple;

i seemingly feel naked without it. 

there are so very many brands, shades, types of lipstick (matte, sheen, gloss?).

how do you choose?

while i am no expert, and there are many (far better)

beauty bloggers out there, i thought i would share a few of my favorites

with you on this little blog. 

^^^ a few lipsticks i dug out of my purse;
remind me that i never need to buy more ^^^

currently in my bag:

revlon colorburst

090 true red

this is my go-to red lipstick as of late. it is a darker red, yet remains bright on the lips. i find it stays on for several hours, despite eating and drinking. i often reapply during my lunch break, and the color will remain throughout the afternoon.

sephora 'bite' lip duo

palomino and violet

two lipsticks in one? i couldn't resist buying this. palomino is a vibrant pink, and the violet is a lovely purple that i will share below.

rimmel london SHOW OFF lip velvet

405 orangeology

i purchased this gloss earlier this week. while i am normally not a fan of lip gloss, this particular gloss dries matte. the color is vibrant, true to the name (orange!), and stays on the lips for a long period of time. i cannot wait to share in photos.

covergirl (???)

405 fairytale

unfortunately much of the text has worn off this lipstick as it is one of my favorites. i find that this lipstick truly outlasts any of my others. apply once, and the color stays all day. this bright pink is perfect for many skin tones, too!

revlon super lustrous 

828 carnival spirit

in the container, this lipstick is a gorgeous orange-red. however, unfortunately, it is much too light for my lips; the color does not show up.

revlon colorburst lip butter

035 candy apple

this lip color goes on like a chap-stick, but is quite pigmented. i often apply the aforementioned revlon colorburst (090 true red), and reapply this lip butter throughout the day, especially if my lips need moisture. 

covergirl nature luxe gloss balm

225 anemone

similar to the above lip butter, this covergirl balm is soft, smooth, and provides moisture to the lips. it is also pigmented enough to wear alone or combine with another lipstick.

burt's bees lip color

wild cherry

this purple color lip moisturizer is great for everyday wear!

bareMinerals

marvelous MOXIE 'game changer'

i actually received this gloss as a free gift. although i am not a big fan of lip gloss, the color is absolutely gorgeous. it is dark enough to be considered a 'true' red lipstick. it leaves the lips incredibly shiny.

and now, a demo of my favorites:

(left to right)

^^^ revlon carnival spirit, covergirl fairy tale, revlon true red and sephora lip duo in violet ^^^

each of the lipsticks and glosses i shared are incredibly affordable. 

while i do (embarrassingly) have a few more expensive lipsticks, 

you do not need to pay a lot.

revlon and covergirl are perhaps my two favorite brands, 

both available at your local drugstore. 

are you a fan of lipstick?

do you wear it daily, or save it for special occasions?

let me know in the comments!

xoxo.

spoiled girl

 i do not eat out very often

(this girl is broke),

but this week has turned into quite the exception.

a sneak peak at what i have consumed :)

i have been spoiled by great friends and family taking me out with them.

nothing like tasty treats + great company.

so perhaps i should refer back to my personal goal to be more healthy?

maybe next week...

shirt: gap, sweatshirt: nordstrom rack, jeans: thrifted

is it okay to wear red lipstick with jeans and a sweatshirt?

i suppose it does look a bit out of place...

...or perhaps it "glams" up this rather dull outfit :)

happy friday everyone! 

i had the morning off and went on a (purely vegetarian) breakfast date with my girlfriend.

off to visit one of my favorite babies!

talk to you later!

xoxo.