chronic style

Spring Style Look Book

Disclaimer: This post is done in collaboration with Firmoo.com. I have worked with them before and I adore their products. I received a coupon code for a free pair of frames but I purchased the lens as well as the addition two pair of glasses featured in this look book with my own money. As someone who wears glasses regularly, I want comfortable and stylish glasses but I don’t want to pay a fortune so Firmoo is the answer. As you know, transparency is my highest priority and I would never support and write about a brand that I was not 100% in love with. Now that that is out of the way, on to the fun stuff!

Spring Style Look Book 2016

Spring is here finally and warm weather is upon us! Thank the Lord! It is getting warmer but there is still some cooler temps. You know where is cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon, and then cool again so layers are a must around my area so I tried to incorporate that into a lot of these looks.

Work Look:

Edgy Work Look For Spring

Outfit Details:

Pantsuit – Cato Fashions

Heels – Poshmark

Blazer – Forever 21 (similar)

Necklace – Cato Fashions

Clutch – Bongo Clutch from Kmart

Sunglasses – Firmoo

 

Date Night:

Edgy Date Night Look for Spring 2016

Outfit details:

Jacket – Bongo Moto Jacket from Kmart

Tank: Mossimo Swing Fit Tank from Target

Skinny Jeans – Old Navy Rockstar Jeggings

Shoes – Poshmark

Handbag – Aliexpress

Glasses – Firmoo

Casual Weekend Looks:

Casual Weekend Look for Lipstick Lovers

Lipstick Lovers Unite

Outfit Details:

Top: Lipstick Addict Top from Jane.com

Jeans: Old Navy Rockstar Skinny Jeans

Shoes: JustFab Carmella Sneakers

Glasses: Firmoo

Necklace: Made just for me by FFJ Creations! I am so in love it says “Live Boldly”

Lipstick & Compact: Sephora Disney Minnie Mouse Collection

Spring Weekend Look 2016

Outfit Details:

Top: Marshalls (similar)

Shorts: Old Navy Boyfriend Shorts

Sandals: Boss Sandals by Blowfish

Necklace: FJJCreations

Casual Weekend Outfit for Spring 2016

Outfit Details:

Top: Old Navy Layered Tank

Short: Old Navy Boyfriend Shorts

Sandals: Viorica Sandals by JustFab

I have to say that I am in love with all of these outfits! They are all so comfortable and most importantly I feel like they are all very ME. I finally feel like I’m coming into my own and figuring out my own style. My husband just shook his head at the “Black Is My Happy Color” tank but its so true! I love the color black and that doesn’t mean I’m a creepo. Black lovers unite! The most important thing I learned by putting together these outfits is that accessories make all the difference in the world! You can take a super comfy and basic outfit but add a few accessories and BAM! You’ve got the perfect outfit! Jeans and t-shirts are my style default but I’m learning to use that foundation and take it up a notch. For example, the last outfit: those studded sandals are everything. I could easily throw on flip flops and be completely beach ready but by adding the studded sandals and some spiky bracelets, it gives it a much different vibe. I am totally digging all of the shoes in these outfits. The white sneakers from JustFab* with the silver sequins on the heels are life!

I am also learning I can use my glasses to add spunk to my outfits as well (both regular eyeglasses and sunglasses). Normally I wear contacts the majority of the time but since discovering Firmoo*, I’ve been able to find stylish glasses that add spunk to my outfits and because their glasses are ridiculously affordable, I can own more than one pair so I can mix and match with my outfits.

So here are my quick spring shopping tips:

1- If you are shopping online, always, ALWAYS use Ebates*. You are crazy if you don’t. You get cash back just from shopping online and there is now a browser plugin so you can earn cash without even thinking about it. Hello?! Who doesn’t want free money? Almost all of my favorite stores use Ebates and since being a spoonie means a lot of online shopping, I figure I might as well earn some cash back while I’m at it.

2- Basic pieces are important to every wardrobe but its important to find certain pieces that really speak t you. Whether you stick to basic clothing items and focus on unique accessories such as shoes and jewelry, that’s awesome but its important to really feel like you and feel confident and spunky when you get dressed. Affordable ways to find these unique pieces include shopping stores like Marshalls or Ross where you can find higher end pieces at a lower price, hitting up thrift stores, or shopping sites like Poshmark. I adore Poshmark. You can find a lot of NWT items but there are a lot of second hand listings as well so it is a great place to find some great deals on second hand items (I sell on there as well! You can find my closet here!)

There are a few of my favorite looks for spring and a few quick shopping tips! What are yours? What are your must have items for spring?

Disclaimer: Again, this post was a collaboration with Firmoo.com and while I received one pair of frames free to facilitate a review, I purchased all other glasses on my own (as others that are not featured in this post) and all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks to the generosity of Firmoo, they have provided a discount code “ANEWKIND2” which will cover a complete pair of eyeglasses from this selection of glasses for the first 10 users and is valid through April 20, 2016! Shipping and handling are extra and you must be a first time customer but that is amazing and thank you so, so much Firmoo! As another side note, any link marked with an * throughout this post indicates an affiliate link. All about transparency here y’all. 

chronic style

Loved & Loathed Beauty Products: March 2016

Loved & Loathed Beauty Products: What I've Been Loving (& Loathing) in March 2016

It is so hard to believe that the month of March is already over which means its beauty favorites time! This month seemed to have flown by! Of course, when you’re bed-bound 80% of the time as I have been the last several months, its easy to lose track of time. Lately, doctors appointments are what have helped me keep track of days. So, so sad. Hopefully that is changing soon. Fingers crossed. Power of positive thinking. Game on!

That being said, I don’t have a HUGE amount of products to share with you this month and there are ZERO loathes but I just hauled a bunch of new products so the April installment may be completely different! I did want to share with you a few amazing beauty favorites that have totally rocked my socks off this month.

Loved & Loathed Beauty Products: What I've been loving (& loathing) in March 2016

1. Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer

I have heard tons about this product on YouTube and finally bit the bullet and gave it a try. I was a little leery as I’m not too great with cream bronzer/contour products but this one was so easy to use! I got it in the shade Rich Bronze which is the darker of the two shades which may seem surprising considering I’m an uber pale princess but the Rick Bronze shade was more cool toned so it made for a more natural contour and went along better with my skin tone. I picked it up at Target for $10.99 and supposedly it is a dupe for the Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup with a whopping $50 price tag. I think I’ll stick with Sonia Kashuk!

2. L’Oreal Infallible Makeup Extending Setting Spray

When  you deal with hot flashes, makeup setting spray is a must. Not only are setting sprays supposed to help keep your makeup in place, they often help bring a nice, finished look to the face by mattifying the skin or giving it a dewy or radiant finish. I have tried many different setting sprays and this is most definitely one of my favorites. It is $16.99 which seems pricey for the drugstore but you can catch it on sale (especially at Ulta where they often run BOGO 50% Off sales plus a store coupon for $3.50 off a $10 purchase and if you shop online, you can also earn cash back through Ebates*). Definitely recommend checking it out as warm weather starts to move in (yay!)

3. NYX Color Correcting Liquid Primer (Blue)

I have tried a lot of primers (A LOT) of all varieties and this one definitely tops my list. This line of primers has different shades to do different color correcting tasks. The blue shade helps to add radiance to fair/light skin. Because I have been so sick and lost so much weight, my skin has been looking extra pasty and dull and this primer helps to even out my skin tone and give a beautiful, healthy glow to my skin. It makes my skin feel so smooth and helps my foundation go on like a dream. Definitely worth the $13.99 but again, be sure to shop the sales!

4. Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick (115)

This is the only non-drugstore item (plus the matching powder) that you will find on this list. I am a drugstore girl through and through but I had heard so many amazing things about this foundation that I saved up and gave it a whirl. They were not lying. It is the best foundation I have ever tried. It goes on so easy and evens out my skin like a dream. The coverage is perfect and it feels like you are wearing nothing. I apply this with my oval face brush (#11) and I can have my face done in less than a minute. Plus it is actually light enough and pink enough to match my skin tone perfectly which is so easy feat. At $43, it is definitely an investment but worth it in my opinion. My best advice is to shop Sephora through Ebates* so you can earn cash back (and its even better when its a double cash back day!)

5. Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder (110 Pink Porclain)

This is my perfect finishing powder. It sets my foundation and adds a touch of coverage without becoming too cakey or powdery. I also love that it is so cool toned and pink. I have a problem with a lot of foundations and powders oxidizing on my skin so I end up orange looking by the end of the day but this powder is perfect and the perfect match to the MUFE Cover Stick. Definitely a match made in heaven!

6. Z Palettes (Large)

I have absolutely fallen in love with Z Palettes. They make storing your makeup so much easier! You de-pot your product from its original packaging and using magnets, store your products in a palette. You can use these for eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, highlights, etc. It makes everything much more streamline. You can store like items in each palette or you can create a custom palette for when you travel of specific blushes, shadows, etc that you want to take. I happened to pick up two of the limited edition lipstick prints before they went out of stock but they have a lot of different color and size options. If you hate having to dig to find specific products, you may want to check these out!

7. Wet N Wild Color Icon Ombre Blushes

When it comes to looking for affordable (and quality) makeup, Wet N Wild is a great place to start. You would think because of the prices that the products would be terrible but while I’ll be honest, there are a few duds here and there, there are tons of hidden gems. These blushes are gems. They are beautifully pigmented, especially if you are fair skinned. If you have a deep skin tone, these may or may not show up well on your skin. They bring a radiance to your skin without being glittery. I have all three shades – top row: In A Purple Haze, Mai Tai Buy You A Drink; bottom row: The Princess Daiquiris. These blushes are well worth $4.99!

8. Makeup Revolution Beyond Radiance Palette

Makeup Revolution is a UK brand that has recently made its way into the US at Ulta and they have some amazing face products. Their highlights are to die for so when I found out that they had them in palette form, I jumped on it quick. These three highlight shades are gorgeous, the packaging is nice and sturdy, and it comes with a large mirror which is perfect for travel. This is definitely a prized piece in my makeup collection! The palette is $15 but like the rest of the drugstore beauty brands, sales at Ulta are frequent and you can always use the coupon!

9. ELF Total Face Palette

This is such a handy (and beautiful!) palette to have in your collection, especially for travel. It contains two blushes, a bronzer, and a highlight shade in a beautiful, silver compact. For only $8, its a no brainer. If you see it, grab it!

10. BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Beauty Sponge

I love using makeup sponges to apply foundation and concealer. Up to now, I have been faithful to my Real Techniques Miracle Sponge (which is still absolutely amazing) but I recently discovered the BH Cosmetics Sponge and oh my goodness, it is amazing. It works flawlessly to blend in concealer underneath my eyes with no creasing or getting cakey. It becomes so super soft when damp that it can make the heaviness foundation buff in like a dream. I still have my RT sponge but I’m not sure I’ll be going back. Shhhh! Don’t tell!

11. Oval Face Foundation Brush

If you watch any YouTube beauty videos, you may have seen a new brush start to make an appearance. Its a large oval face brush and the original brush is by the brand Artis and comes with a $65 price tag. OUCH. I feel faint just thinking about paying that much for ONE brush. I will admit that I was intrigued by the look of the brush but a certain hot place would have to freeze over before I would ever, EVER consider spending that kind of money on a makeup brush so when I came across a similar style brush on Aliexpress for $10, I jumped on it and I am so glad I did. It makes blending in foundation easy and quick. This brush + my MUFE Cover Stick = my foundation dream team.

Those are all of my favorite beauty products for the month! Like I mentioned earlier, I have recently hauled a lot of new products from some brands I’m just discovering so hopefully I will have a lot more products to share in April! Some may be loves and some may not turn out so well! I also hope that along with April showers, comes a more consistent posting schedule and a lot more fun! As far as the Chronic Style series goes, I will start sharing more product review, highlight affordable makeup brands that you may not know about, and hopefully add in some tutorials as well! I am beyond ready to get myself put back together and regain some sense of structure so I am excited for a new month which means lots of new opportunities! Yay!

What are some of your beauty favorites or style favorites lately? What should I be checking out?

 

Disclaimer: All of these products were purchased with my own money and all opinions are 100% my own. Links marked with an * indicate a referral link

chronic style

June Ipsy Bag Review

June Ipsy Bag Review

 

I am a little late getting this June Ipsy Bag Review up but the travel back and forth to VA slowed things up a smidge! I don’t have too much longer until July’s will be up but I love trying the new products out so its not bad 🙂

June’s Ipsy bag included a lot of variety by adding in hair and face products into the makeup mix! The bag itself was designed by Rebecca Minkoff and it is absolutely adorable and perfect for summer! I foresee this bag getting a lot of use on vacation!

My thoughts on June’s items from left to right:

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray: I will admit that I haven’t tried this one. I’m currently growing out my pixie so I don’t quite have the length to try it out yet but I am looking forward to trying it in the future! I have naturally wavy hair so I’m excited to try it.

Jesse’s Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner: Absolutely love this! It is almost an exact dupe for my holy grail Physician’s Formula 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner. I love, love, love the look of winged liner but I am definitely a newbie and the PF eyeliner has been the only product I have found that I can create the winged look! The Jesse’s Girl eyeliner retails at $6.99 versus the Physician’s Formula at $10.95 so there is a little savings there!

NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel: I absolutely adore the NYX line of Butter Glosses and Butter Lipsticks before receiving June’s bag so I was definitely happy to add another gloss to my collection! The line is so smooth and creamy and the glosses have fantastic color pay-off to wear on their own or on top of a lipstick. There are definitely more Butter Glosses in my future.

Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara: I definitely am not a fan of this mascara. I find the formula really dry so I couldn’t get the look I typically go for with mascara. I don’t think its a bad mascara. Its just not the formula I look for (especially at that price point).

ClariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant: What I love about this exfoliant is that you add it to whatever cleaner suits you the most and you are in control of how much exfoliant you add into the mix. I have been battling the oh-so-lovely butterfly rash that can occur with autoimmune issues and when that flares, my skin is much more sensitive than usual so its great to be able to adapt this exfoliant to changing skin needs.

Overall, I think June’s Ipsy Bag deserves two thumbs up. The bag is adorable and the products were great for this time of year to try out. 4 out of 5 ain’t bad!

What beauty product would you recommend for summer?

 

Disclaimer: This is in no way, shape, or form a sponsored post and I gladly pay my $10 every month! I just wanted to share the Ipsy love! I have included my referral link which adds bonus points when used. Just trying to keep it real!