chronic style

my dream behind chronic style

Where i came up with Chronic Style

Chronic Style has slowly developed over the last few years but in 2018, it will become a major piece of A New Kind of Normal. I wanted to have a catchy name for any posts that referenced anything style, beauty, or fashion related (which didn’t happen very often). There was a phase in blogging history a few years ago where link-ups were everything and memes were a close second and they always had these great, catchy names. If was easy, if you weren’t careful, to be participating in a different link-up/meme every day and not post any real content but it was out of participating and creating these posts that I decided that I needed to come up with a name.

The first major style related link-up that I can remember participating in that really impacted both my blogging and me personally was What I Wore Wednesday over at The Pleated Poppy. This was Lindsey (the creators) mission behind created What I Wore Wednesday aka WIWW:

welcome to “what i wore” at the pleated poppy!  share with me your fashion posts and we can inspire each other!  i started this originally as motivation to get out of my daily uniform of jammies or sweats, but now i am encouraged and held accountable to put a few extra minutes aside for myself and try new things.  i’d love for you to join me!

I was still working at the time and at the office I felt like I was wearing the same thing all the time but specifically outside of work, I felt like I lived in the same uniform (which oddly enough I didn’t have to wear at work but created for myself in my personal life). I lived in jeans and Old Navy t-shirts. I remember writing this post way back in 2010 where I was searching for my own sense of style. Shortly after I discovered What I Wore Wednesday and began to think, what if I am not the only one struggling with this? What if I am not the only spoonie trying to figure out how to balance being comfortable and maintaining a personal style?

The dream of Chronic Style was born. It has developed slowly, especially the first several years as I just added in posts here and there but if you have noticed, the posts have become more frequent over the last year or two as I have begun to figure out for myself what my personal style is and how to start to create some kind of balance.

As I stated in my 2018 goals, Chronic Style will become a staple feature here at A New Kind of Normal. It even has its own logo for future content:

Chronic Style Post Header

I love the tagline “reclaiming the confidence we were born to rock” as that is the main mission behind the series. To quote what I said on my welcome back post:

A main goal focuses on reclaiming our confidence. Makeup doesn’t make me feel beautiful, it makes me feel confident. It gives me an avenue through which I can express my creativity. I can feel feminine. I can feel edgy. I can feel both. I want for each of one of us to find an avenue through which we can all reclaim this confidence. I want us to feel good about our bodies and feel spunky, sassy, sexy, fierce, creative, bold, audacious, unique, and on and on. I want that for all of us. Each and every one of us deserve to feel like the most rockin’ chick on the planet.

Do you get as pumped up reading that as I do? I sure hope so!

Some possible post options for the Chronic Style series include:

  • Monthly Makeup Baskets
  • Makeup/Style Hauls
  • What I Wore Wednesday or Outfits of the Day/Week
  • Style Lookbooks
  • Makeup Tutorials
  • Makeup/product Reviews
  • Fashion/Style Wishlists

These are just some basic options.

What I would LOVE to hear is what kind of things you guys would like to see and read from this series! Please share your thoughts in the comments!

chronic style

Loved & Loathed Beauty & Style Products: April 2016

Loved & Loathed Beauty & Style Products - April 2016

 

It is that time to talk about some monthly beauty and style favorites (and not so favorites) I have discovered and/or loved during the month of April! A lot of these are new products but there are one or two old faithfuls that I just have to mention because they are just that good and you need them in your life!

Without further ado, here are my loved and loathed products of April:

Loved & Loathed Beauty & Style Products: April 2016

LOVED

1- Andrea Eye Q’s Eye Makeup CorrectorsI absolutely dig a wing liner but I am the first to admit that I am not always the best at it. I often use the tape method to try to get a straight wing but sometimes that doesn’t always do the trick so I am so glad that I stumbled across these at Rite Aid. They are basically pointed cotton swabs presoaked in eye makeup remover that make cleaning up makeup mistakes a breeze and your winged liner look effortless. I happened to catch them on clearance so you can bet that I grabbed every jar I saw (and maybe checked out another store or two (or three) to make sure there weren’t anymore to be stockpiled.

2- Bumble & Bumble BB Repair*: I love rocking my purple hair but in the process of achieving and maintaining purple hair, it can be rather harsh on my locks so this has been a life saver. It helps repair and protect my hair from heat styling and leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the product so I picked up the trial size but I will definitely be investing in the full size when I run out. A little goes a long way and it is definitely worth the investment.

3- Hard Candy Hydrating Primer Mist: I have really sensitive, dry, and often irritable skin. When my butterfly rash is in full effect, this primer mist is a perfect first step for helping add in some hydration and vitamins before putting on my makeup. I still use another primer with it but it does help my skin feel more refreshed and help my makeup go on much smoother. At only $8 a bottle, it is definitely a steal.

4- Oil Essentials Revitalize, Natural Beauty Oils: This beauty oil does it all. This one specifically is Evening Primrose Oil but the line has many different types. This one helps revitalize the skin by improving your complexion and restores moisture balance as well as delivering much needed nutrients to your hands, nails, and even your hair. This oil is packed with powerful Omega 3, 6 & 9 and Vitamins A and E. What I do is apply the oil to my hands at night and rub into my skin after washing my face and then whatever is left over on my hands, I run through the ends of my hair. It smells great and leaves my skin and hair feeling (and smelling) lush and healthy. Its one of those do it all products.

5- Sephora Collection Disney Minnie Beauty: Minnie’s World In Color Eyeshadow Palette: I am a drugstore girl all the way but every one in a while a product catches my eye that is worth saving up for. Because my heart is made of pixie dust, I knew I had to have this collection from Sephora as soon as they announced it. Lucky for me, Ebates has started a new incentive when it comes time to collect your Big Fat Payment. Instead of being mailed a check or having funds sent to your paypal account, you can apply your funds to an e-gift card to a wide variety of stores and they will add an addition 10-15% on top of your payment. Lucky for me, Sephora happened to be one of those stores so I was able to treat myself to a couple of the items from the new Sephora Collection Disney Minnie Beauty Collection. I will be honest that I was a little hesitant about the quality of the shadows when I first received it. The packaging is to die for but so many times with special collection palettes, the eyeshadow quality can be pretty pitiful but I was very pleasantly surprised and have been able to create a variety of beautiful looks using this palette. A perk of the packaging is that when you are done with the shadows, the mirror and palette pop out and you can use it as a case or clutch. Isn’t that just adorable?

6- Sephora Collection Disney Minnie Beauty: Minnie’s Inner Glow Luminizing Blush: This was another item included in the limited edition Sephora Collection Disney Minnie collection but unfortunately it is no longer listed on the website (sad trombone). This is a beautiful peach luminizing powder and looks beautiful on pale princesses like myself. On darker skin tones, it would make a beautiful blush topper. It isn’t the smoothest highlighter out there but it is really pretty and again the packaging is swoon worthy and if you can tell in the bottom picture, there is a Minnie head in the powder itself.

7- Sephora Collection Disney Minnie Beauty: Perfect Red Lipstick*: Just as the title says, this is the perfect red lipstick. It is that perfect blue-red shade that makes your teeth look whiter and it is super creamy and oh-so-comfortable to wear. Matte lipsticks and liquid lipsticks are all the rage these days (don’t get me wrong, I love them too) but this is a refreshing shift and it is more of a creamy, satin finish. Originally, there was a little Minnie head on the top of the lipstick itself but I’ve been loving wearing it so it has started to wear away (sad face). Again, can we just say how cute the packaging is? I have since picked up two of the remaining items of the collection which is the eyeliner set and cream lip stain set so hopefully they will be as amazing as the rest of the collection and you may be seeing them in next month’s post! I know what makeup I’ll be packing for our trip to Disney in September!

8- Betsy Johnson Wing Tote Bag (similar): Betsy Johnson has always, always been one of my favorite designers. Some of her designs are pretty out there but my favorite are those classic styles with a twist. She’ll throw in a unique accent color or funky design element to give it something extra and give it some edge. I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and have been selling a lot of clothes, shoes, and accessories on Poshmark. I have been wanting a new handbag but I wanted to invest a little more into a bag that was well made and that I knew I could wear for a long time. Poshmark is a great place to shop for second hand clothes and accessories but you can also find items that are brand new and usually at a discount from what you would find in a retail store. When I spotted this purse, I knew it was the one. I saved my earnings and took the plunge and am in love. It is the perfect size. It holds everything I need without being ginormous. The colors of course are my signature colors and since the vast majority of my wardrobe is black, white, and gray, it goes with everything.

9- Viorica Studded Sandals by JustFab*: I am absolutely in love with these sandals. They are a perfect summer staple yet the studs give them that something extra. These sandals can take the most basic outfit and add that bit of edge that I am always looking for. If it has studs or spikes, I am all over it. I am that proud YPW that loves purple hair, tattoos, and spikes. And you know what, Jesus loves me anyway 🙂

10- NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk*: Spring and summer is the time to break out bright eye colors and if you really want to make them pop, NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk should be a staple in your collection. It is so unbelievably affordable especially when you count in sales and coupons. It makes a perfect eyeshadow base and since it is in pencil form, it is quick and easy to use. These eye pencils come in a variety of colors which would all work well as bases or quick all over color on their own. Of course, they can be used as liners as well. If you need your eyes to look more awake (come on, we’re spoonies – of course we need to look more awake), you can line your bottom waterline for an instant boost.

11- Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum, Ultra Black*: This is one of those oldies but goodies I mentioned at the beginning of the post. I am sure that I have mentioned it before but this is seriously the best eyeliner out there. If you struggle doing winged eyeliner, you need to try this. I can’t speak for the whole “lash boosting” properties, but the tip of this eyeliner makes it so easy to create a thin or thick wing and the formula is amazing. The important thing is to make sure you get the Ultra Black. The regular black is terrible. The Ultra Black is where its at. I have tried other eyeliners and always come back to this one. You can almost always find it on sale and can also stack coupons. I always, always keep a back up on hand.

12 – NYX Tinted Eyebrow Mascara*: Your girl here has some wild eyebrows and this tinted eyebrow gel from NYX has been a life saver. It works great after I’ve taken the time to fill in my eyebrows using a pencil or powder but because it is tinted, I can also use it in a pinch if I am in a hurry and need to get out of the door quickly. I may not wear a full face of makeup every time I leave the house but I almost always at least throw on a quick coat of mascara, tame the brows, and add a quick swipe of lip balm. This is super affordable and comes in a variety of colors to suit every hair color. Maybe not purple but the deep brown gets the job done 🙂

13 – L’Oreal Paris Stylist Definer Brow Liner*: This is my newly found brow pencil love. I have some wild eyebrows but of course they aren’t even and sparse in some places and this pencil makes it super easy to fill them in and look natural. No sharpie brows for me please. Many eyebrow pencils I have tried are either really dry or pull really warm/red which is definitely not a look I am going for. The pencil itself is small, creamy, and retractable (yay for no sharpening!) and I love that there is a spoolie on the end. Many have compared it to the Anastasia Brow Wiz which I have not tried because I just cannot make myself pay $22 for an eyebrow pencil. Maybe if it had Minnie Mouse on it (LOL) but I will stick with this one. I give it two thumbs up!

14- Maybelline NY Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer, BrightenerRaise your hand if you live in a constant state of not enough sleep and circles under your eyes dark enough that it looks like you’ve been punched? *Both hands raised If you have checked out any beauty stores lately or watch any beauty youtube channels, you have already learned that the makeup industry has gone color correcting crazy. Every color of the rainbow does something different and I’m game for playing paint by number on my face if it means that I don’t look as sick as I feel. This concealer is another oldie but goodie and had the whole color correction game won for quite some time. This concealer is a light pink-peach and is perfect for correcting dark under-eye circles. I add a little of this concealer to the inner portion of my under eye and then add a fair concealer in a small triangle under my eyes and between the two, magic happens. This is another product that I always keep a back up on hand.

15- BH Cosmetics Smooth Canvas Long Wear Eye Shadow Primer: These little pots contain magic. I compare them to mixing a concealer with a traditional eyeshadow primer. They completely cover any redness or veins on the eyelids creating a perfect canvas for your eyeshadow. They remind me a lot of the MAC paint pots I have heard so much about (but have not tried). I like using my NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk if I am doing a really colorful look but prefer to use this when I am doing a more neutral look. They help the eyeshadows apply smoothly without creasing. I will even grab one to cover my eyelids if I’m in a hurry just to cancel out any redness and appear a little more put together. They come in four different colors but my favorite is Malt. It seems to work the best with my complexion. The only bummer is that they have to be ordered online but they are almost always on sale and BH Cosmetics usually has a high cash back percentage through Ebates. Every penny counts!

 

LOATHED

I actually have a few unfavorites this month! One is a true loath, one is more of a “meh,” and the other is more of a frustration.

16- Rimmel Super Curler Mascara: I hate this mascara. Hate it. It is super thick, wet, and clumpy. It makes your lashes stick together so it looks like you have 4 thick, gooey lashes so between your two eyes, you look like a spider. Not a cute look. I have no idea why they call it Super Curler because it did nothing to curl my lashes. I even tried wiping off the wand and then trying to apply. It was a no go. Off to the trash can it goes. I don’t think I have every found a Rimmel mascara that I have actually liked. I think I’ll stick with the ones I know that work.

17- Makeup Revolution Ultra Contour Palette: I am going to preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of the Makeup Revolution brand. Their blushes are beautiful and their highlighters, oh their highlighters, are absolutely stunning. This palette, however, left much to be desired. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t up to par in my opinion. The pigmentation wasn’t that great and the contour colors were too warm for my complexion. This is coming from a cool toned, ultra pale princess so for those that aren’t Casper and are warm toned, you may actually like this palette. It just wasn’t for me which is why it fell into the “meh” category.

18- Bumble & Bumble BB Does It All Styling Spray: This is another Bumble & Bumble product I picked up in the trial size to try it out as I’m looking for new styling products for my hair since it is now the longest it has been in years. Like over ten years. I’ve been rocking short hair for a long time. That being said, I’m glad I picked up the trial size. Its not a bad product. It does a good job at styling my hair and keeping it in place without having that crunchy feeling that makes me want to shudder. The problem is the smell. Holy moly. It smells SO bad. Thankfully the smell fades but it gives me a headache just spraying it over my head for 10 seconds. I’m trying to decide whether to pass it along or just hold onto it for travel. Even though its just the trial size, its still definitely too much money to pitch in the trash. Why couldn’t they make it smell better?! Ugh. First world problems at its best.

 

If you are still with me, congratulations, you have made it through this edition of Loved & Loathed! You deserve a cookie and a ribbon for making it through! Next month, I’ll try to keep it down! I missed March so there were more products than usual.

Now, that I’ve showed you mine, now you need to show me yours! What beauty and style products have you been loving or loathing lately?

 

Disclosure: All links marked with an * indicate affiliate links

chronic style

Fall Makeup Wish List 2015

Makeup Wishlist

Fall is an exciting time for makeup! Its time to break out the vampy lipstick and there are loads of new releases in stores in preparation for the holidays. I will do a holiday gift guide later on but I want to share a few items that are on my Fall Makeup Wish List. Most of the items are affordable, drugstore brands but I did include two splurges. Let’s start window shopping, shall we?

1. NYX Rocker Chic Eyeshadow Palettes – $18

NYX-ROCKER-CHIC-EYESHADOW-PALETTES

Source: NYXCosmetics.com

Anything with studs, sign me up but I think these palettes are so adorable and are packed with such fun shades! If you are used to neutrals and want to do a little experimenting without buying a large palette, these are a great option without a big investment (even though Heart of Gold is still a great neutral option). If you love an edgy look and want a compact palette to take with you when you are traveling, these work for that too! The names of the palettes front to back are California Dreaming, Heart of Gold, and Tainted Love (which is my personal favorite). These palettes are available on Ulta.com but the packaging is slightly different (you lose the the studs in favorite of a clear palette cover) but we all know it is hard to resist the deal and the coupons of Ulta.

2. NYX Los Angeles Eyeshadow Palette – $20

NYX-LOS-ANGELES-EYESHADOW-PALETTE

Source: NYXCosmetics.com

NYX is on it with their new palettes they are releasing. I love this palette as well as the small Rocker Chic palettes. This palette contains ten shades versus five and contain a nice variety of neutral and bold shades. There is also a NYX California Palette that is also gorgeous but contains lighter shades. I love the pops of color and I think you could make some fun neutral looks with a pop of color that would match perfectly with some vampy lips, don’t you think? I would assume these palettes will eventually make their way over to Ulta but at the time of publishing this post, they were only on the NYX website.

3. NYX Custom Pro Palette – $15 for palette; $5/$6 for each pan

NYX-PRO-PALLETTESource: NYXCosmetics.com

NYX completely has their game face on. Consumers were asking and they listened and there is finally a Custom Pro Palette  where you can full customize your palette with not only your choice of twelve different highlight and contour shades but they also offer twelve different high definition blush pro shades. I would assume (and pray!) that they bring these options to Ulta but at the time of publishing this post, it was only available on the NYX site.

4. ULTA Illuminating Powders – Reg. $10, sale 2 for $10

ULTA-BRAND-ILLUMINATING-POWERS

Source: Ulta.com

I really, really want to try out these highlighters because 1) I’m obsessed with highlighting, 2) these actually look like enough for my uber pale skin and can give of a “glow from within” look (at least that is what the reviews are say), and 3) I love a good highlight. Ulta is currently running an amazing sale of select products in their makeup brand. They have mascara, foundations, powders. setting sprays and primers 2 for $10! They are also offering their eyeliners, gel eyeliners.eye shadow, lips, and nails for $3 for $9! I wish I had gotten this post up earlier to share the good deals. I have head amazing things about the Matte Lip Creams so I will definitely be try those. I think I might do a battle of the Matte Lip Cream (since every brand seems to have on now right?) – would that be be something that you guys would be interested it?

5- Colourpop Forever Freshman Eyeshadow Collection – $30

COLOURPOP-FALL-2015-FOREVER-FRESHMAN

Source: ColourPop.com

You cannot make a wishlist without including anything from Colourpop and you most definitely cannot create a fall wishlist with including anything from the new Fall 2015 Throwback Collection. I will admit that I own most of the single eyeshadows from the fall collection (ok, I admit I own A LOT of ColourPop shadows in general which are all $5) but I have been drooling over this collection for its unique, limited 1edition shades. I love Baby-T which is the deep blackened blue but it really is way too hard to chose a favorite! I want them all!

6- ColourPop Ultra Matte Lips – $6

COLOURPOP-ULTRA-MATTE-LIPS

Source: Colourpop.com

With the matte liquid lipstick craze in full swing, ColourPop also hopped on board with these these Ultra Matte Lipsticks. They do dry down matte but without being too overly drying and I have the ColourPop Lippie Primer that I use before and that makes a huge difference. I own six shades I believe but I added this to my Fall Wishlist because they came out with some beautiful fall shades and some plain ol’ fun shades! How fun are Dr. M and Jellies? I know not everyone wants to wear blue or green lipstick but some days it just calls for something different!

7. ColourPop Lippie Stix – $5

COLOURPOP-LIPPIE-STIX

Source: ColourPop.com

Last Colourpop product I promise and I will make this brief! In addition to the matte liquid lipsticks, ColourPop also has Lippie Stix with matching Lippie Pencils (which makes matching your liner to your lipstick a breeze!). The reason I put these particular products on my wish list is because these colors are a part of the Fall Collection and they take me straight back to the 90s.I’ve got flannel shirts, chunky heeled shoes, choker necklaces, and these shades of lipsticks on the market. I feel like I’m back in high school again! Since my October Loved & Loathed Beauty Products will be centered on ColourPop products, you will definitely be hearing more of my thoughts!

8- Butter London Lady In Red (Online Only at Ulta.com) – $22

BUTTER-LONDON-LADY-IN-REDSource: Ulta.com

I considered this choice to be a middle of the road between affordable/drugstore prices versus more high end. I love Butter London nail polishes but those are $15 on their own so considering this is both a nail polish and a beautiful lipstick, you really cannot beat the price. I seriously cannot own enough red lipsticks. Especially now that my hair is back dark, I could easily rock a red lip every time I left the house and be perfectly ok with it. I must admit though, now I can’t get the song out of my head! If you don’t know what song I am talking about, you are too young! LOL

9- Urban Decay Moondust Eye Shadows – $21

URBAN-DECAY-MOONDUST-EYE-SHADOWS

Source: Ulta.com

As I mentioned in my September Loved & Loathed Beauty & Style Products, I picked up one of these shadows in Moon Spoon (with a name like that, how could I pass it up?) and fell in love so of course I had to put a couple more shades on my wish list. You can always use a good purple (Ether) but I have to admit that Scorpio and Solstice look the most unique. The best way to apply them is to use a glitter glue eyeshadow primer (ELF has an awesome one for $2) and then use your finger to apply. Whenever I create a look with a sparkly shadow, I always do my eyes first so I can do damage control after! My plan is to record my first tutorial but that will depend on how this flu and upper respiratory infection progresses!

10- PUR Cosmetics Eye Polish Pure Pigment Eye Primer & Top Coat – $26

PUR-EYE-POLISH-PURE-PIGMENT

Source: Ulta.com

I had never really even heard of this brand or paid it any attention until these little pots started showing up all over YouTube and caught my attention (definitely watch – and follow –  Jessica Braun’s review (formerly JAMBeauty89). The colors swatch absolutely gorgeous and the reviews are through the roof. I want them all but if I had to pick, I think I would go with Caviar sit is the most unique I think and I think it would go well with my hazel eyes. We will just have to see if any late birthday presents show up or any coupons come in the mail! LOL

Those are 10 things that are on my Fall Makeup Wishlist? What items are on yours? What do you look for to changing out when the seasons change?