Tortoise Trove

You've got to love the warm colors of tortoise print. It looks great on most skin tones, and matches both black and brown colors. Plus, there is something about it that is just classy and rich.

I recently discovered tortoise print shoes and I think they are amazing. It's kind of like leopard print, which I am always tempted to wear, but it is more subdued since there is less contrast in the print. Where have they been all my life?

Here's a few tortoise finds:

1. Shourouk Tortoise Clutch
2. Stella McCartney Corrine tortoise heel loafers
3. Givenchy Mini Shark Teeth Double Chain Necklace in Tortoise
4. Manolo Blahnik BB Tortoise Print Patent Leather Pumps
5. Wonderland Colony Sunglasses in Tortoise
6. Rachel Roy Tortoise Print Silk Shirt
7. H&M Tortoise Clutch Bag
8. Neiman Marcus Tortoise Glassware
9. Michael Kors MK Tortoise Shell Link Bracelet
10. Tatty Devine Tortoise Necklace
11. H&M Tortoise Pumps
12. John Wind Her Favorite Tortoise Bee Earring

What's your favorite tortoise print piece?

<3 KM

Pirates!

My favorite song ever to win Eurovision. Yeah it was 5 years ago. I don't care. I'm obsessed. I want to learn this dance like a pre-teen groupie. Pirates and cheeze - what is there not to love? If I ever had any street cred, it's blown to smithereens right about now.

Just A Pop of Camo

I love camouflage print but wear it sparingly. When the print is thin enough, it looks like green tortoise print which has a nice, subtle effect. Thankfully there are plenty camouflage shoes and accessories out there that can add just a touch of toughness to your look. Here are a few of my favorites. 

1 Military Metal Headband by Cara
2 Ralph Lauren Oval Thick Bridge Sunglasses in Camo
3 Camo Bracelet 2 by Lauterlabels on Etsy
4 Nixon Time Teller Acetate Watch in Matte Black/ Camo
5 Proenza Schouler PS11 in Camouflage
6 Kitty Camo nail wraps by Rad Nails - meow!
7 Y.R.U Loaf in Camo
8 Stubbs & Wooton Camouflage Needlepoint Smoking Slipper <3 <3

This post was submitted to IFB Project #114

Thanks for stopping by!
<3 KM

Cargo Pants I Can't Have

I love cargo pants so much. They have so many pockets. And they usually come in the favorite colors: greens, browns, grays, and black. 

These pants appear to be sold here, although I think this site is a scam. Someone want to test it for me? I can't seem to find these pants anywhere else outside of China.

This pair come from Aliexpress, but I don't think I am going to start ordering from there... I don't really understand how it works and have never heard of anyone getting anything from there. Tell me if you have. So, maybe one day, but not today...

Oh man... so many seams and pockets. I love that they are distressed in a believable way, too. I might as well stop looking at pants because I found the perfect pair. Oh wait, I can't because they are over a thousand dollars! Look here and weep.

The Interview Shoe Dilema

Soon I have the opportunity to interview for a position that I am really excited for. I have the pants, I have the blouse, and I am pretty sure that I know how I will wear my hair. The one thing that I can't decide on is the shoes!

The shoes seem to be more of a commitment to me. If I do get the position I will have to wear them often. They need to be very comfortable flats that I can run errands in if necessary. If I don't get the position, I don't want to be stuck with something that I just won't wear because I don't like them and I don't want to spend more than $75.

I have found some cute pumps but heels are not an option for me unless they are really low. I am 5' 5" so not really tall and not really short but almost everyone over here wears slippers (aka flip flops) and I don't want to appear too intimidating or flashy. Unfortunately I have had a really hard time finding cute, comfortable flats. 

I don't know if it's just me but I have had many painful pairs of flats, some cheap and some expensive, that hurt my feet more than heels. All of those are out. Also, I don't want anything too flashy or embellished because I want to seem professional. At the same time I'd still like something that makes me feel put together and confident. 

Also, I don't like mary janes for work. They used to be my favorite shoes ever but now I feel like they make me look too childish, like a rag doll. Those little string bows on ballet flats make me feel the same way. Could I be more particular?

What I really wish I could wear:

1 Alexander McQueen Acorn smoking slippers 
2 Tory Burch Pacey Leather Wedge Pumps
3 UGG Australia Alloway flat

4 Jeffrey Campbell Pike sandal

5 Michael Kors Fulton Moccasin

6 Burberry canvas and leather flats

What I am actually considering:

1 Cliffs by White Mountain Hip flat

2 Naturalizer Applause
3 Adrienne Vittadini Prince wedges
4 Anne Klein Jacobine flat

Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

<3 KM

***UPDATE: I ended up buying the Adrienne Vittadini flats but they were too big so in a pinch I had to use my Doc Marten Ellen flats that I already had. I haven't worn them in over a year because they used to bother my feet since the leather was so stiff. I think they may have softened a little since cuz they weren't too bad. I may actually wear them more often now! 

Infinitely Black-Hearted

Happy Friday the 13th! 

I made this dress. This is just one of the many ways it can be worn because it is an infinity dress. I love it - it is Ancient Greek, 1920s, and modern all at the same time. With it I am wearing a broken, heart-shaped mood necklace. I think I got it at Clair's in middle school. It turned black at some point in high school. I guess my teenage moods were just too much for it (in reality I think I just went swimming with it on too many times). The shoes are my silver Mephistos. They remind me of something that would be worn in a 1970s Sci-Fi film like Logan's Run or something.

Here is a pretty good tutorial on how to make this kind of dress. I did it a little different. I cut the fabric in an oval instead of a circle for the skirt and made the waist-band so it can flip up to provide more coverage.  It's super easy to make. It's also known as the one seam dress, but I did it with three. 

The fabric is a little see-through. Oops! I've been meaning to get some more fabric to line it with. I'll just be daring in the meantime (and maybe wear some boy-shorts underneath).

Beauty Favorites

I love it when I find new beauty items that I just can't live without. I really do feel like I have found the holy grail with some of these.

Folding Tweezerman ilashcomb

I have been through many, many eyelash combs in my life and they always seem to get broken bristles relatively quickly. This little miracle has gold plated bristles that are very secure so that is never a problem! The comb's teeth are also very fine so they are able to gently separate lashes easier than other combs and the teeth are easy to clean because they are metal. I have only had this for a few days but I am already in love! Just don't use this while the car is moving - it looks like it could do some damage.

Essence gel eyeliner

This eyeliner gel is only $3.99 and it is my favorite eyeliner hands down. I have very sensitive eyes so I tear up a lot and I live in a humid climate so I need eyeliner that stays put in those conditions. This one will streak a bit if I rub my eyes but I have tried many more expensive brands of cream and pencil eyeliner and this is the best I've found yet. I still use a pencil to line my waterline but I prefer cream liner for the top lid because I find it much easier to create the shape I want.  

I find that I can get my eyeliner to be even more smudge proof if I pat a dark shadow over it after it sets. Its still not indelible but it is lovely. If you don't believe me, check out its reviews at Makeupalley! 

bareMinerals eyeliner brush

This is the brush I use to apply my gel liner. I don't recommend it for applying powder liner but I always use it for gel or cream and it is great for those purposes! This brush allows you to make a thin line that you can easily build up. I find that it is really easy to create a nice point since it is so thin. 

Cetaphil Moisturizing cream

I really wish I would have tried this product sooner! I use it for all sorts of reasons. I use it to prime/ and moisturize my face and it works great for dry patches. I also use it so smooth my hands and body as well. This is very moisturizing and it has no fragrance which I love because I am very sensitive to fragrances. It seems like this product works well for some but not for others but I love it. When I need something even more emollient for my hands I use CeraVe moisturizing cream. I tried using that on my face and it was too much for me because it started pilling underneath my makeup but some people even use that one for their face. I use both every day.

Couleur Caramel Mascara

This product is truly my HG mascara. It is kind of pricey but every time I run out I try other mascaras that I have on hand and none of them trump this one. This mascara covers all of my lashes in one coat and it applies evenly with very little clumps, if any. Plus it is more natural than the majority of mascaras out there which doesn't irritate my eyes as much. 

When the tube is new I find that I need to scrape extra product off into the tube to get the right amount of mascara on the wand but it is worth it to me because I like the formula so much. I also seem to lose less eyelashes when I use it because it comes off gently even though it stays well. I normally buy the Brown color in Cils Long but I would like to try the other colors when I have the budget! 

Thanks for tuning in! 

<3 KM

Bricks, Decay and New Jeans

I went on my yearly shopping trip to the outlet stores. And guess what? I finally found some jeans. And they work! I've been wearing the same two pairs of jeans for at least the last 5 years. I've bought others, but there was always something wrong with them: the buttons on the butt hurt me when I sat, the fabric stretched so much when I was wearing them that I was swimming in them by the end of the day, or my butt-crack showed when I bent over (yes, I do test to see if this happens in dressing rooms now). They are Banana Republic straight leg jeans.

    So, this backpack is one of my favorite things I own. It has so many pockets and because it has MOLLE webbing you can add even more! You can tighten the straps down if you aren't carrying that much stuff to make a compact little day-pack. It has two torso belts to keep the weight off your shoulders and so you can run with it not bouncing too much. It even has a padded part where I keep my netbook, although I think it is for one of those hydration-bladders. I got it on Amazon. 

Oh yeah. The shirt is Dickie's, and I'm not sure if I like it that much. The sizing just seems strange on me. It's a bummer because I really wanted a black v-neck t-shirt. Eh, whatever... it was only four bucks.

Chains, fringe and leopard print

When I found this tunic I just knew I had to have it.

It has chains.

And fringe.

And lots of little buttons.

And it is leopard print.

To top it all off it is machine washable.

What!?!









I love just about anything with fringe and tassels. It's always nice to have something to fidget with and the thin chains mixed in with the chord in this fringe make it extra fun.

I decided to wear double buns with this look. It's been awhile since I've worn them, but I think I love them again. They are surprisingly comfortable and kind of remind me of kitty ears.

In this look:

Tunic - Bellidol

Bag - Melie Bianco

Sunglasses - Betsey Johnson

Double layer leopard face necklace - Betsey Johnson

Shoes - Chelsea Crew

Lipstick - Troll Repellent by Morgana's Crypt




This post was inspired by IFB's Project 111

Thanks for stopping by!

<3 KM