Polished Up: Formula X in Invincible

For quite a while I have heard nothing but great reviews for Sephora's Formula X polishes. They are supposed to have a great formula and have a long-lasting finish. So I was excited when I was able to get my hands on a mini version to try it out. The shade I have is Invincible, a vanilla shade that is great for any season.
When I applied this polish I noticed it was very streaky. Even after the second coat and applying a top coat there were still visible streaks left behind (you can see them in the photo above). I also didn't enjoy the brush. It was too small (maybe just because this was a mini size) and didn't seem to pick up enough polish from the bottle.
The worst part about this was how long it lasted. After less than two days I noticed chipping. By the end of day two I was so frustrated that I took a cotton pad full of nail polish remover to my nails.
I don't know how other shades perform or if the full-size versions are better, but I don't see myself picking up any other shades from this line. I miss the old Sephora polishes that I have reviewed on my blog before (here and here).

How To: Fall Wedding Weekend

Last weekend I was blessed to get to see a good friend marry the love of her life. I spent the weekend with her and our friends having a blast. I was sad to see the time end and drive the 5ish hours back home.
Below are some outfit ideas for your next wedding weekend to take you from a night out with the girls to the ceremony and the trip back home.
Hope you all are having a great weekend!!

How to: Working on the Weekend

I hope you all are enjoying my new "How To" weekend posts. I love putting together outfits, but I don't have a lot of time in the week to stop and pose for photos. On weekends like these when I go out and cover events for the newspaper I like to feel as comfortable as possible while still looking put together and professional. For everyone else out there working on the weekend, here are some outfit ideas to keep you going in comfort and style.

How to: Lazy Day Chic

Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend and getting some time to relax. Today I'm feeling a little lazy but I still want to look put together to run errands. Below are three ways you can still look chic while staying cozy and comfortable.

Fashion How To: Transition a Summer Dress into Fall

Fall will be here before we know it (yay!!) and that means it's time to start transitioning our wardrobes for cooler months. But before you sadly pack away your favorite summer dress, here are some fun ways to extend the life of your frock into the months of fall (and even into winter if you live in a warmer climate). Boots, cardigans, tights and light sweaters are all great ways to make a summer dress cozy for fall.  

In anticipation of fall

Our beautiful mountains during my favorite time of year

 (This blog is from a column I wrote for the newspaper this week. I'm so excited for fall)

The leaves are just starting to change their hue, the nights are starting to cool, my favorite fashion magazine has released the September issue and Starbucks has already started to offer the pumpkin spice latte. Oh yes, I’m ready for fall.
Despite the warm days this week, I know fall is making its way around the corner. I get an indescribable feeling when I start to see the signs of my favorite season. There is something about fall that just makes me smile. Though I know it means winter will soon follow, I see fall as a time to slow down and really enjoy the beauty that surrounds this area. I could spend hours taking my time and walking through the rich colors of the season. And there is nothing like being surrounded by shades of orange, red and yellow while driving through the mountains.The beauty that comes with the fall season is part of the reason why I love it so much, the other is all the experiences that come with it.
I love the comforting fragrances of fall. Warm pumpkin pie, apple cider and cranberry are just a few of my favorite scents that I associate with the season. I’m looking forward to unpacking a few of my fall candles and making my home smell warm and inviting. Just thinking about it makes me want to light a candle and get cozy under a warm blanket with a good book. Along with the candles, I enjoy decorating my home during the fall. Once I pull the fall bin out of storage I will sprinkle my home with knick-knacks of ceramic leaves, pumpkin candy dishes and scarecrows. It’s one of my favorite ways to decorate the house, second only to Christmas time. I also love the fashions of fall. Those closest to me know how excited I get when I’m able to start wearing boots again. As I flipped through the September issue of my favorite fashion magazine this week I was inspired by the oversize blazers, suede textures and long skirts. Part of me wants to go shopping, but mostly I can’t wait until I can start layering my fall wardrobe and feeling warm and comfortable in the crisp weather. One trend I am most looking forward to is patterned knit sweaters. I tend to gravitate toward solid colors, but the unique stripes, Fair Isle patterns and textures are inspiring. I’m looking forward to pairing them with rich colored pants and, of course, boots. It is also a piece that will work for weekend wear. So, in case you haven’t guessed, I love fall. Now that August is coming to a close and Labor Day is upon us, I will start to watch the weather in anticipation of cooler temperatures and an excuse to break out my favorite seasonal pieces. In just a few more weeks I will be able to don a warm sweater and take in all the wonderful things that come with the season.

Polished Up: Sally Hansen Trouble Maker

I know it's still summer, but I couldn't help but reach for this gorgeous purple polish that is perfect for the upcoming fall season. I love the Complete Salon Manicure polishes by Sally Hansen. This shade is called Trouble Maker. One coat was almost completely opaque, but just streaky enough that I applied two coats. I love the wide brush that comes with all the polishes in the line. It makes polish easy to apply.
I've been wearing this shade for over a week now and have very minimal wear on the tips of my nails. 

Weekend Wear

It has been a while since I've posted, mostly because work has kept me very busy. I love my job and though I work hard, I wouldn't trade it for anything. But with working hard comes the opportunity to play hard and enjoy my weekends as much as possible. Even on the weekends there is an opportunity to step out in style. Below are some weekend outfit ideas for whatever you decide to do on your days off from heading out to the farmers market to a girls' night out.

 

 
 

Work to Weekend

As some of you may already know, I recently received a promotion at work and with that my work attire will change a bit. I currently spend most of my time in front of a computer and don't spend time with the public. Therefore, my work wear consists mostly of jeans, tees and blazers. In my new position I will spend much more time with people in the community and I want to step it up for my position in a more traditional office setting. Below are some looks I've put together to stay chic in an office setting while still remaining comfortable. I also threw in a cute weekend outfit to finish the week. I hope this inspires some of you for your next office look.

Ulta and Coastal Scents makeup haul with swatches/reviews

Hello, beauties! Today I have a collective haul from brands that are new to me. I had never tried Coastal Scents or Ulta products before, so I'm glad I was able to play around with these and give you my opinion of the products.
I ordered the Coastal Scents eyeshadow in Kokomo Cafe along with a Go Pod for storage. I spent less than $4 for both items and was sent a sample quad with my order. Kokomo Cafe is a lovely matte shade that is great for creating dimension in the crease. My favorite out of the quad shades is Camel Taupe. The shadows are very pigmented, but also have a little fallout when applied (I place a tissue under my eye when I apply and that takes care of the issue). They also have nice staying power over a primer.
I received the Ulta items from a friend who received them as sample items with an order. The eyeshadows were not as pigmented as I though they would be and are very powdery when applied (the swatches below have two layers of product). The soft blue shade (Mosaic) is my favorite as the light pigmentation makes it more wearable for daytime. The lip gloss in Illusion is a lovely nude shade and is great applied over a nude lipstick. It applies nicely and is not too sticky. I was disappointed with the blush as it is not very pigmented. The shade is beautiful, but does not come off very well on my cheeks. This shade contains glitter particles. As for the nail polish, you can find my review here.

Coastal Scents eyeshdows in (left) Kokomo Cafe and (right from top) Berry Grey, Camel Taupe, Steel Grey, Wishy Washy

Ulta eyeshadows in (from top) Sahara Sand, Sunkissed, Mosaic and Glittering Sand; blush in Sweet Cheeks; polish in Fuchsiamania; lip gloss in Illusion

Coastal Scents swatches from left: Kokomo Cafe, Berry Grey, Camel Taupe, Steel Grey, Wishy Washy

Ulta eyeshadow swatches (from left): Sahara Sand, Sunkissed, Glittering Sand and Mosaic

Ulta blush in Sweet Cheeks

Ulta lip gloss in Illusion

Happy shopping and I hope these reviews help you in your next purchase from these brands.

Polished Up: Ulta's Fuchsiamania

Today's review is on Ulta's polish in Fuchsiamania. This is a beautiful, bright polish that is great for a day on the beach or a night out. It applies very sheer on the first coat, but the color is opaque on the second. It took two coats to achieve the look above. My only issue with this polish is that it didn't last long. After two days of wear I began to see chipping. I love the color, but this polish is better suited for a special occasion and not days of wear.

Polished Up: Wet n Wild's Sugar Coat

Today's polish review is for Wet n Wild's Megalast polish in Sugar Coat. This is a creamy, light pink shade that applies sheer. If you want a slight wash of color, one coat would be enough with this polish. However, an opaque look will take several coats. It took three coats to achieve the look above (my nails still show through a bit).
I love the color of this polish; great for spring. It lasted four days before I began to see any chipping.

Casual Friday (Quick OOTD)

Hello, everyone! Just wanted to share a quick OOTD with you on this beautiful Friday. I have a few more posts planned to share with you soon, so be on the lookout for those next week.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Spring essentials

Who else is ready for spring? Now that it's March, I'm even more anxious for warmer weather. I'm excited to bring out some of my staple pieces that I go to the most when the weather is just starting to warm up. Pieces like chambray tops are great when it's not quite warm enough to wear summer dresses on their own, and I love graphic tees to pair with a blazer or boyfriend jeans. What are your spring essentials? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Polished Up: Sally Hansen's Gunmetal

Today's polish is another from one of my favorite lines. Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear polish in Gunmetal is a striking metallic grey with a hint of blue. Like with most polishes from this line, I saw almost a week of wear before any chips started to appear. The application is smooth and it took two coats to achieve the look above.
This is a great shade to match any winter wardrobe. 

My winter wardrobe staples

I haven't posted an outfit blog in a long time. When I sat down to think of what to show you all, I realized my winter wear has rotated frequently around some staple pieces. Below is a basic overview of what I have been reaching for this winter:

Winter uniform by lovieduck82 featuring an opi nail varnish

1. Chunky cardigans - These are great for layering and I have a few in several neutral colors (cream, navy, brown and tan).
2. Plaid - I love to wear plaid shirts under a sweater, or on its own (when the weather isn't 10 degrees).
3. Thermal shirts - Thermals are essential in the winter, especially this year that the entire country is experiencing frigid temperatures.
4. Skinny jeans - When everything is chunky and layered up top it's nice to keep it slim on the bottom. These are also great to tuck into boots.
5. Riding boots - Snow on the ground means I don't feel safe wearing boots with a heel. My riding boots (I own the pair pictured above) are great to keep me warm and on flat feet when it is slick outside.
6. Structured handbag - A personal favorite of mine. I love structured handbags year-round.
7. Dark nail polish - I love darker shades in the winter. It somehow makes me feel a little more cozy.
8. Gold hoops - I wear gold hoops a lot to warm my complexion in the winter chill.
9. Neutral eyeshadow - I've been reaching for the browns a lot lately, especially those in my Urban Decay Naked palette.

Looking back at 2013

2013 was a great year for taking time to have fun (went on a cruise with my lovely mom) and find my place in the world (with a new career after college). Though I didn't have as much time as I wanted to post more blogs, I felt blessed from the love and support I received from my Facebook friends. A big THANK YOU goes out to all of you who read my blog. You are amazing.
As we prepare for another year, here is a look back on some of my favorite posts from 2013.

Happy 2014! May it be filled with happiness, love and adventure.