Lazy Sunday 5.27.12

• The Natural Model Movement is making it possible for models to find middle ground between extremely thin and plus sized, which is great! 
• Stephen Colbert talks to Anna Wintour. Hilarity ensues. 
• Saudi woman refuses to leave mall for wearing nail polish... it amazes me that someone would need to take a stand for something so seemingly trivial, but I want to applaud her for being so brave. 
• If you are a Game of Thrones fan, do not watch this video or you will never be able to listen to the theme song ever again. 

Fashion Inspired by Game of Thrones

// Dragon Earrings // Bangle (similar) // Shoes (similar) // 

Daenerys is my favorite character in the books and the show. I find her interesting because of the tremendous amounts of growth that she goes through as a character. She begins as the property of her brother, then sold into marriage to Khal Drogo. However, she emerges as a queen (or Khaleesi) in her own right, with the weight of a dynasty on her shoulders. Sure, she doesn't always make the best decisions; but Game of Thrones is a series chalk full of bad choices, and I personally appreciate characters who aren't infallible.  Daenerys regularly switches between flowing, exotic dresses for special occasions and more practical roughspun clothing for riding through the Dothraki sea. I chose to emulate her more formal attire; all of the gowns that she's worn are absolutely stunning. I added silver accessories to this rhinestoned dress, including a pair of subtle dragon earrings to reflect her house sigil. I couldn't help adding the official HBO dragon egg necklace into the mix as well. 

// Dress (similar) // Earrings //

New to the game this season is the mysterious Melisandre of Asshai, a fire priestess from a distant land who has allied herself with Stannis Baratheon. There is something extremely unnerving about her. She's seductive, yet dangerous... and sometimes a little bit creepy.

Melisandre wears nothing but red, and is often referred to as "the Red Woman." The ruby on her neck is especially important, make sure to watch it whenever she does any freaky stuff. I went with a femme fatale look for my interpretation of Melisandre, going with a deep red wiggle dress and a scarlet scarf to be used as a wrap or shawl.

// Shoes (similar) // Necklace (similar) //

Sansa is another character that I'm very fond of, but the majority of fans seem to dislike. Sansa begins the series as a naive young girl with the hopes of marrying her prince charming, but she's dragged screaming into the realization that life isn't as romantic as she envisioned. Even though Sansa's tomboy younger sister Arya gets a lot of love for being a "strong female" character, I think Sansa is a great example of a different kind of strength, she demonstrates that strong women don't have to reject their femininity entirely. Sansa may seem delicate on the surface, but her strength comes from her resolve to hide her vulnerability.

I emulated the light, summery colors of King's Landing for my Sansa inspired outfit. Though, I chose to add small hints of the North such as the wolf ring and the snowflake earrings to illustrate how even though Sansa is out of her element, she still holds on to her identity.

// Dress (similar) // Blazer (similar) // 

Margaery Tyrell is another new character this season. She is Ser Loras' sister, and wife to Renly Baratheon. In the books, Margaery is a peripheral character and the reader never gets much insight into what she's actually thinking. HBO has made Margaery's intentions crystal clear, and I think they have done a good job of making her a more intriguing character. Though most of her screen time this season was in the first few episodes, I'm looking forward to seeing her be a viable player in the game.

For my Margaery inspired look, I went a little 50's housewife because of how... ahem, loving of a wife she is. And of course, the obligatory incorporation of the house sigil: the rose.

// Shoes (similar) // Dress (similar) //

I would be lying if I said that I like the Queen Reagent of Westeros. Cersei is cold, manipulative and almost entirely selfish except when it comes to her children. That said, I certainly find her to be an interesting character and I can empathize with her plight. Cersei is the only character who actively acknowledges the patriarchal society of Westeros, and laments having been born a woman only to be treated like a bargaining chip in forging alliances. Her husband, Robert Baratheon repeatedly rapes and hits her, and there isn't a thing she can do about it because she's viewed as his property. She wants to be powerful on her own, and not on the arm of a man and she finds herself battling an entire culture to have what she wants.

As the queen, Cersei dresses extravagantly, often in the colors of house Lannister: scarlet and gold. Most of the pieces I've chosen are very expensive, to reflect Cersei's status. I love the ruby and gold leaf necklace because her father Tywin's battle armor invokes images of ancient Rome and I thought the necklace would add a touch of that vibe to Cersei as well. The Lannister sigil is the lion, and Cersei takes great pride in being a lioness and of course would love to wear lion jewelry.


Do you watch Game of Thrones? What sort of looks would you create based on the characters? Tell me in the comments!

(Image Sources: Daenerys Targaryen, Melisandre of Asshai, Sansa Stark, Margaery Tyrell, Cersei Lannister)

Summer Essentials 2012

Even though I still have two weeks of classes left, the weather says Summer is definitely here which means time to go shopping for light weight fabrics and the latest trends. Thankfully, I've never been much of a trendmonger. I follow what's in style mainly so I can find out what will be easy to find in stores that already matches my personal aesthetic. I'm excited for pastels and retro themed items, though I'll definitely be skipping over the stylized athletic look.

As a girl who loves her layers and cardigans, there is unfortunately a huge hole in my wardrobe where stand alone Summer pieces should be and I've found myself a bit uncomfortable in the heat lately. I guess a trip to the mall is in order, and here's what's on my absolute must have list for Summer of 2012!

1. Cat-Eye Sunglasses (Mossimo, $16.99)
For some extra oomph, try adding a DIY touch like pastel tips or rhinestones.

2. Silk Scarves (Roberto Cavalli, $198)
For days when I just don't feel like styling my hair I like to wrap it in a lightweight scarf, Old Hollywood style.

3. Lace Dress (Miss Selfridge, $68)
Lace and pastel dresses are a bit reminiscent of Spring time, but I don't see why that can't carry over to Summer. Ultra-feminine pieces like the one above make me want to have a picnic in the park and bring a parasol.

4. Clean Scented Perfume (Acqua di Gioia, $39.50-$82.00)
I like to have a different perfume for every season. Spring was Versace Bright Crystal, but Summer calls for a fresher fragrance.

5. Beach Tote (J.Crew, $49.50)
Even if you don't live near a beach, oversized totes are great for festivals and pool parties too. You can keep your sunglasses, swimsuit, sunscreen, flip-flops or anything else you may need in one of these.

6. High-Waisted Shorts (Jane Norman, £ 32.00)
I don't like wearing normal cut shorts. Lucky for me, the high waisted variety not only give off the retro vibe that I love but they also sit much more comfortably on my hips.

7. Bright Nail Polish (Essie, $8.00)
I don't even think I should have to explain why bright nails and Summer go together like ice cream and cake. I'm in love with Essie brand nail polish lately, the staying power is way better than any other brand that I've tried.

8. Polka Dot Bikini (Betsey Johnson, $67.20)
It doesn't necessarily have to be itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny, but I love polka dots in most anything; especially swimwear.


What are your favorite Summer trends? What's on your absolute must-have list for the season? Tell me in the comments!

Lazy Sunday 5.20.12

• I spent a good two or three hours on Feminist Frequency this week. Love the feminist perspective on pop culture. 
• I am maddeningly in love with the Chanel Cruise 2013 collection. Anything inspired by the Rococo period is awesome, combined with Chanel is double awesome. 
• Console to Closet is a Tumblr blog that my fellow fashionable gamers will love. 
• Megan of Briar Rose has such a pretty, whimsical style. The headpiece in this post is to die for. 
• Awesome ideas for customized sunglasses. 

Top 5 Favorite LUSH Products

In my previous post How To Get Perfect Skin, I talked about some of the products I use in my skin care routine. Many of my favorite products are from LUSH Cosmetics, a company that specializes in organic beauty and bath products.

I've tried a variety of  products from LUSH since I discovered the shop tucked away at the Macy's in Mayfair Mall about three years ago. While some of the cosmetics I bought I certainly could live without, a few others became absolute essentials which I wanted to share!

1. "It's Raining Men" Shower Gel 

($9.95-$27.95)

This was allegedly a limited edition product the first time I bought it, but seems to have been added to the permanent line. With good reason, because this is the single best smelling body wash I have ever used ever. It smells like honey and flowers and candy and rainbows, and the scent lingers ever so subtly even after I'm out of the shower. I have the 16.9 oz. bottle and it's lasted me well over a year. The "best if used by" date has already passed, but I haven't noticed any difference in the smell or quality yet. 

2. "Breath of Fresh Air" Toner

($8.95-$19.95)

The concept of toners seemed sort of gimmicky to me at first, but being the adventurous gal that I am I decided to take the plunge one day and get a small bottle just to try it. I love the way it makes my face feel, especially during the Summer or after a shower. It's a nice, tight, clean feeling which makes my skin noticeably more supple. LUSH toners also come in little tabs, but I've only ever tried the bottled variety because I'm lazy. 

3. Gorilla Solid Perfumes 

($10.95)

I have a few of these, so it's difficult to pick just one to showcase. I use Lust the most though, it's a rich and musky scent; very sexy. I love these because of how convenient they are. I keep one or two in my purse at all times in case I need a quick dab of something delicious smelling while at work or out and about. You only really need one quick little dab too, the scent is extremely concentrated so one tube will last you an eternity. I also suggest Vanillery and Karma. 

4. "Buffy" Body Butter

($11.95-$22.95)

A body exfoliant and moisturizer all in one, Buffy is tons of fun to use and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. After I'm done washing in the shower, I rub this all over and then massage the crushed up nuts and beans into my arms and legs to scrub away dead skin cells. I've found that one of the 3.3 oz bars will last approximately 10 uses, and using it two or three times a week will suffice. It's especially effective for smoothing out freshly shaved legs and preventing itching. I've also tried King of Skin, but I prefer Buffy. 

5. "Dark Angels" Facial Cleanser 

($26.95)

Dark Angels is the holy grail of skin care for me. It was unavailable for a few months about two years ago because they were changing the formula around a bit, and I literally checked back every week to see if it was in stock. In the mean time I had used Herbalism instead, but it just wasn't the same. The nice thing about LUSH's cleansers is that there are different varieties to suit different skin types, so while Dark Angels is perfect for me, another might be better suited to your needs. I like Dark Angels because of the sugar scrub (can you tell I'm all about exfoliation?) and because of how well it cleans out difficult blemishes like black heads. In stores it's possible to purchase whatever size or dollar amount you want, I usually get about $15 worth at a time and it lasts me several months. 

Have you ever tried any LUSH products? What did you try and what did you think? Tell me in the comments!

Lazy Sunday 5.13.12

• One of my favorite blogs, The Lingerie Addict did a video on what to look for in a garter belt. I am obsessed with garter belts, as anyone who has ever viewed my Tumblr can probably attest to.
• I need this latex corset in my life. 
• Dita Von Teese's custom Louboutin ballet shoes are gorgeous. 
• Totally going to make a pair of these bejeweled sunglasses! 

Update

Hello lovelies! I just wanted to make a quick update.

I have final exams this week and then I have to move to another dorm hall for Spring Interim, so things are going to be a little bit hectic. I'm going to try to get at least one post in, but if for some reason I can't I'll make up for it next week with lots of goodies.

Thanks for your understanding! And good luck to all my college student readers on their final exams as well.

Roses & Rhinestones

Necklace: Vintage

Cardigan: White House Black Market

Watch: Betsey Johnson

Shoes: Madden Girl

Camisole: Vanity

Skirt: White House Black Market

Earrings: Betsey Johnson

Gorgeous, gorgeous day out today, almost too warm for a cardigan. I recently picked this one up though, as seen in this post and I couldn't resist wearing it. It has rhinestones and roses... so it's basically two of my favorite things in one thing. 

Blogging about my outfits has certainly made me realize that I'm nothing if not loyal to a few brands; particularly WHBM, Banana Republic and Betsey Johnson. I have a bit of a difficult body type to dress, so when I find a brand that works for me I have a hard time wanting to take a risk anywhere else. I'm definitely going to challenge myself to start branching out and discovering new places to shop. 

Belated Birthday Post

My birthday was on the 22nd of April, so I definitely procrastinated posting this a little longer than I should have. The good news is it was probably one of the best birthdays I've had in a while, definitely better than last year's to say the least.

My best friend came to visit me for the weekend. She goes to college in Madison, so we don't get to see each other very often. Her family also just moved to California which is where she'll be for the Summer. We had a lot of fun, and a misadventure involving a swarm of insects.

On my actual birthday I went out to dinner with some friends to Koreana, a Japanese and Korean hybrid restaurant in Appleton. I've never had Korean food before, but it was amazing. I usually get tempura or udon (or tempura udon!) when I go to a Japanese restaurant, but I decided to be adventurous and I ordered Purple Rice Bi Bim Bahb.

The waiter set the bowl down on the table and explained my food to me. The stone bowl cooks the purple rice on the bottom layer, and don't touch the bowl because it's hot (even though I did because durrr.) It was really, really good but the portion size was so huge I was eating it for lunch for two days afterwards. Not that I'm complaining. 

My friends all dressed up fabulously for dinner, too. I'm the second from the right. 

I got these pictures off of my friend's camera, and she resized them funky and they're not all uniform. Which drives me absolutely batshit nuts, but I guess mismatched sized pictures are better than no pictures.

Candid derp face!

Necklace: Vintage

Camisole: Vanity

Cardigan: Banana Republic

Skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Target

Watch: Betsey Johnson