Beauty products I've tried lately

I guess you could say I was feeling a little ambitious this weekend. I'm actually posting 5 times this week which is something I haven't done in quite some time. I've missed it, to be honest! But this post is long overdue as I felt like I've tried a ton of new-to-me beauty products lately, but haven't shared any of this with you guys. And that's basically what this post is all about, so let's get started!

Neutrogena eye cream

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Hair series: My day 2 hair

I'm back for week two of my hair series where I'll be sharing my most worn hairstyles for real life, everyday stuff. If you missed week one, you can get yourself caught up here. 

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Pinrose fragrance collab with Sephora

Pinrose Gilded Fox and Wild Child: Available only at Sephora

Parum a-go-go: Available in stores starting April 15th

I am very much a scent oriented person. The husband jokes that I have a sniffer like a dog - I'm super sensitive to smell, which can be both a good and a bad thing depending on the scent! Perfume is one area in my beauty routine in which I lack, and the main reason why is because many perfumes trigger migraines with me, so I typically stick to mild lotions and body splashes. It makes me sad because I would love to expand my perfume collection. So, when Pinrose reached out to me to try their new fragrance collaboration with Sephora, I was really excited for the opportunity!

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The Orly obsession

Orly top coat | Shop Orly polish here

I thought I would do something different today and put together a beauty post for you! This is what happens with it snows the day you are supposed to take outfit photos. But in all honesty, I've been meaning to do a proper post about this anyway, and there is no time like the present! Back in 2014, I made the New Year's resolution to paint my nails on the regular, and it's the one resolution I have completely aced! To this day, I am still fulfilling it! My most commonly used brand is Essie followed closely by OPI and then Chanel when I want to feel extra fancy. I recently discovered Orly, and it's my current obsession right now. I stumbled upon it randomly at Walgreens last November and I've been hooked ever since!

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Smile Brilliant

Top: Old Navy

I'm taking a little break from my outfit posts today because I've been meaning to share a product with you that I'm currently using. It's called Smile Brilliant.

The natural color of my teeth is definitely not a true white-white, so I know I could never achieve a super white smile - unless I want to look like Ross from Friends and glow in the dark! But, regardless, I've always been on the lookout for a great teeth whitening system. I've tried things like Crest White Strips and the Arm and Hammer whitening booster. These products were ok, but didn't super blow my mind.

I've thought about professionally having them whitened, but have never pulled the trigger, mainly because of cost. While my teeth aren't super white, they're not super yellow either, so paying a dentist to whiten them hasn't been a huge priority. #idratherbuyshoes So, when Smile Brilliant approached me to try their teeth whitening kit, they definitely had my attention!

To give me a good idea of what I could expect from my whitening kit, they suggested I watch this video, which really just got me more excited to try this out! Luckily, they're local to St. Louis, so my package arrived in no time! 

You're basically making your own custom molds, just as they would do for you at the dentist. I was a little intimidated because I'm certainly not crafty, and while this isn't an arts and crafts exercise, I was still worried I would make mistakes! I felt a little less pressured when I saw that they give you extra paste for that very reason; in case you need a do-over! The instructions were really simple and straightforward, I ended up making both my top and bottom molds on the first try!

I dropped the molds in the mail, and received my custom whitening trays within a week's time. Crazy fast!

What I hated about the white strips is how slippery I felt they were. They didn't stay in place well, especially if I were to talk. You definitely don't have to worry about that with these. I realize these are custom made trays - literally molded to my teeth, but wow, the fit still amazed me. I'm not sure if you've ever had to wear a clear retainer in your life, but that's what I pictured these to feel like - stiff and awkward, leaving you with a mouth full of drool. They aren't anything like that at all. They're soft, comfortable, and invisible -- I've had conversations with the husband while wearing them with him not even noticing.

You won't actually get your mold, but they sent me mine for the purposes of this review. Pretty impressive quality though, eh? And yes, if you're OCD like me and feel the urge to count my teeth - I only have 24 as compared to the normal 32. Carylee fun fact #138732: My mouth was crazy small for my teeth, so my teeth were crowded and crooked as a result. Before I could even get braces, I had to have four teeth pulled -- 2 top and 2 bottom. My wisdom teeth were literally growing in sideways, perpendicular to my rear molars, so needless to say, all 4 were pulled before they had a chance to mess up my 3.5 years of braces!

I've only been using them a couple times a week, though they're definitely safe and gentle enough for you to use on a daily basis. I will say though that I don't drink that much tea or soda, and when I do drink coffee (hot or cold), it's always out of a straw. (At home, I even drink red wine out of a straw…) So, I don't believe I will have drastic results as compared to a heavy coffee/tea drinker or smoker with super stained teeth. Regardless, I will have to take another photo for comparison once I am done with the entire kit - stay tuned!

If you can't wait and want to see some actual before and after photos - this video was a great resource for that - and I'm sure you could find a ton more with a quick google search. So far, I am completely satisfied with Smile Brilliant, I almost hate for my kit to run out! Please let me know if I can answer any questions!

Disclosure: Although Smile Brilliant gifted me this whitening kit, all opinions expressed are my own!

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Bangs and lashes

Vest: JCrew Factory | Necklace: CS Gems (c/o) | Top: Express | Bottoms: American Eagle | Booties: Vince Camuto

If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that I got bangs over the weekend. It wasn't even pre-meditated! I don't know what came over me! I had a hair appointment on Saturday, and she asked me if we were just doing our normal trim. Out of nowhere I said, "I think I want to bring back the long, sideswept bangs!" 

Now, I know I used the word "bangs," but in my head I was picturing them being cut right about lip level, so they're more like nose length when dry. However, they ended up being cut nose level when wet. I thought it looked great in the chair, but as soon as I got in my car, I started to get anxiety remembering how fussy and high maintenance bangs were.

But, once I got home, I played around with them a little bit more, and I've started to embrace them. I used to have them years ago, but it was always an uphill battle with them. They were cute for one week, but the rest of the 3 years or so that I had them was spent trying to get them to look as cute as they did that one week. That was before I used dry shampoo though - one of the reasons I hated bangs before was because they got so greasy from my naturally oily forehead. I felt like they were flat and lifeless when I had them before, but that was also before I owned the best teasing brush ever to fluff them at the roots. So, in short, I'm hoping that I am better equipped nowadays that I will love them consistently this time around!

And, now that you know I have bangs, it will be obvious that the outfit photos you see the rest of the week were taken pre-haircut. ;)

Left: Before 3rd fill | Right: After 3rd fill

Since we are talking about salon stuff, I figured I would go ahead and give you one last update on how my lash extensions are doing. You can read through my previous posts here and here. Just to give you a quick recap on the timeframe:

Original (full) set: December 23rd

1st fill: 4 weeks later

2nd fill: 2 weeks later (to remove remainder of original set and apply all uniform lashes)

3rd fill: 3 weeks later

My 4th fill will end up being 2 weeks later, only because I will be out of town over the 3rd week, and I would rather have 1 week old lashes at my brother's wedding vs. 3+ weeks old lashes. My guess is that I will end up sticking with a 3 week cycle for fills. I could probably push it to 3.5 or 4 weeks, but the longer I go means the longer my fill appointment takes and the more expensive the fill is. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I found out that she is using .07 lashes on me - they're synthetic silk. She called them minkies. My original set was .15 (so double the thickness!). I've been asked if I see these as they fall out, and the answer is yes! And it breaks my heart a little every time I see one fall out. I had no idea lashes had such a quick lifecycle! But they simply fall out as your natural lashes fall out. I managed to take a photo of my original lash extension in comparison with the current lash extensions. If you look really, really close, you can see my natural lash still attached at the base of the extensions.

Left: Lash extension from original set

Right: Current lash extensions (2 thinner lashes applied to 1 of my natural lashes)

I asked if extensions damage your real lashes. I was told that it really depends on the size of the lashes. She picked .07 for me based on the thickness of my real lashes. Anything thicker than that, she thought would be too heavy for my real lashes to support, and then yes, they would damage my lashes. She said if I would have continued with the .15 lashes, I may have seen damage.

Lashes have a pretty short lifecycle - about 4-6 weeks. So, the good news is, in the event of a bad lash job, your real lashes would grow back within this time if you were to simply leave them alone. I trust that my esthetician would tell me if she could not lash me due to damaged lashes and allow my lashes time to grow back in if needed. It's obviously important that you find someone you trust.

One last tip - she said to make sure you don't use your eyelash curler while you wear extensions. This could damage your real lashes for sure.

I could see how they could start to look straggly closer to fill time, and it's especially annoying that my eyes are on different growth cycles so I feel like one lash always looks fuller than the other. They do take some maintenance - I'm incredibly careful about touching them or even laying on them, and I brush them right out of the shower, and maybe once again throughout the day if needed. But overall, I'm still pretty obsessed with them and have no deal-breaker complaints!

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Lash extensions: 30-day update

It's already been over a month since I got my eyelash extensions! If you missed my original post, you can check it out here. I've gotta say - I just absolutely love them. They're such a game changer for me and how I look. They instantly glam up my face and I really don't know how I ever survived without them! Simply put, I'm obsessed. Like whoa.

Now that I've seen a few of them fall out - I have to correct one of my statements from that original post. I had said the extensions were glued NEXT TO my real lashes, which is not the case. They are actually applied TO my real lashes. I had assumed it was similar to how fake lash clusters are applied to your eyelids, mainly because it seemed so tedious and impossible to apply them to each individual lash! But, I was wrong. Since they're attached to your real lashes, they simply fall out as your regular lashes would do on their own.

Top: Day 1 without and with makeup | Bottom left: 1st set of lashes at day 30 | Bottom right: After my first fill

Sorry for the extreme closeups, but I just wanted to show you how they looked at day 30. There were a couple of places where I noticed bare spots, but for the most part, they stayed on pretty well. Since I got my original set in California, that unfortunately meant that I had to get my fills from a different salon, and I wondered how this would look. Luckily, everything seemed to work out well - here's what went down:

1. She taped down my bottom lashes so they stayed out of the way. They did this during my initial appointment as well, I just didn't realize that's what they were doing! 

2. She went through my lashes removing the extensions that were growing out, leaning sideways, or about to fall out.

3. She ended up using a little bit thinner of a lash than what was used for my initial set. However, she applied TWO of these thinner lashes to one of my real lashes vs. just one on one. She said the double lash application will help the extensions last closer to 6 weeks vs. 4. And she also said it will create more of a voluminous effect, making me look like I have even more lashes, not just longer lashes. She also used lashes with a B curl and said my previous lashes looked to be a C curl. The new lashes don't seem to hit my sunnies or my eyeglasses the way the old lashes did, and I assume it's because of this curl. 

4. The appointment took right around an hour, and she charged me $45 for the fill.

5. She suggested that I make another appointment in about two weeks, which should allow the remainder of the initial lashes to fall out, and she can complete the fill using all the same type of lashes. I personally can't tell that I have two different types of lashes on, but I'm interested to see how it will look when they are all uniform.

Lash Extensions by Salon Whimz

Mascara (bottom lashes only): Clinique | Eyeliner (bottom lashes only): Physicians Formula | Foundation: Tarte | Blush: MAC Peachtwist | Lips: Cherry Carmex

I just can't speak highly enough about them. I realize this is quite an investment, but I am more than willing to take this out of my shopping budget because I feel like I was born with the double A cup of lashes! I honestly haven't worn eyeshadow since Christmas. That's not to say I won't ever wear eyeshadow again, because I will. I just don't think it's worth the effort just to go into the office every morning. The lashes are such a showstopper in and of themselves. People actually compliment my lashes now and seem genuinely surprised when I say they are extensions. No one has ever noticed my lashes before, regardless of what kind of mascara I used! They just make me feel pretty. Simply put.

If any of you decide to take the plunge, I trust that you will report back to me asap! 

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2014 Resolutions report card

Well, it's New Year's Eve and I hope you all have something fun and fabulous and glittery to go to, if that's your thing. The husband and I will probably be grabbing a bite to eat then watching the ball drop from the comfort of our own home. But before we do that, I wanted to look back at my 2014 resolutions and see how I did.

1. Work on my fitness.

Fail. OK, so I can't say I failed completely, but I certainly did not live up to my 10,000 steps a day challenge. I did manage to take 65+ pilates classes this year, so that was a definite win, and I know I will continue to go in 2015. I just love it so much. It's the cardio where I am lacking, and cardio is what I need to really see results. And that's why I give myself a D for this.

That's me! Second from right.

2. Paint my fingers.

A+++ I passed this one with flying colors (no pun intended.) I was worried that my nails would be dry and brittle, or that I simply wouldn't have time to maintain them, but this has been the easiest resolution thus far. I now feel incomplete and uncomfortable if I have naked nails, and I've come to appreciate that pretty polish is a great accessory, in and of itself!

Bag: Express | Bracelets: Stella and Dot (1,2) and Nadri | Polish: Essie Double Breasted Jacket (gifted)

3. Walk Annie the beagle.

F. This is a giant F. We went on a few walks, but nothing that would even substantiate anything higher than an F. I have no excuses for this other than my own laziness and lack of time management! Clearly she is disappointed in her mommy also.

4. Wear shoes.

I will give myself a B on this. While I do have some special occasion shoes that truly merit something special for me to wear them, I've definitely done a better job this year dusting off some old favorites and giving them more air time. It's too bad I didn't have a resolution to wear more leopard, because I'm pretty sure any footwear with leopard on them in my closet room got the most miles!

BCBG pump

5. Purge.

D. I had one huge eBay listing this year - I managed to list and sell 20+ items in one round, and on the first try. I was amazed how easy it was! The bad thing is, I haven't done any more listings since then! The listing and selling aren't even the hard parts - it's the photographing that's the worst. I do have a ton of clothes already set aside to sell/donate, but I know I could go through my closet right this second and purge a ton more. In the meantime, I've been doing the exact opposite of purging and buying multiples of the same pieces. Sigh.

Express oversized plaid shirt: Red, blue, white

Well, that was thoroughly depressing! I guess I'll have to do a better job at either lowering the bar with my resolutions or actually having enough drive and energy to get stuff done in 2015! Either way, I've got some work to do!

Have a safe and happy new year!!!!

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Show and Tell Tuesday: Lash Extensions

Left: Before | Right: After

When I was in California last week, I got eyelash extensions for the first time ever. I've worn fake lashes in the past before, and while I like them just fine - I was intrigued about how lash extensions would look, feel, and work. One of our friends has a salon and she was running a special -- typically it is $199 for a full set of lash extensions, but I was able to get mine done for $125. Had I brought someone with me, we both could have had them done for $99 each. For this price, and with some extra Christmas money, I thought it was worth the try! The added bonus is that my sister surprised me by taking care of my bill!

My before and after photos

Lash Extensions from Reynalyn Hair and Fashion

These eye photos look a bit scary because you do have to show up without any makeup on, but the before and after photos of the lashes themselves are incredible. If you've never gotten these done before - here's a quick summary of what you can expect.

How much does it cost?

$175-200 for a full set; $75-85 for a fill

How long does it last?

About 4-6 weeks. The lashes will end up falling out on their own.

How long did it take?

About 2 hours for the full set. It should take about an hour for fills. Each lash is applied individually. So, yeah. The good thing is, I simply laid down with my eyes closed for two hours and I know I dozed off in the process.

Can I use mascara on them?

I've read that you can use water based mascara, but the purpose of lash extensions is to allow you to wash and go and *look* like you're wearing makeup, when you're not wearing anything at all. I've only been doing shadow on my top lids, nothing on my top lashes, then liner and a little mascara on my bottom lashes.

How do you remove your makeup?

Very carefully. I've always used makeup removing wipes in the evening and then Clarisonic plus face wash in the shower every morning. For the wipes - I wipe my face as usual, but for my eyes-- I wrap the wipe around my finger and use that finger to remove any shadow on my eyelid, and avoid rubbing my upper lashes at all.

The shower is much of the same. The extensions don't affect the way I use my Clarisonic since I don't use the brush on my eyes anyway, but I'm just careful not to rub my eyes/lashes when trying to remove water out of my eyes. I will say that this has been my biggest adjustment so far.

Is there any other maintenance required?

Outside of just being careful not to rub your eyes, no. They did give me an eyelash brush (it just looks like a dry mascara wand) that I use to brush my lashes every morning so they don't look clumpy.

Photos after lash extensions were applied

Left: without makeup | Right: with makeup

I had to show you some after photos with and without makeup because I feel like they look extra long in the photo without any makeup. Although, now that I've been wearing them for a week and a half, I'm getting used to how my face looks with them on, and they don't look as long anymore. They're really comfortable - I can't feel them at all, which is definitely unlike the traditional fake lash strips which, even on their best day, are still noticeable.

I was skeptical about whether or not I would get them again. My biggest struggle was washing my face in the shower. But the more I look at them (and trust me, I've been taking LOTS of selfies to analyze them), I love them. I like that it's just a subtle change, and although they're an investment, I will end up saving time (and money) not having to apply three different mascaras every morning! And, I'm only applying shadow about 50% of the time now, too, because I don't really feel like my eyes need it.

My brother is getting married in March, and I would definitely like to have them then. Since it's only a couple of months from now, I hate to let these fall out completely then have to start from scratch all over again in just a few weeks.  So, I think I've talked myself into getting them filled at least until my brother gets married. 

Anyone else have lash extensions done before? Did you love them or hate them? Would you do it again?

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Manic Monday: Curling Wand Tutorial

I really don't know why I'm even bothering with an outfit today, I feel like you all are going to skip to the end anyway! But you know I can't NOT post what I'm wearing :) Plus I figure I still need to entertain those of you who have already mastered the curling wand, or just have no interest in it one way or the other! Regardless of why you are still reading this - thank you, and happy Manic Monday!

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Spring Purchases

1- Floral Maxi Dress (cheaper option here) | 2- Foot Petals | 3- Striped Bikini Top and Bottom | 4- Curling Wand | 5- Turquoise Sandals | 6- Padded Lace Bandeau | 7- Retro Sunnies (budget option here, even cheaper version here, cheapest option here)  | 8- After Sun Aloe Lotion | 9- SPF Moisturizer | 10- Emerald Heels (cute wedge option on sale here)

You guys are extra lucky this week because you get SIX posts from me, thanks to this bonus weekend post! You're welcome! In all honesty - sometimes Polyvore is therapeutic when I just want to tune out the chaos around me, and I figured I hadn't done a "Things I buy" post in awhile, so here you go! Lots of randomness as you can see, but if you're interested, read on!

1- Floral Maxi Dress: I linked to this maxi in my post earlier this week (here). Every spring/summer, I like to find a new maxi dress to add to my collection. I had hoped to have a new one before Jamaica, but ended up ordering this soon after we got back. The fit is great, and I'm thinking I will wear it to a birthday party in San Antonio next month.

2- Foot Petals: Now that it's open-toe-shoe-season, these are a necessity to prevent Toeverhang. If you remember (or missed) my old school post about how to make my heels more comfy (here), you'll know that I always like to have extra inventory of these shoe pads in my closet room because you never know when you'll need them. I just used the last pair on my new red sandals, so I figured it was time to re-stock!

3- Striped Bikini Top and Bottom: I'm addicted to red and navy striped anything as seen here and here. When I was in Jamaica - I saw a couple gals wearing red/navy striped swimsuits and I had stripe envy! As soon as I got home, I did a quick google search for them, and found this set at Target. Now for my next beach vacation…

4- Curling Wand: I've done a few hair tutorials (chignon, curls, bun), but I am far from being an expert. Lately, I've been wanting a big head full O curls, and I end up finding out that a curling wand is the tool used to create the curly locks I've been liking. (Say that 3 times fast.) I bought my sister in law this same curling wand for Christmas, and she's been happy with it so I decided to try it out. My first time was a bust, but I also did it in quite a hurry on a day I was already running late for work (bad life choice.) I peeped out this tutorial here and am excited to give it a go when I have more time to play with it. If you have a great tutorial you like - please share!

5- Turquoise Sandals: I've been wanting turquoise sandals for quite some time now, actually, but never found the perfect pair. I saw these in a recent Nordstrom catalog and decided I had to have them. Which is ironic because I had just been complaining that I didn't understand what the point of hard copy catalogs were since everything is electronic nowadays. Welp, that same catalog sold me this pair of sandals!

6- Padded Lace Bandeau: Speaking of the sister in law, when we were in Jamaica, she was wearing this exact bandeau under a white crochet/lace back top. I loved that it was lace all the way around and that it was still pull on style without the typical bra closures. I also love that it is padded since bandeau tops typically just smush my little girls. Super excited about this purchase, and the stock photo does not give this color justice!

7- Retro Sunnies: So, the aforementioned Nordies catalog also made me buy these sunnies. Secretly I thought I *needed* these to complete my Rockstud collection. I mean,  naturally, right? I also loved the idea of a retro style since it's nothing like anything I have right now in my collection. I know there are some people who don't understand splurging on sunglasses, and that's totally fine if you are one of them! For me, it's more so about protecting my eyes while not impacting my clarity of vision. My husband is big into sunglasses, and after I bought my first "pricey" pair of sunnies, I certainly could see the difference - literally!

 8- After Sun Aloe Lotion: Jamaica, Jamaica, Jamaica. I promise I'll shut up about it. But, I bought this lotion because I didn't know it existed. I understand most lotions already have aloe in it, but I trust Banana Boat for its reputation with sun protection, and when my cousin in law shared this with me in Jamaica, I knew I would need a bottle of my own. Plus, it helped me get free shipping at Ulta when I ordered my Curling Wand…

9- SPF Moisturizer: Again, this was just replenishing my stock. I explained in my Makeup Regime post back in the day that this moisturizer keeps me moisturized, but not oily. Still true to this day! It's one of my holy grail products. The fact that it's SPF 30 is just an added bonus.

10- Emerald Heels: Yeah, I went there. I never talked about the SJP Collection at Nordstrom on the blog. Not for any real reason. I had been keeping tabs on the release via Instagram and enjoying all of the photos and reviews since then. Unfortunately, the collection is not sold in any of the stores close to me, so I haven't been able to feel, see, touch, smell, try them on in person. I had some Nordie notes burning a hole in my pocket and figured I'd take the chance and order these. I've been wanting emerald sandals and the ribbon grosgrain down the back just kills me! I got them last week and they're just perfect (see them here).  I'm already planning an outfit around them, so stay tuned to check them out in all their glory!

And that's it, folks. Thanks for reading along and letting me share my addiction purchases with you! I'd love to hear and see what your spring purchases are!

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Weekend randoms

Tarte lip stain in "Fiery" | Smashbox gloss in "Endless" | Clinique mascara in "Black Onyx" | Shadow brush | Plaid/leopard scarf | Coral scarf | Cobalt scarf | White skinnies | Distressed skinnies

If you read my post from Friday, you'll see that I was supposed to be headed to San Antonio this weekend. Welp, apparently that was not meant to be. You see, I had started getting a sore throat Tuesday evening. I did my usual routine at the first signs of soreness - gargle warm salt water, take Vitamin C, take cold meds. Wednesday it was a full on breakout. I ended up staying home since it was a snow day and figured I could rest. I certainly did not want to be sick when I traveled. Thursday it didn't feel better, but it didn't feel worse. I made it to work since it would be my last day at work until Tuesday and I needed to get things done. I took the entire day off on Friday to prepare for my trip, but the pain was excruciating. I decided to go to the doctor, and sure enough, tested positive for strep. I ended up canceling my trip - I was contagious at least until Sunday and I didn't want anyone else to get what I had.

I spent the rest of Friday predominantly sleeping and laying around. I did end up watching 3 movies that were on TV: He's just not that into you, Freaky Friday, and Grandma's Boy. Oh, and two episodes of What Not to Wear I had recorded. I caught up on my blog comments a bit, played online some, and now I feel compelled to write a new post.

I feel like I haven't done a "Things I Buy" post in awhile, and sure enough, the last I looked, it was right after the new year. I think the main reason is because I honestly have been trying to curb my shopping a bit. Especially since I really do not need to be buying any more winter pieces, unless it's merely to save it for next year. (I'm hopeful that winter is truly on its way out!!) But, I have been buying random things here and there. Mainly workout stuff, which I featured in a previous post, and these miscellaneous pieces above!

1. I'm obsessed with lip color lately. It's just an easy way to make your face pop! I saw this Tarte lip stain on Chelsey and had to have it! It's pretty amazing! 

2. The Clinique mascara is my holy grail, and I was running low, so I reordered. And I hadn't been happy with my shadow brush and was in the market for a new one. This Sephora brush is great so far! Just what I wanted!

3. Yes, I have both a leopard and a scarf obsession. I blame Gina for making me believe I NEEDED all colors of the leopard infinity scarf. Ok, so they're amazing and I can't really complain. But still! #enabler

4. White skinnies is just something I am constantly hunting. When I was writing my Tuesday post for you, and looking for a dupe of my red skinnies on Delia's site, I noticed they had a white version. Delia's is so random, but for whatever reason, their jeans fit me great. And for buy one get one free, I figured it'd be silly not to pick a second pair. If they had any other color, I would have bought them instead, but settled on this distressed pair. (Since I'm also obsessed with distressed skinnies…)

But wait. That's only 4 random purchases? What is the 5th, you ask? Well, remember when I said I was sick? Meaning, there's lots of time on my hands? Well, someone on my shopping forum started a thread about bra fittings, and someone posted this video.

It's 16 minutes long, so if you don't have time to watch it, I'll give you the CliffsNotes version.

A. If your straps fall, your band is too big.

B. If your band rides up in the back, it's too big. Doesn't make sense at first, but basically, since the band is big, you overcompensate for it by tightening the straps, hence why it rises.

C. Your band should be tight. You really shouldn't have much give at all by pulling on it.

D. That little upside-down triangle at the front centerpiece of the bra that connects the two cups is called the gore. The gore should lay completely flat and tight against your body, and should not move when you raise your hands in the air (and wave 'em round like you just don't care!)

E. You should buy a bra so that it fits on the last set of hooks. This will allow you to tighten it as the bra naturally stretches over time.
F. The proper way to measure yourself is as follows:

1. For best results, remove your top and bra. Take a measuring tape right below your boobs (lifting them if required). Wrap the tape around your body, making sure it stays on the same below-the-boob level, parallel to the floor. Make sure the tape is tight, and write down this measurement. This is your band size.

2. Now bend over so that your boobs and all associated side and back "fluff" are in the fullest position facing forward towards the floor. Take the measurement around  your body passing over the centerline of your boobs - the measuring tape should remain somewhat loose.

3. Take the difference between the measurements in 1 and 2 and now look at the conversion chart here to determine your cup size.

I went from a 34B to a 30DD, which sounds completely ridiculous to me. I told the husband and he said - I love you, but you are NOT a double D. The other thing I learned though is that despite the reputation that anything over a D is gargantuan, cup sizes are proportional to their band sizes. So, a 30DD is certainly quite different than a 40DD. This graphic was helpful.

Image Source

The results are still a bit mind blowing, but so far, everyone that I have read feedback from seems to agree that this method is the best. The only downside is finding bras in these whacko sizes. I'm hearing that Nordstrom is a good source for these and Nordstrom Rack and Amazon are great for lower prices. Caty lists other store suggestions in her video description here.

All of that being said, my #5 random purchase for the weekend was for bras in my new size. I started with black and nude, here and here. I'm very anxious to get these and see if they truly fit and make my girls look marvelous! If you've been through this exercise already, I'd love to hear your feedback!

Started with gloss and ended with bras. Told you this would be random!

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