I know, not the most sexy of outfits, but before DC turned into summer (spring? we scoff at spring!) this was a good play around the city outfit. I wasn't planning to shop or have to try anything on so I went with layers and a few functional pieces to keep it pulled together.

-Going the way of geek and nerd, reading is also becoming cool again (though anyone who watched Reading Rainbow knows reading was ALWAYS cool).



-unfuckyourhabitat. I had no idea how many people also found it hard just to exist in an organized space. I'm kind of in love with this tumblr and it even got me to make my bed - at 10 o'clock at night.

-Jen over at Epbot not only painted the cutest cherry blossom themed nursery ever, she even made an adorable butterfly mobile to go with it! I love them both with all my little heart, in that 'God I'd love this for myself but I have no tools and really no artistic ability to make it happen' kind of way.

via Epbot

-People laugh when I talk about getting married in a 'when hell freezes over' kind of way, but hey, if hell froze over and I got married THIS is the kind of engagement shoot I'd want.

all images via Heather Kincaid

-In a random turn of events I've already preordered one and am looking at another non-fiction book to add to my TBR pile. The Bloggess's Let's Pretend This Never Happened shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone (plus I signed up for a free bookplate. WOOHOO!) but I just found out that one of the fat activist bloggers I follow (Lesley Kinzel) is coming out with a book entitled Two Whole Cakes. For $10 on Amazon I'm finding it pretty hard to resist....



 -No I have not seen The Hunger Games movie yet. In fact, I can honestly say that as of this moment I have NO plans to see The Hunger Games at all. So there. Internet hype resisted.

Gotta love Nouveau Cheap! Thanks to her post I've signed up for a free deluxe sample of Chanel's new Le Blanc Skincare. There's always the chance I might fall in love with a skincare line that I have no intention of paying for but, shrug, you never know til you try!

Oooh finally an outfit that's come from a random thought to something I can actually wear! I have to say sadly that it's probably already past the season where I could wear this again, but I loved this outfit! My first success in the world of maxi-dress-into-a-skirt-dom and a great grey/yellow combination which obviously I need to do more often.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation

From Sephora's website -

What it is:
A long-lasting foundation powered by Amazonian clay.

What it does:
Get 12 hours of flawless coverage with this long-wearing, skin-perfecting formula with UVA/UVB SPF 15. It's full coverage with a weightless texture. With a broad range of shades available and a supremely blendable and buildable formula, everyone can achieve skin that looks healthy and natural.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

I went into Sephora wanting to try RAEview's new holy grail foundation, Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra. After some careful consideration by three - THREE - different consultants we came to the sad conclusion that without mixing there was not going to be a perfect color match for me. Sigh. Though the trip was a no go for my original choice my consultant really hit it out of the park with this new Tarte foundation! I love the texture, it's almost a cream-mousse kind of finish, and it covers a good 80-90% of my hyperpigmentation without feeling heavy. You could definitely layer this in places to achieve perfect coverage but I like to go back in with a concealer to prevent anything settling into the lines at the corners of my mouth. It doesn't feel heavy to me at all and while it's not a miracle at preventing oil I just like how my skin looks in this foundation and that's half the battle right there.

There are 8 shades currently available on Sephora's website and I highly recommend that if you've got some not so great areas on your face that you'd like to conceal you check it out.

This was not a posture day for me I see. I promise this outfit looked less wrinkly and ridiculous in person.

Awkward
-85 degree weather in March. I am not prepared for the sudden influx of heat and I miss Spring dammit! Not summer.
-No longer wanted but volunteered for responsibility. I feel as if lately all I've been doing are things that I feel like I 'have' to do which is a crock - I don't have to do anything but continue breathing, get old, and die.
-Trying to clear out my closet - again - and finding that the clothes I have now I mostly like and don't want to get rid of.
-Finding a new face serum that I love and might actually work but then realizing it's kind of hideously expensive.
-Twitter. I'm so bad at it it's laughable. How does one tweet when they're having fun when it seems to require you to stop having fun to do it?
-This pseudo case of carpal that I have going on. My right wrist is not having a good week.
-Other people who have me Google for them. I am not your Google-r ok? I promise, your fingers can work the keyboard just as well as mine can.

Awesome
-New books. These never suck :D
-Sitting on the roof during lunch, enjoying the sun and reading. It might suck to sit staring at the beautiful day outside my window but that time during lunch is pretty amazing.
-Lowlights! Or highlights. Whatever you want to call them, I love the new pieces of color throughout my hair.
-The Cherry Blossoms in DC. They're just starting to open up and I can't wait to see them in full bloom.
-A bit of an oldy, but new bags from HauteLook. I'm trying to incorporate the 'day clutch' into my outfits, but I haven't quite figured out how to function when you've always got one hand busy.
-Good skin days. As an acne sufferer I really appreciate days when I feel like my skin is looking good. Less makeup? Not always a bad thing for me. (I wish they'd last a little longer though)

Ugh lack of sun light! This look was so pretty and definitely deserves a redo so that everyone can enjoy the pop of orange. I placed the shimmery gold all over the lid, used a matte light brown to shade out the crease and then went back into the crease area with the MAC orange eyeshadow. Topped with liner and mascara it was easy and a crowd pleaser!

Blurry dressing room pictures ahead!

Old Navy:

I'm not sure what's going on here but my newly acquired prudish tendencies are no fun. I bought this dress a few months ago and loved it but when I wore it last week all I could think about was how short it felt!

WHOA. When did Old Navy start getting such cute stuff?

Skincare and I have not always been best buds. I try and I try and no matter what products - or what price point - I pick things from, my overall skin quality doesn't seem to improve. Boooo wasted mulah from my budget. Still a couple of things I'm using at the moment have me conservatively excited - excited because I think they might actually be working, conservative because what if I'm crazy?

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Just so we're all on the same page here, I am not looking for an anti-aging product. If there's one thing my oily skin will bless me with it's smooth(ish) skin for a while. But my acne induced hyperpigmentation is another thing entirely. I received a sample of this in Saks beauty week bag and have been using it off and on for about a week and freakishly I think it might be working. To the (my) naked eye my face looks smoother, possibly brighter, and my dark marks not so dark. Will it be worth the purchase of the full bottle? Only time and the rest of my sample will tell...


Biore Mild Face Wash
I'm half-tempted to put a '?' next to this one just because I'm not completely sure it's the cleanser I have at home. Why am I not sure you ask? Because the one I have came straight from Japan and I haven't taken the time to sit down and read all the Hiragana yet. And that's because I like the product itself so much that what it's actually called is kind of immaterial to me. This Biore cleanser is creamy and very gentle - no squeaky clean feeling afterward even though I can tell my skin is completely clear of makeup. I'm so thankful that my friend had a sample I could try the last time I was in NY!

I've got a few more Lovin' Lately posts planned so keep an eye out - I've been trying new foundations, lip products, and more and it hasn't been a bad time!

The wind was not my friend during these pictures and the vest possibly not the most flattering, but you know what? I still love this shirt!