// I've never read Ask Polly before, and I have pretty apprehensive feelings about Kanye and Lena Dunham, but this is an interesting article for the most part: "How Do I Find True Love And Stop Dating Half-Assed Men?"

// Oooh, Jane Austen/Regency era inspired video game.


// WTF teachers.

// I don't understand why I'd want to walk around in anything that has Kylie's face on it, let alone if it looks like a cheap iron-on. To each their own I guess?

// This actually looks like a super interesting movie to watch - it's going on the list!

// I'm still on the fence about whether the new Power Rangers movie will be anything other than trash, but this latest trailer is kind of fun.

// I'm also still unapologetically scarred by the awesome but terrifying Pan's Labyrinth and this trailer is much too reminiscent of it. But I still kind of want to see it.

// Need a soup suggestion? Budget Bytes continues to knock it out of the park with this one (I added some red pepper flakes and used 19oz of tricolored tortellini - so freaking tasty.)


// Thanks be to the Internet, especially for things like this:


// Did you add the 2018 Mid-Term Elections to your calendar? Because you should.

Fun Posts & Random Finds: I've never done a 10x10 but watching Un-Fancy and Style Bee do it is both mesmerizing and inspiring. // Did you know a subscription to Teen Vogue is only $5? // Alison Freer is the best and worst person to be imaginary friends with on the Internet. // Dammit, I want ALL of these. // A Beautiful Mess is looking for writers - looking for a new dream job? //

Clothing & Jewelry: The reviews are only so-so on this dress, but I kind of like the idea of a full length sweater to wrap myself in, lol. //  Looking for some gingham this summer? Get ye to Last Call, where this dress is cheap and cute as hell. // Anyone else looking for a cute plaid wrap that doesn't cost your whole life? Modcloth has us covered. // I have no idea why this dress appeals to me so much, but damn if it doesn't. // I bought a super cute pair of Dolce Vita booties from TJ Maxx recently on clearance. These aren't quite the same but are close and should hopefully fit similarly :). // NY&Co is always hit or miss, but their Resort Collection has some pretty cute stuff in it. I finally submit to the pervasiveness of the bell sleeve and present this dress as a good look. Ditto on this embroidered peasant dress. // Elephant skirt!

Oh hey look - a review!

When I first heard about Caroline Hirons' collaboration with Pixi Beauty I was excited. When I saw that ItsJudyTime was ALSO doing a collaboration with them - and that it included an eyeshadow palette - I had a mini freakout. 

Caroline Hirons is a skin whisperer in my opinion, and ItsJudyTime's previous palette with BH Cosmetics was one of my favorites ever. I trust Hirons' expertise and enjoy Judy's preferred eyeshadow colors, so I had high hopes for both products and pretty immediately purchased them as soon as they became available.

And 4 days later (quickest free shipping ever), inside a pretty mint box, I got them :D.





After spending some time playing with this I think my overall opinion is that it's just ok. While the colors swatch nicely, and I love her decision to include a variety of matte crease options, I just don't love the formula of the shadows itself. The matte colors are a bit patchy upon application, the gold shimmer shadow has to be applied wet or with your finger to get it anywhere near true to pan, and the glitter in the black shadow may as well not be there at at all. All of this can be worked with (or around) but it's up to you whether you feel like it's worth the trouble. The case is plastic but sturdy, with a snap closure that I think will hold up to travel.

Final Verdict: Good, but not great. I'm picky when it comes to eyeshadows and while I don't regret this purchase - a perfect neutral palette is still my OG love - I think it's going to come down to the individual about whether this one makes the cut for your collection.

Now time to discuss what may be my new - and best - love, Caroline's Double Cleanse.



I've been a convert to the cleansing balm for a while, and Caroline's is one of the best I've used. Completely unscented (both products are actually), you put a dime to nickel sized amount in your hands, rub them together to melt the product, and massage it onto a dry face to dissolve makeup. Once you're done you can rinse it away with water (my choice) or use a washcloth to wipe the makeup away.

I use it to remove both face and eye makeup, and it has just enough slip for both, especially since I include a bit of facial massage in this step. I'm still working on getting just the right amount at a time since I don't want to waste it, but in my opinion skins of all type could get great use out of this.

Now step 2 of her double cleanse is a non-stripping cream cleanser. Massaged onto the face after step 1, it doesn't foam up if you try rinsing it away with water - though right now I'm following her instructions and wiping it away with a cloth. This both makes sure that you get the last bits of makeup off while also providing a gentle nightly exfoliation, which improves the  absorption of any products you put on after.

Between step 1 and 2 my face feels clean but not tight or dry, which is fantastic (especially in Winter). I haven't noticed any irritation or issues with using it, though I do swap in my favorite GlamGlow cleanser every now and again. Since it's in a sturdy container it'd probably travel well, but because I don't like checking a bag it's unlikely I would bring it with me very often.

Final Verdict: A great versatile cleansing duo, especially for $24, that I'd recommend to newbies and seasoned skincare veterans alike. If you're looking for a cost effect washcloth option, these are the ones I'm using.

A different day, a different brick wall, a different blue coat.

But unlike in my last OOTD, it was about 12 degrees outside when I took these pictures, and I pretty much regretted my whole life.

Still, I managed to put together an outfit with pieces I've owned for years - success!

Well I was going to start this post with how I tried and failed at the resolutions thing last year, but looking back at my blog I actually first attempted this in 2014. Uh...oops?

Disregarding for a moment the possibility that I might actually be incapable of sticking to a resolution, let's discuss where we are. I haven't read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up or The Curated Closet, but you'd have to more unplugged than I am not to have caught wind of the slightly minimalist trend that's overtaking parts of the blogging community (I do follow Un-Fancy though, so maybe that counts?). I've already come to the conclusion that I'm not built for minimalism in the traditional sense, so instead I'm trying to find a balance between having a closet bursting at the seams and one that's got nothing in it because for the month of November I decided the only thing I wanted to wear were skinny pants and sweaters. Make sense?

I don't have a name for my personal style. Sometimes I want to look like Atlantic // Pacific and sometimes I want to look like Junebugs & Georgia Peaches (with less novelty patterns). I'm not going to get rid of all the blazers I own just because I look at them hanging in my closet and feel uninspired. I work in an office. Currently I'm getting away with wearing some totally inappropriate shit because my company loves me, but there will come a time where a blazer is the better option and I don't want to buy anything new because in a fit of pique I made the wrong choice.

So where does that leave us?

(Other than sorry for the word vomit.)

1. I want clothes for the life I live now, not the one I have in my head. Despite how wonderful it looks in pictures, I don't need a coat (or hunter boots) in every color of the rainbow. It's just not feasible fiscally, or necessary. I don't live to blog, I blog because I enjoy putting together cute outfits and sharing that with my friends. I want to find more joy (gag) in the clothing I own now, that fit my life, and donate/sell pieces that don't jive with that vision.

2. I want to take every other month as a clothes buying breather, to assess where I am. I'm much better at moderation than denial, but I have some goals for the year that require stricter budgeting than I usually do and I think it'll be a good opportunity to look at what I have instead of looking for more. I'm especially prone to this during seasonal changes, and I'm going to leave myself an out obviously, for pieces that fall apart that need replacing, but I'm going to try. January is a no-buy, and while it's been difficult to change my mentality, I'm going to try and stick to it - even if it's just to prove to myself that I can. 

3. Unsubscribe from mailing lists that stress me out. I've actually been doing this for a while, ever since Un-Fancy brought it up on her blog, but I wanted to emphasize it here because it's been such a joy to get less and less crap emails every day. Also, I feel significantly less pressure to not let a good sale pass me by when I don't even know it's happening, lol.

4. Figure out why I don't want to wear what I have - and figure out what I want instead. I like
options, so I don't want a uniform per se, but if it's 30 degrees outside and I don't want to wear any of the way-too-many sweaters I already own, then I want to understand why. I don't want to punish myself for falling out of love with pieces after a year or two, but I want to distinguish between temporary dissatisfaction and a long-term decision that something needs to go. Right now the system involves me randomly pulling things out of my closet when I've decided I don't want to wear them, putting them in a pile on the floor, and seeing if I care later, lol. Very scientific I tell you.

And that's where I am right now. I don't want to get in a vicious cycle where I beat myself for buying something in the wrong month, but I like the idea of a general awareness of my actions. The world inside and outside the US will still likely go to shit this year but I can try and control this area of my life and hope for the best.

 // Anyone else going to be in DC for the Women's March? Here's your new headgear and it is fantastic.

// A powerful article from Jezebel - "Becoming Ugly"

// The Paley Center for Media hosted a special discussion about representations of STEM in feature films and this one, centered around Hidden Figures, is freaking awesome.

// I have no idea what Fashion Nova is, but this Revelist article was both hilarious and depressing.

//This.


// "Obama's Anger Translator Helps The President Make His Farewell Address"

// I don't even wear perfume but I loved this article from (RIP) xoVain.

// Do yourself a favor, buy the smoked paprika, and make this soup. The bomb.com, and I'm not a soup person.


// I love the idea of rewarding yourself for the little things we succeed at everyday.


//  "I hope that, as you think about what that list might hold, you’ll allow yourself to be enveloped in a resolve similar to the one I am feeling right now – that no administration, no matter how hostile it may be to the dreams we have for ourselves is going to succeed in crushing them. That no set-back, no matter how daunting it may seem, is going to constrain our desire to see our values reflected in the policies of this country. That no one is going to quiet us, sit us down, hold us back or ignore us. That we are, in fact, the makers of change." - Wendy Davis, Bustle


Fun Posts & Random Finds: This and this. They're pretty similar topic-wise, but things I've thought more about lately. // THAT DRESS ON KATIE IS AMAZEBALLS. // A little happier world-wise, in case you missed the story of how Stephen Colbert met his wife. //

Clothing & Jewelry: I still preferably want a yellow rain jacket, but this red is nice too. // When In Doubt, Go To The Library //