Resplendent Red

Red is not just for fire trucks and Christmas sweaters any more! It's an iconic staple, of course, but lately I've been seeing more and more of the Red Lip, along with twists on the classic such as lighter berry stains, and vampiric glosses. While red eye-lids might make one look like they've been hanging with the devil, bright red nails add the necessary color to predominantly neutral winter outfits. For the above collages I pulled photos from the blog TheCherryBlossomGirl, who has an entire photo album devoted to this resplendent color! Anthropologie's website also contained a special "red" section. GAP was inspi(red) to make it the representative shade for their fight against aids campaign. Even the British Scot Guards rep the color for their fearsome (if stationary) stance! I know Christmas has passed, but don't give up on the vibrant color just yet, I guarantee that it will carry you through until boring spring pastels wash it away.  

So I'm obsessed with zippers

I love visible zippers, so I'll be on the lookout for cute clothes with them over break, after finals =( . These pieces are great and I wish I could own every single one!

From top to bottom, left to right: Gareth Pugh zip front sweater dress; Geordi Zipper dress, Phoebe Couture Strapless Ruffle Dress, Mason by Michelle Mason Zipper Tank Dress, Alexander Wang Pants, Sophomore tank, Graham & Spencer Zipper Dress, Daryl K black zipper dress, Marc by Marc Jacobs blue dress

Procrastination...

dress: Loehmann's

shoes: Forever 21

boyfriend: TKE

Finals season is here at Berkeley, which means that some people are sleeping in the library, some people are growing rich by selling their adderall, and some of us are procrastinating like no other.  Sadly, though, I've begun to realize how much I need to study which means that I'll be MIA for a while.  I'll leave you with these great CUPCAKES I made for a friend's birthday, and my outfit for my sorority's holiday date party.  

Christmas Room

Christmas is coming! Presents and pine trees aside, I absolutely love decorating my house for the holidays. Today I went to Walmart, and while my parents were sawing away at the Christmas tree we bought, I was inside, in a frenzy about the multitudes of decorations I wanted to buy.  Finally I decided on adorable miniature colored lights, and a 24 pack of gold christmas bulbs for only $5! When I got home, I had fun figuring out where to hang 24 ornaments in my tiny room. After I ran out of room on my pegboard, I resorted to more creative places, like from the thumbtacks that hang my posters, and the giant white clothespin from which I normally hang important papers. Moral of the story-Christmas decorations don't need to be kept in the living room, go crazy in your bedroom; after all, it only happens once a year!

Face

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1-No makeup

2-CHANEL foundation

3-loose powder

4-Covergirl cheekers blush in natural twinkle

5-benefit under-eye concealer...finished!

One Week Later...Black Friday Finds

French Connection

Found: Loehmann's Backroom

BCBGMaxAzria

Found: Loehmann's Backroom

Anthropology Sweater

Notice: the cute flower detailing! 

Horse Belt: Vintage

Flower Belt: Loehmann's

Three Rings: Forever 21

Red Flower (Clip On) Earrings: Vintage

I also got two pairs of sweet heels; pictures are a few posts below.  As great as Forever 21 and vintage stores are, sometimes they can be a little gross/overwhelming/weird smelling/too crowded.  I recommend the Forever 21 at Fashion Island in Newport because it is big, well stocked, and usually not too crowded.  It's best to go in the morning because everything is laid out nicely and not super picked through. To find legit vintage stores in south Orange County, I like to drive up PCH and look around. There is a great one called Junquie's in Dana Point; also, Tippy Canoe in Laguna Beach usually has interesting stuff, but unfortunately it's going out of business!! sad =(

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2008: Ballet De Fleurs

This was my favorite part of the show...everything is just so fantastical and over the top! It's like a dream world (where everyone looks great and has big boobs and wings :/ )

Giambattista Valli

This collection was absolutely MAGNIFICENT! It was perfectly wearable, but ornate and artistic enough to be set apart from the boring, black ensembles that we have been seeing in my opinion WAY too much of...Pat McGrath did the makeup, which doesn't surprise me because she is one of the best and most diverse makeup artists of the century. As the clothes became more vibrant, McGrath darkened the shade of the lip, which perfectly accented the beautiful clothes. This collection deserves some recognition, I hope you were as inspired by it as I was.

Daytime Red Lips

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Begin with a nude lip (1). Then, use Tarte exfoliating sugar lip balm (2) to buff and create a smooth surface (3).  Next moisturize with your favorite lip balm. Mine is Burt's Bees (4) and I use it pretty much every day! (5).  I got this cute mini Benefit lip stain (6) using my beauty insider points at Sephora.  It's made for lips and cheeks, but I always use it on my lips because it blends with your natural color and lasts a long time (7).  With Burt's Bees Rhubarb lip color (8) on top, I can create a bright lip that will be appropriate for and last through long days of class (9)! Yay!!