the perfect pant trifecta

Now that fall is fast approaching, it's time to get some strong pant game going. I've recently gone shopping to up my own pant game and I've found three perfect pairs that will definitely be my staples for this fall/winter.

high waisted skinnies.  I got these from American Eagle, which is where I typically get most of my jeans from, because I know they fit me well. I've never gotten 'sky-high' skinny jeans before and I was a little hesitant bc I thought I might look silly, but I love them, especially in this dark indigo wash. They're my go-to when I want to look a little more chic and night time appropriate. But they are also great for day time with a flowy cropped tee and my favorite birks for a cool downtown hipster look.

olive khaki skinnies. I love these pants from Gap! I haven't had a olive green pant in a long time and I forgot how versatile they are. They go with pretty much every color and instantly make an outfit look fall appropriate. I love pairing a black or brown leather jacket with these, a simple white tee and ankle booties. Plus I love the zipper detail on the bottom, it just adds an extra cool factor to them.

ripped boyfriend. Finding the perfect boyfriend jean is dang hard. I had a pair from American Eagle a few years ago, but They were just too baggy around my bum, and that just isn't cute on me. These boyfriends from Gap are perfection. They have the perfect amount of rips without looking like they are going to fall apart and they hug my butt perfectly. They are my go-to everyday jean and they make any outfit look effortless.

What's you fall pant trifecta??

ttyl :)

madeleine.

review: ysl fusion ink foundation

                                     

When I was in Sephora this past weekend I decided to look around for a new high end foundation to try. My last love of this genre was the Nars Sheer Glow, but I was starting get a bit tired of it, especially because of how unforgiving it was of dry patches. Plus I wanted something a little lighter, and that's when I spotted the new YSL Ink Fusion Foundation. I've never tried a foundation from this brand before and it just looked so pretty and, well Cara Delevigne was on the ad so the decision kind of made itself. There were 21 different shades to choose from, which was fabulous & easy to navigate, unlike my usual 15 minute struggle to find my shade. The price tag was a bit scary at $60 (ouch), so I asked for a sample instead... which is my favorite thing to do at Sephora. They give you a hefty sample too! I've used the foundation everyday for about 4 days now & I've not even made a dent in it.

Okay back to the review.. The foundation is said to boast feather-light texture with its "fine as ink formula.. perfects the skin yet wears weightlessly all day. Never cakey or heavy..." (YSL website). Also, it is supposed to have a soft-matte finish.

first impression. I've got to say, all of these metaphors kind of screamed 'malarky' to me at first sight. But, I've got to say they were spot on. This foundation really lives up to it's fluffy description. The website says that you use the applicator (I used my finger bc of the sample, but same difference really) and dab product on the high points around your face and that's really all you need. It leaves a beautiful perfected satin base with minimal product. It instantly sinks into your skin & it doesn't even feel like I'm wearing foundation. I had some blemishes on my chin so I added a few more small dabs of product and it covered it well. I would suggest adding a concealer too, but you won't need much.

application. Now I've applied this three different ways so far and they've all worked wonderfully. You get the best coverage using your fingers, so that no product gets absorbed by a brush as well as it gives you more control of where the product goes. I've also used a beauty blender and a duo-fiber brush. The foundation website suggests using your fingers and the tutorials use a duo fiber brush. The brush gives an airbrushed finish, but my favorite way to apply is with the beauty blender. It makes for a more dewy and light application. It's not the best coverage this way, but on the days where I don't want to look like I'm wearing makeup, it's beyond perfect.

lasting power. It is very long lasting. I've been guilty of wearing this foundation to bed once and it actually was still on my face and looking good the next morning with no evidence on my pillow!(perfect 'third date' foundation winkwink) I do get oily in my T zone, especially my nose, so I've been using the Becca matte primer just on the T zone with a little Rimmel Stay Matte powder & the foundation held up perfectly, with no oily breakup. There is a fragrance to the foundation, which I actually quite like that doesn't linger too much, which I also like. I just can't say enough good things about this foundation. It's amazing and perfectly low maintenance. I'm even contemplating getting the full size.. OH gosh, my poor wallet! But I can't help it , this stuff is quickly becoming my new favorite & I would suggest to everyone of all skin types.

Have you tried this foundation? let me know what you think!

ttyl :)
madeleine.

*photos are from the YSL website

a splurgy beauty haul

Recently I had a slight moment of weakness in the the mall and went a lil cray cray in Sephora and MAC... OKAY OKAY and Walgreens on the way home. But since I'm a glass-half-full kind of woman, I decided to turn it into a triumph and share my loot with all you lovely people!

In my defense, these are all products I've been lusting after and dying to try for a while. So I just threw caution(and some dollah dollah bills) to the wind and treated myself. Behold!

LINKS

 by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner // DevaCurl DevaTowel // Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub // Dior Rosy Glow Awakening Blush // Beauty Blender // MAC Orb //MAC Cork // MAC Quarry // MAC Sable // MAC Satin Taupe // L'oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara (Black Brown) // Maybelline Tattoo Leather (Deep Forest) // Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather (Creamy Beige)

BTW: The MAC shadows in the palette that I already own are Woodwinked, Patina, Nylon, Club & Sumptuous Olive. 

I have tried all of my new purchases and have not a single bad thing to say about them. They all live up to their hype/ purpose and are quickly becoming my favorites of the moment. 

Let me know if you want me to do any reviews on these products, I'd be happy to oblige!

ttyl :)
madeleine

fall trend friday #2: prints on prints!

Fall makes me excited for so many reasons.. the candles, the pies.. oh! and the prints. Prints are in style, one way or another, pretty much all year round but there's something about when the weather gets colder that makes me get pumped for prints. I think prints look best when layered with other colors and textures; a note amongst a beautiful fashion symphony. To me, colder weather is layering primetime where the prints get bolder and better. This autumn the prints to die for are linear graphics, animal, tartan and nature-inspired.


tartan. 

Forever 21 $24.50

Topshop $19

Piperlime $79

Forever 21 $8.90

Tartan or plaid isn't just for button downs and circle skirts anymore kids. This fall try this pattern in different and contemporary ways, like in a oversized peacoat or an origami skirt. Mix with rich jewel tones, black & white (obvi). I like pairing plaid with wooly knits or making it edgy with structured pieces. 




linear graphics.

Banana Republic $110

Piperlime $275

Forever 21 $19.80

Everyone's doing lines this fall (get your minds out of the gutter!) Linear graphics are great if you want to incorporate patterns into your wardrobe, but aren't quite comfortable with the bolder, crazier prints. A piece with a classic fit like a trouser or a sweater with a this graphic print would be a perfect and modest entrance into the world of prints. This print can also be more trendy and bold with the pieces you pair with it, like a leather pant and bright accessories. 







animal prints.

    

Piperlime $69.50

           Animal prints are no longer reserved for Jersey Shore parties my friends. They've gotten smaller and quieted down, and when paired with whites, creams & greys, an animal print can look really elegant and classic. Also I love a pop of red or blue in an accessory. Speaking of accessories, animal prints look great as a bag or shoe if you aren't quite ready to commit to a full piece of clothing. 

Piperlime $325 

Forever 21 $17.80

Topshop $70

nature-inspired.

Topshop $140

 Florals this fall have have been given an etherial and fanciful twist with more than just flower prints.  The incorporation of woodland motifs and images have made a more whimsical and magical print for this coming season. Mix a top or bottom with neutral pieces to make it more daytime or go for a more surreal or graphic nature print with dark green or black to to give it a more mature and dramatic edge. 

Forever 21 $14.80

Free People $108

What do you guys think of these new prints for fall? Personally I love them, but it's bittersweet since this will be my first Autumn away from New England.. oh my it's depressing just writing about it. I'm gonna go and wipe my layering deprivation- driven tears. 

ttyl :)

madeleine.

bonus post! my ulta wish list

Heya friends!

So my plan for today was to do some blogging, stuff for work, clean out Pepper's litter box... and making a cheeky stop by my nearest Ulta for a little peruse to see what's new and exciting. But to my compulsory beauty product-ogling dismay, the sky opened up with dismal glory and literally rained.. no.. poured on my parade. I took this as a divine sign from the big boy upstairs that I should stay home and save myself the temptation. So I did and went on the website instead! See what I did there. It's all about the loopholes ladies! Here's my Ulta wishlist picks:

buy.

buy.

buy.

buy.

buy.

buy.

buy.

OoO this is making SO EXCITEDD laskdkdsiejffoaifi!!! Okay, control yourself maddie.

What's in your shopping carts??

ttyl :)
madeleine.

Disclaimer: I'm not sponsored or affiliated with any of the stores or brands mentioned in this post. My thoughts and suggestions are 100% my own.

cook with me! easy rustic veggie soup

Lately I've been experimenting with cooking lately and I gotta say, I'm really liking it! I'm typically the clumsy, anxious recipe-follower type. But I'm really starting to appreciate the creativity and spontaneity in making up recipes of my own. Plus the extra girlfriend-points don't hurt. I think I can cash in for a puppy soon! But I digress. I've been focusing on making low cost, high quality meals that are easy to make that taste delicious and provide hearty and healthy nutrition. I came upon this soup when I was craving something comforting and familiar but didn't feel like looking up some complicated recipe and furiously scouring Whole Foods for obscure ingredients. Ain't nobody got time for that! So, I just poked around my kitchen, grabbed a little bit of everything I liked and SHABBAM soup!

Rustic Veggie Soup

(serves 5-6)

Ingredients:

1 box of chicken broth

1 box Near East garlic & herb rice pilaf

1 can plain tomato sauce

1 large zucchini

1 medium sized yellow squash

2 small cans red kidney beans

1 can of sweet corn

1/2 bag of baby carrots, chopped 

2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic (I use the kind already chopped in a jar)

marjoram to taste

celery salt to taste

2 bay leaves

Steps: 

1. Get started on the rice pilaf, since it takes about 25 minutes to make

2. Pour chicken broth, tomato sauce and bay leaves in large pot on high heat. 

3. While the mixture is heating up, chop up your zucchini, squash and carrots

4. Add veggies along with the rest of the ingredients to the pot and put on medium heat and let simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour. 

5. Add rice pilaf at the very end when you are about to serve & make sure to take out the bay leaves!

See how easy that was?? It tastes great and makes a pretty big batch. I like to freeze most of it for a lazy rainy fall day.  It tastes great with a grilled cheese, biscuits and whatever else you like to dunk into soup. It's a really versatile soup that tastes good with everything. 

Hope you enjoy!

And if you're boyfriend loves it.. go ahead & take that credit girl. GF points for everyone! 

If you make it, tweet me a pic or tell me what you think of it. Also I'm always looking for new recipes so feel free to share what your favorite concoctions are!

ttyl :)

madeleine 

the battle of the cleansing conditioners

Being that I've got some crazy curlage going on top of my head, I'm always about trying different products to tame them into submission. I've done a fair amount of research on how to best take care of them, I've even written a blog post here for your perusal! So since I've gotten the rules down, it's time to talk about the tools, aka the products!

It's become pretty common knowledge now that cleansing conditioners are the way to go. They supposedly clean your hair without stripping the oils essential for keeping hair (especially curly or coarse textures) moisturized and frizz-free. There are tons of cleansing conditioners out there from various price points and I've deemed myself your fluffy-haired guinea pig to save you some time, money and bad hair days. I've done the dirty work for you and picked three, one from each price point (drugstore, pricey, luxury) to review.


drugstore. Herbal Essences naked cleansing conditioner $4.99
Since this is the cheapest option of the three, you're going to get what you paid for. I'll say the pros first. It made my hair feel smooth and soft and had a pleasant smell that didn't linger. I actually repurchased it because it was such a good deal and I wanted to try the lavender scent. Sadly that's where the pros end. Now for the cons... I originally bought the one for colored hair but it didn't seem to hold my color that great at all (I recently box died my salon ombre to a darker brown). I used it for maybe a month and my color noticeably was fading. Although, I cant totally blame the conditioner because my previous ombre color was blonde so fading was expected, but it didn't help. Also dimethicone is a listed ingredient, which is a silicone-based chemical that adds a film over your hair to make it feel smoother and silkier. It's not that it's bad for you hair but it creates a greasy film buildup. The label says it's more of a treatment and shouldn't be used as a consistent product, which kind of defeats the point of replacing shampoo & conditioner, right?

pricey. DevaCurl no poo & one condition $40 (for both)
Now this duo I love. It is on the pricier side for both products combined, but I think it's of greatest value out of the three. The two 12 oz bottles lasted me about two months, which is amazing for my thick mane. I typically run out before the month ends, but you need so little of each product that it lasted me really well. The No Poo is a cleansing conditioner, and the One Condition is a daily conditioner. But get this, no silicones! It made my hair feel amazing instantly and never any greasy build-up. It's suggested that you use the products together and I always have, but knowing how great the No Poo made my hair feel, I would say that it would be fine alone for those with finer hair on the wavier side as opposed to coarser, curlier hair. For us, I would definitely say go for the one condition too. They sell small 9 oz. sample sizes too for $9 if you want to test it out.

luxury. Wen by Chaz Dean sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner $32
This is my more recent experiment. I've only bought this about two weeks ago. There are a lot of things I love about this product and it's certainly got a lot of hype around it. I've always wanted to try it and I watch a Chaz Dean hairstylist Anna Lee on youtube with her photog hubby Jesse. They make the cutest vlogs here (i'm obsessed). So that added a little fuel to my Wen fire. I bought the sweet almond scent ,which is supposed to be geared towards normal hair (not oily or dry). It smells wonderful and manages to linger for a long time without being annoying or overpowering. My hair felt super soft and my hair dried wonderfully without using any other product (just one pump of the conditioner as a leave-in). It does contain that silicone, but the people at Wen insist that as long as you massage it thoroughly into your scalp and rinse it out completely you wont get any film build-up, which I haven't. My only really complaint is that you have to use so much of the product per use. I have pretty long hair so it says to use 24 pumps.. that's just crazy to me. In three uses, half of the 16 oz. bottle is gone and for $32 a bottle, it's hard for me to justify. using Wen is supposed to reduce the amount of time you have to cleanse your hair, but still I'm not totally sold because of the price.

Phew! that was a lot of esplainin to do, but I just can't help myself! forgive meee.

So to round this all up: I would probably say Deva Curl is my favorite because it's cheaper, lasts longer, has no silicones & I haven't seen Wen do any better, except on the scent front. With Wen I don't need a styling cream like I do with the other two & it's one product instead of 2 or 3. Finally the Herbal Essences, I wouldn't recommend using it like the others but as more of a treatment, or to use it as a daily conditioner with a shampoo. But beware of the film build-up & use a clarifying shampoo every week-two weeks.

Well that's it then! Hope I helped a little to navigate the maze of cleansing conditioners out there. Let me know if you have any that you recommend. I'm always looks for new ones to try out!

ttyl :)
madeleine