Summertime Clothes

 
 Again, with the song titles! I couldn't have picked a more vague reference. Meh, well at least Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion has been the soundtrack to many of my summers. It's a good album.
But get on with it Abby! Stop yammering on about hipster music!

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Lush Hoarding, Episode 1

 You could call me a Lush fan. I love the company, the products, the packaging, the retail atmosphere - everything. So it's no secret that I've hoarded my share of Lush products over the last year, so I thought I'd share my stash with you. 

For the products that aren't limited edition, you can click through to the page on the Lush Cosmetics website.

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Red Right Ankle

I'm back with an outfit post! It's been way too long, I know, but the last week has been quite busy and I've been getting loads of stuff done at home, so I haven't had a chance to meet up with Sarah until today. I actually got a lot done today in Tacoma, so that felt good.
Let me tell you about this skirt. I got it in Vancouver last weekend from a sample sale downtown, and I absolutely love it. It's a bit of a pain to sit in for a long period of time so I do have to ride it up when I'm driving, but the shape is just so cool and different that I couldn't not take it home. It was only $15, too!
 It's actually a design by local Vancouver company Adhesif Clothing. I went and looked up the company after I got home and it has some of the most beautiful clothes! This skirt, as well as a lot of the other pieces are made from recycled fabric so this is perfect for Earth Day! Adhesif actually featured their newest collection at Vancouver's Eco Fashion Week recently. Check out Adhesif's brand blog for more on the company.

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RECIPE: "Fancy" Grilled Cheese

 
I found out a couple weeks ago that April was National Grilled Cheese Month (there really is a holiday for everything). I felt like I was channeling Leslie Knope in the newest episode of Parks and Rec where Leslie had a holiday for LITERALLY everything (like Sex Day, Haircut Day, and Text Message Day). Anyway, I digress.

In honor of this pointless occasion, I thought I'd make myself a fancy grilled cheese sandwich. I love me some melted cheese between two slices of carbs. Mmmm.

So as far as ingredients go - I've got this stuff.

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It's Record Store Day! What are you gonna do about it?

I, sadly, have to work today so I can't go out and celebrate Record Store Day like a good indie music fan, but I did recently buy a couple records from Easy Street so I feel a little bit better about it.

However, for those of you who have nothing to do on this fair Saturday, here are some new records that you should seriously consider listening to and possibly purchasing. Support local music, y'all!
 
Us on Roofs - Self Titled
 These guys come from my hometown, so I've got a lot of Gig Harbor pride for them. I often say how much I hate Gig Harbor, but then I remember about Us On Roofs. On their Facebook page, they describe themselves as "Shoegazing Math Pop/Art Rock," which is pretty damn accurate.

Pickwick - Can't Talk Medicine
 This band played at the Mariners opening day at Safeco Field this year just a couple weeks ago. Again, I'm so proud of these guys. My friend Lucas' brother Alex plays drums and it's awesome. Plus, Galen Disston's voice is just... the bees knees. I can't even describe it because it's so perfect.

PVT - Homosapien
 I saw this Sydney band open for Menomena back in October and I just recently started listening to them again and oof, it's sexy music if I've ever heard it. Heavy basslines and vocals reminiscent of Michael Hutchence (of INXS) but without the cheese factor - me likey. Australia's been bringing it these days.

Hey Marseilles - Lines We Trace
 This was one of the records I picked up at Easy Street a couple of weeks ago. I've listened to it I don't know how many times by now, but it's so so so good. If you earnest, beautiful, indie folk music, I don't why you aren't already listening to Hey Marseilles. They have cello, viola, trumpet, and ACCORDION. AN ACCORDION IN THEIR BAND. Enough said.

Joshua James - From the Top of Willamette Mountain
I saw this guy last month in Portland open for Noah Gundersen and I was blown away. His music has been featured on Sons of Anarchy as well as Noah, and it fits so well. It's gritty but smooth, beautiful and dirty - all kinds of paradoxes, but it makes for a fabulous album. "Queen of the City" is definitely a stand out track. 

Now go support your local record stores, because even in Seattle, we've lost half of them in the last 3 years. We need to keep them open and thriving.

Let me know if you'd like me to do more music-related posts. I don't want to make this a music blog because I write for a couple other ones myself, but I love music so there's no sense in not including it once in awhile. 

Best wishes!
-Abby
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REVIEW + PHOTOS - Anastasia Hypercolor Lash and Brow Tint

I'm not one to stray away from bright colors. I like me a neon lip color and I can get heavy-handed with my blush. I'll admit that. However, something I never thought I'd venture into was bright colored mascara. I do own a burgundy mascara from Laura Mercier though, and damn it's beautiful.

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LIFE LATELY: Canada, eh?

I drove up to Vancouver last weekend to visit some friends, and oh boy was it a whirlwind couple of days. I'd never actually been to Canada, so I thought it was about time. I've had my passport for a couple years now but my ex never got around to getting his so we never drove up.

Now I had no excuse not to go, so I made the trip.


 Laura, Rachel, and Russ took me on quite the tour of their fair city - including a ghost town, a downtown garage sale for homeless people, Vancouver's own version of Pike Place, and a couple of neat little cafes - one of which we saw some local music.
I asked Laura to take me to this ghost town called Ioco (short for Imperial Oil Company) after seeing a video she made last month. While the place wasn’t necessarily haunted with the ghosts of homicides, it just seemed haunted with the past and what could have been. It was so sad to see these buildings just deserted, but oddly optimistic and beautiful. People once lived here, and now they didn’t. 

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Holy lip combo, Batman!

When I was in Canada this weekend, I wanted to pick up so much stuff from Shopper's Drugmart, but I suddenly found myself without funds (Vidcon ticket, student loan, etc), so I wasn't able to spend as much as I planned.

However, I did pick up one of the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balms because I have heard so many good things about it on the blogs and on YouTube. Plus, I'm a lip balm junkie.

 I don't feel as guilty picking it up even though it was pretty expensive, because you get a ton of product in this jar, and it's filled pretty full when you first open it.
 
I'm really enjoying it so far! It's quite a nice consistency to wear underneath lipstick because of the beeswax, and it helps in keeping lipstick from bleeding.

The one thing I have found is that if you have any chapped skin on the lips when you first put on the Nuxe balm, it's emphasized by the beeswax sticking to it. So to counteract that, I scrubbed my lips with my favorite Lush lip scrub that I've tried - Popcorn. 

Can you say yum?

This stuff is the cat's pajamas, I'm telling you. Both products taste wonderful - the sweet and salty scrub and rich grapefruit balm, and it makes for a really nice lip routine. It's especially nice to do this at night and you'll wake up with soft lips that haven't dried out overnight because of the beeswax locking in the moisture.

I highly recommend both products if you have some money burning a hole in your pocket and need to spend it on some luxury lip products. You only need a tiny amount of each product so they will last you a long time.

Where to purchase:

Best wishes!
-Abby



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HOW I STYLE: TUK Creepers

 
I've been preparing this post for weeks, and planning on doing it for months. Seeing that it's spring, I figured I should try to get it done before the weather gets too hot and big clunky leather platforms don't make a whole lot of sense. 

I got these T.U.K. Creepers from Karmaloop.com back in November when Black Friday sales were happening, and I absolutely love them. They are insanely comfortable, can really go with most things if you're bold enough, and they are really well made so I can imagine them lasting me a very long time.

1. Concert Casual
I basically wear this all the time. I love my flannel, okay? Living in Washington, it's kind of a rule that you have to own at least three. I have about five.
T-shirt: Phoenix band merch // Flannel: Thrifted // Pants: BDG High Waist Cigarette Jeans // Lipstick: Mac Lady Danger // Sunglasses: Ray Ban Meteor // Earrings: Fuego
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Complimenting Parts

Look at me, mixing my patterns again! Sorry I've been so missing in action with my outfits the last week - I've been getting some stuff together for a big post here and a video for Saturday. And sometimes getting a good day to shoot around here is hit-or-miss with the rain these days. Today, however was too beautiful not to shoot.
So Sarah and I met at this park down off Jackson where her husband Julian plays soccer with some friends and shot in the little playground by the field while Jude was napping.
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What beauty products should I bring to a music festival?


So Coachella is this weekend, well it starts this weekend. It's not my festival of choice, but since it is quickly approaching, I thought I'd finally post the beauty part of my festival series.

My video for Thursday on my channel will be a large collective tips video for packing for festivals, but I'll get a head start here.

Try to fit all your beauty products and toiletries in a gallon-sized sandwich bag. It's easy to find things, it's sanitary, and it will make you downsize if you had a lot of products in mind.


Skin
As a general rule, I pack light. I feel like it should be self-explanatory, but better be safe than sorry. Ditch the day and night creams for one overall moisturizer (with substantial SPF as well). Ditch the bottled cleansers and makeup removers for makeup wipes. It's easier, faster, and lighter to carry. And if you are one who must have an expensive moisturizer if that's all your skin can handle, decant it into a smaller container so in case you spill or lose it - you won't be devastated and out $40.

Also, though I feel like I needn't remind anyone - sunscreen for the LOVE OF GOD. And not like a lame SPF 25 - I'm talking at least an SPF of 45. Anything above 60 seems unnecessary, but 45 is preferable. I like the spray bottle sunscreens because it's easy to do yourself, but if you want an excuse to get a cute guy at the campsite next to yours to help you with your sunscreen, stick to the lotion.

Hygiene
There's a good chance you won't get to take a shower at all, let alone several times during the festival (unless you're taking the expensive route and staying in a hotel), so bring a wash cloth, medium-sized towel, a swimsuit for if you do get the chance to spray yourself off with a hose, some body wash and dry shampoo.

DEODORANT AND HAND SANITIZER - It's bolded for a reason. If you can't shower, bring heavy-ass deodorant to at least trick yourself into thinking that you're clean. Hand sanitizer is also a must because you don't know how clean (or unclean) the thousands of people around you are, so just bring some, if just to refresh your hands after sweating like crazy in the pit for Wu Tang Clan.


Makeup
APPLY EVERYTHING WITH YOUR HANDS. You seriously don't need a dozen brushes to apply foundation, powder, eyebrows, etc. Cream shadows, cream blushes, BB cream or tinted moisturizer, and lip stains are your friends. Also waterproof mascara. For the love of god bring waterproof mascara. Lip stains are a much better option than lipsticks because they tend to not smudge, they last longer, and they fade nicer. Plus, you can apply your SPF lip balm over them several times a day and it won't screw up the color.

If you like going all out in terms of your makeup - a bright lip or bright mascara is the way to go for festivals. It's one step, it's fun, and it will pop in pictures!

Another general rule I like to follow is - stick to drugstore. Stick to inexpensive stuff because you never know what could happen. Stuff could get lost, stolen, stepped on, peed on, who knows. Don't bring your $30 Lancome liquid eyeliner and get all sad when someone else leaves the cap off and it dries out. Bring the $1 ELF liquid liner if you want a liquid liner. I personally wouldn't even do liner and tempt smudging and transfer. Leave the liner at home.

Keeping that in mind, here are some good options for what to pack:
  • Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows
  • Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain
  • Any BB cream (Korean ones generally have more coverage than US ones)
  • NYX Cream Blush (it's the only drugstore brand I've found that has permanent cream blushes in their line)
  • Brow pencils instead of brow powder
  • Maybelline Great Lash colored mascara
  • Yes to Cucumber Makeup Cleansing wipes (there are a ton of other brands you can find in the drugstore)
  • Suave dry shampoo 
 I hope this helped, and look forward to my full video on the matter tomorrow on my channel!

Best wishes!
-Abby

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Spring Beauty and Fashion Essentials

I posted a new video yesterday on my main channel all about my spring beauty and fashion essentials, but I really should have just called it "sprummer," because in this state we really only have two season - fatumn and sprummer.


I'm also doing daily vlogs for VEDA on my second channel, in case you wanted to see my random weirdness in unedited iPhone vlogs. I've done Vlog Every Day In April the last two years so I wasn't about to break my streak. 

Best wishes!
-Abby
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Wishful Thinking: April

I haven't done one of these posts in a couple months, and I'm holding out on outfit posts for a little bit to get a big post planned and put together, so I thought I'd go virtual window shopping.


As you can tell, I'm really into dresses right now. Also, those two maxi dresses from F21 - can you say HELLO SASQUATCH? They're perfect. Now it just depends if I can find them in the store. Seriously my relationship with Forever 21 is the most complicated one in my life. I love the clothes but hate the stop.

And after my friend Mallory of Mallorylovesmakeup became a guest blogger for blogger week on Shoplately.com, I got a little obsessed with the items on their site. I love how it's set up - with flash sales and a bunch of different styles of accessories (the only clothes they have on the website is leggings and tights). There are choices for every style - sophisticated, punk rock, boho, preppy, etc.

Hopefully shops in Canada carry Embryolisse when I go next week, because I'd rather not have to order it online. I'm weird that way. And that Lady Gaga perfume - oof, it's sexual. And I LOVE IT. It's similar to my beloved Tom Ford Black Orchid, but with an even cooler bottle. I mean look at that thing. It's awesome.

 I'll try to get better at posting these monthly. I promise.

Best wishes!
-Abby 
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NEW STUFF: April

I don't like doing hauls on my YouTube channel for various reasons, but I thought I could do a monthly "new stuff" post on this here blog in case people do want to see what I got.

This is all beauty products, btw. I don't need to do "new fashion stuff" because I usually include it in an outfit post.

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation
I got this actually as a Klout perk - my first one by the way! I was weary of it because I've had the worst luck with drugstore foundations. If this works for me without breaking me out, I'll have to do an entire post about it. I've used it a couple of times, and so far I really like the finish of it. I have dry/combination skin with flaky patches around my nose, so finding a drugstore foundation that doesn't emphasize those patches is a win for me.
 Not to mention, the color is a pretty good match. It might be too light for me when summer kicks in, but for now it's great.

Mac Crosswires
I mentioned in an outfit post that I'd been looking for an everyday coral lipstick, and I've found it with Crosswires. More muted than Watch Me Simmer and Hibiscus, pinker and more pigmented than See Sheer - it's my perfect wearable coral.

Bioderma
I got this stuff from Escentual.com when they were having a 30% off French skincare brands, and I love it! It removes makeup like nobody's business. I might have to pick up some more when I go up to Canada next weekend.  

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume
 French words, man. I can't even try to say most of the stuff on this tube. I got this from the same Escentual.com sale, and so far I like it. I don't know if it necessarily does a better job than the creams I had before, but it doesn't make it worse.

Alaffia Shea Butter
I picked this up from the Metropolitan Market in Tacoma last week, and I can't really say too much. I mean, it's just pure shea butter which I always like to have because of how great it is. I like the jar it comes in, though. It's compact without being too small. 

There's what I bought last month. So that's a thing. 
Also, I'm doing Vlog Every Day in April on my second channel, with iPhone vlogs daily as well as my regular videos on my main channel. If you want to see my daily weirdness, go subscribe to my second channel.

Best wishes!
-Abby
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Dots and Dashes (Enough Already)

I don't often mix patterns. I used to be one of those girls that just wore one pattern and then a pair of jeans. I used to not have a lot of creativity in my wardrobe, and I would always wear the same pieces together. BOOORING.

On this day particular, I was inspired by another blogger, Kendi Everyday, and her post about mixing striped and spots. Now, as you can see my skirt is less of a stripe pattern and more of a Chevron motif, but you get what I was going for. I honestly don't have a lot of stripes in my wardrobe, which certainly needs to be fixed. 
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