heads will roll.

Heads Will Roll (A-Track Remix) -Yeah Yeah Yeahs

dress:  asos

top: one 7 six

coat: h&m

shoes: levity

necklace: vintage

bracelets: all vintage or bought at assorted local fairs

Some days you just really need a cat eye and a pump. Today was one such day.

Today wasn't really a day of any consequences, but on little days like this I think a good outfit really just makes things better. I'm finding this sweater to be so versatile in my wardrobe and I'm going to continue restyling it to really get the most of it. I also piled on a ton of arm candy, a bunch of my talisman bracelets with two ordinary vintage bracelets. As you should be able to guess by my frequent wearing of evil eyes and hamsas, I am very superstitious and conscious of good and bad energies, no matter how crazy it makes me sound. I spent far too much time on Etsy today looking at evil eye jewelry and assorted other odds and ends, so hopefully I can put together a post with my favorite Etsy finds soon!

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I've got nostalgic pavements.

Mouthwash -Kate Nash

top: pearl

belt: forever 21

skirt: h&m

shoes: jones new york

necklace: good karma shop

lips: l'oréal color riche caress in violet chiffon

This outfit has my favorite  silhouette: a short flouncy skirt, a nipped waist, and a buttoned-up collared shirt. I was going to wear one of my maxi skirts today but they just weren't working out with this top that I planned to wear. This skirt is crazy but I'm finding it to be so versatile in my wardrobe, which is definitely helping me to wear more color and less black and greys. I'm also finding that leopard works great as a neutral--I'm getting so much wear out of these leopard loafers but they never get boring!

As a side note, if you like coffee and Hugh Jackman, feel free to check out an article I recently wrote for my school's fashion mag!

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I'm no daydream.

May Queen -Kate Nash

blouse: cotton on

sweater: h&m

short: forever 21

necklace: forever 21

boots:diba

socks: h&m

I woke up to snow outside so a sweater and boots was the obvious choice for my outfit today. I originally planned on wearing a skirt but none of my skirts were really working with this sweater, so I finally pulled on my black disco shorts. I added these blue socks for an additional pop of color since I was wearing all black below my waist.

It's the second week of school and so far, so good. I'm pretty on top of my work so hopefully I can keep that up! I'm also feeling pretty good health wise since I've been cutting more dairy out of my diet. I haven't had coffee in over a month so I no longer feel reliant on caffeine. Looks like 2013 may be healthier than I anticipated!

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over hills and under the moon.

The Hobbit Main Theme -Howard Shore

sweater: one 7 six

dress: h&m (thrifted)

shoes: forever 21 

necklace: forever 21

hamsa bracelet: local rock and mineral show

evil eye bracelet: My Evil Eye Jewelry

I have been reading The Hobbit and my mind is stuck in an absolute fantasy world. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

My mom originally encouraged me to get this necklace because my brother is an entomologist, and I thought the necklace was pretty cool and different anyway. But now I'm starting to feel like it has a sort of ancient Egyptian feel about it with the golden beetle, which I of course love. I layered this sweater over a plain black dress for a bit of a golden (or Midas, you may say) touch. I also picked these shoes up at Forever 21 because I loved the color and the golden embroidery--very baroque.

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tarte cosmetics haul

Recently, I have decided that I would like be more conscious of being cruelty free.

I've been a vegetarian for the majority of my life. I was raised a vegetarian until age 7 or 8, and I went veg again right before I turned 15. However, I'm starting to become more aware of the other kinds of harm that animals are put through, whether it be in the dairy and egg industry or the cosmetics industry. I'm trying to slowly phase animal products out of my diet and eventually try veganism and I'm also making a habit of  buying beauty products that are not tested on animals.

I never really thought about animal testing before; I just figured that it was something I couldn't get past. My dad mentioned to me a few weeks ago how he saw a video of what is done to rabbits when they are used in cosmetic testing. I shrugged it off, despite having owned 3 rabbits in my life that I loved very dearly, and said that makeup that isn't tested on animals is too expensive. My dad responded that if I thought more about how I spend my money, it wouldn't be a problem. Of course, this conversation occurred right after I got a haul of makeup from CVS, and of course, the great majority of drugstore brands do test their products on animals. I'd had a few Visa gift cards so I was basically tossing products in my cart at whim. So it was true--I wasn't really thinking about how I was spending my dollar votes. If I keep buying products that are tested on animals, companies will still test on animals. So I've made a promise to myself to research companies before I buy from them and really think about where my money goes. 

Buying products that are tested on animals doesn't make you a bad person. I don't want my decision to consume fewer animal products to come across as holier-than-thou. I simply think that it is important to take the opportunity to learn before you consume. Of course, the option of buying certain products that may be more expensive or harder to find may be unavailable to some. I merely think that animal testing is a practice that I don't think is talked about very often, and I was shocked when I found out that some very well known and established companies still practice it. I had thought that we were past things like this with the new technologies we have available to us. So this is my reason for sharing my own revelations.

Now that I have explained my segue into cruelty-free beauty, I'd like to share some new products I purchased from my new favorite brand, tarte cosmetics! tarte's products are "high-performance naturals" that are not tested on animals, and they have a really great selection of products.

shining stars best sellers kit, $14.40 (no longer available in a set)

The first thing I put in my cart was this Shining Stars kit that I found on sale! It contains a cheek stain, eyeliner, lip tint, and mascara.

natural cheek stain in flush, $30 for full size

This mini cheek stain is a very pretty berry color. I have been pretty dedicated to my MAC blush in Margin, a shimmery coral, but this color is so refreshing! It doesn't feel sticky when going on and it blends in very nicely. I am wearing it in this post. I think I will be wearing it a lot through spring and summer! $30 is a bit pricey, but the mini version should last quite a long while so I don't think you would run out of the regular version for a verrrrrry long time.

 

amazonian clay waterproof liner full with brush, $24

I am skeptical of liner pots after getting a really bad one from the drugstore, but this is the real deal. This eyeliner stays all day without giving you raccoon eyes. With an eyeliner brush (the full version comes with one!), the application is neat and precise. The color stays pigmented all day.

LipSurgence lip tint in enchanted, $24

This lip tint has a smooth application and an almost minty taste. It is a combo of a stain, gloss, and balm so it is not especially opaque--but never fear, there is a matte version if that is what you are looking for! The color is my basically my-natural-color-but-BETTER. It's a nice change from my usual bright lips and again, it should last a good while.

lights, camera, lashes! mascara, $19

This mascara is probably the only mascara I've worn that hasn't clumped my lashes. It lengthens well, tints well, and most definitely separates your lashes so you look completely natural! It thickens lashes, but not as much as I am used to. Still, I love this mascara for a daytime look, and I am also eager to try out the amazonian clay mascara as well!

easy crease brush, $10

This brush is affordable, soft, and fluffy. It helps to blend in eye shadows and holds a good deal of pigment--what's not to love?

amazonian clay eyeshadow base, $18 with eyeshadow palette

I purchased this eyeshadow base with the palette that will follow. It's color is slightly lighter than my eyelids so it really allows the eyeshadow to pop. It goes on smoothly and blends in easily.

amazonian clay eye shadow palette, $18 with eyelid primer

How adorable is this eye shadow palette?! It's perfect for traveling and the three colors can be mixed well for daytime and night. The ashy brown color is the only matte color, so I use it for defining my lash line and the shimmery brown I use for defining my lid crease. Very versatile and very affordable!

emphasEYES amazonian clay brow mousse and brush, $24 with luminizer (next)

If you have been looking for the perfect brow product, this is it. This mousse doesn't make your eyebrows look drawn on, but rather tints them and fills them in naturally. I got it in "medium brown" and it is the perfect color for dark blonde to medium brown hair. The brush really helps to shape your brows as well.

amazonian clay luminizing wand, $24 with above brow kit

This liquid luminizer gives skin a very pretty light pink frost. I normally wouldn't buy something like a luminizer but I really like this one! It is perfect to highlight the top of your cheekbones and give your skin an extra glow.

That is it for my incredibly long tarte haul and cruelty free explanation! I will be reviewing the noncruelty free products I bought at the drugstore, but after that, all of the makeup I purchase and show on this blog will be 100% cruelty free. I hope you enjoyed seeing the things I purchased and I hope you consider trying out more cruelty free makeup!

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