Review: Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

So, it's been a while!

I've been MIA, I know, and please forgive me. Eaten by the homework monster, mostly, as I get ready to student teach and have my own classroom - eep! But I just had to share with you my review of the Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation, which I received complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

I don't normally even wear foundation, but I thought, what the heck, I'd give it a try.

Yeah, this may be one of the many times I've applied my makeup in the car...

So first, let's talk pros: 

• It goes on light and blends easily, which is good if you're in a hurry and/or don't like to spend a lot of time on your makeup, like me. Fellow lazy girls, rejoice! 
• It stays where you put it and doesn't seem to melt off when I get a little sweaty or rub off throughout the day.
• It covers blemishes fairly well, so that I didn't need an extra concealer!
• It didn't break out or irritate my sensitive skin.

Doing your face in the car: the height of laziness, or the height of challenge?

Now for the cons:

• It's really not my first choice for my dry-ish combination skin. It did tend to settle into fine lines and highlight dry patches instead of concealing them. 
• I found it really necessary to use a moisturizer with this one, which I guess you should always use, but I've been spoiled by my Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB Cream, which is so moisturizing that I don't need extra face lotion before applying it. 
• Honestly, I can't really evaluate how matte it keeps your face over time, because I don't have problems with shine. (I have more issues with dry flaky bits and redness.) So I have no idea if it's good for this intended purpose or not!

Lastly, I think Stay Matte would work very well for someone with oily skin! It just didn't deliver for my dry skin. While it didn't replace my go-to base, it isn't bad by any means and I will certainly be using it up, maybe as an interim base if I run out of my usual bb cream, or maybe just as a spot concealer for blemishes. 

If you try it, let me know how YOU like it in the comments! (In case we're skin tone twins and you'd like to try the same shade that I have on here, Influenster sent the Light Ivory shade for me to try.) Stay Matte Liquid Mousse will hit shelves in January 2014.

Stay Gorgeous!

-Cattie

Mississippi Mayhem Pinup Contest

Cattie and I have a friend, "Fanny Freckles," who is hosting a vintage car show the weekend of September 13 in West Salem, WI. I will be there along with a few other friends. As part of the show, there will be a pinup contest Saturday morning at 10 am. Fanny and the friends I will be there with have encouraged (begged?) me to participate. So I signed up. I'm nervous as all get out, I've never done anything like this; but I'm also excited! Gotta work on my poses!!!!!

So, head on over to Facebook and like my pictures if you haven't already!

Click here to like

Click here to like

While you're at it, like my friends Kentucky Kitten (here and here) and acRocker (here and here) and any other girls you want. We would all appreciate your likes!

I don't expect to make it very far, but it will be fun to play around and meet some new people.

And if you're up for a road trip, come to West Salem, WI September 13-15 for an awesome weekend! Go to www.mississippimayhem.com for details.

Bettie Page Clothing Store Trip

Recently, my mom and I took the 7 hour drive from suburban Chicago to Minneapolis for the sole purpose of hitting up the Bettie Page Clothing store in the Mall of America. We were crazy and headed straight for the mall, shopped until we couldn't anymore, then headed to the hotel for dinner and sleep, only to head home first thing in the morning. Never making a trip like that again! Two nights next time.

I tried on a bunch of stuff, but didn't have much money to play with. I took pictures of most of what I tried on, but I think I missed one or two. I got sweaty. Note that what follows are cell phone quality pictures taken in a poorly lit fitting room.

I tried this dress on because my co-worker Rhonda really liked it. I wasn't a great fan of it on the site, and despite the huge smile, I liked it even less on. (Honestly, I think was just so excited to be there in the presence of all those beautiful pieces!)

BPC calls it the Side Effect dress. It can be found here and is currently $120.

I LOVED this skirt, but it weighs about 5 pounds. Not ideal considering it's the beginning of summer. I strongly considered getting it, but passed.

BPC calls it the Classmate skirt. It can be found here and is currently $85.

I grabbed this skirt because I figured I might as well try on everything (or at least half of everything). I fell in love with it once I put it on. This is one of the pieces I ended up getting. The print is a cute tropical style with little parrots. It's lightweight and the lining fabric is so lush that it feels cool (temperature) on my skin. A great buy for summer, and it will still work with tights.

BPC calls it the Fly Away skirt. It can be found here and is currently $73.

At one time, I wanted this dress in green SO BADLY. I'll admit, I'm glad I never got it. It makes my shoulders look round and droopy, and me look short in general. Also, it weighs about 10 pounds. If it opened in front, it would make a great coat. Needless to say, I didn't buy it.

BPC calls this the Secretary Circle. This looks like full-length sleeves, but I can only find a 3/4-length version online. Don't know if that's a fit thing or an actual thing. It can be found here and is currently $130.

I didn't want to take too many "touristy" shots while I was in there, but they have a TON of stuff that isn't on their website. They have clothes from other brands, accessories galore, and all kinds of random Bettie Page paraphernalia. I impressed one of the salespeople by recognizing these handbags as Lux De Ville just by looking through the glass. They also have shoes. So tempted by the shoes.

In the end, I purchased this outfit. There isn't a fitting room shot of the sweater because I got a different size than what I tried on. It is their Pullover Sweater, and has limited availability in their outlet here. I purchased it for $30, but it looks like it's $28 now.

Unrelated to the store itself, here are a few more pics from the trip. (click to embiggen, they aren't as important!)

An amazing cupcake from the Mall called "Mad Cow." It is a dark chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting and those lovely chocolate pieces.

Dinner at the hotel restaurant. Mozzarella and basil stuffed chicken with strawberry sauce, plus mashed potatoes and fresh cooked veggies. So good.

 Stuffed bear in a restaurant in Tomah, WI, where we stopped for lunch on the way up.

And finally, my shopping outfit! All ModCloth except the leggings. (Sorry, my mom cut the shoes out of the shot)

Dress: Hepcat Dress in Licorice

Cardigan: Charter School Cardigan in Peacock

Shoes: Luxe on the Lake Flats

Leggings: Old Navy

Mani Monday: imPRESS by Broadway Nails Review!

Hello lovelies!

First of all, I'm sorry I'm late! The last several weeks have been full of moving and power outages and other general calamities, and I haven't been able to update. But I recently qualified for and received a free VoxBox from Influenster, and I had to pop in and share it with you!

The box I received is the Spring Fever VoxBox, and it's absolutely, 100% FREE. If you've used subscription services like Birchbox or Ipsy, it's a lot like that (but again, free!). You do have to be active on social media and write product reviews to qualify, but I think it's worth it.

So, back to the review! One of the products in the box was a press-on manicure kit from Broadway Nails called imPRESS. Now, I am really not a fake-nails girl, folks. I was a nailbiter for years and still sometimes struggle with it, so since I was finally able to grow out my natural nails, I have been a bit protective of them! I don't do acrylics, I keep them protected and fairly short to avoid breakage, and try to go polish-free sometimes to let them breathe! So when I saw these press-ons in my box, I was less than excited, to be honest.

But these are actually pretty good. To put them on, you just wipe your natural nails with the enclosed alcohol prep pad, find the correctly sized nail for your fingernail, peel off the backing and press it firmly onto your nail. That's it! No dry time, no waiting between coats, and way fancier than anything I can do with a nail art brush. They adhere really securely to the natural nail without glue, which makes things super simple, and feel like an extension of your own nails. After a day of wear, you almost don't notice them at all. And so far, they've held up wonderfully through washing my dishes, doing my laundry, and clicking away at my keyboard for hours typing an 8-page paper!

So those are the pros, and now I'll dish about the cons. The color/print they sent me, called Holla!, is pretty far from my style, but they're not psychics, so I won't hold that against them! The product is actually good enough that I might try them again in a different shade or pattern more suited to my tastes. They also come shaped into squares at the tips, which is not my favorite nail shape. The good news is that they are easily trimmed with normal fingernail clippers (they behave much like natural nails in texture) and are long enough that you can get away with trimming if you want or need to. I trimmed mine to a more rounded shape that I felt more comfortable with, because when I put them on without trimming, I felt a little like a lady of the evening! Not the look I'm going for.

Untrimmed hooker nails. Excuse me while I go and turn some tricks.

Here is the mani after I trimmed them to a more natural shape: 

Ahh, much better.

Another con is that on the second day of wear (today), the color has begun to wear off of the tips just like conventional nail polish. I feel like if I really loved the pattern/color, I would be really sad! As it is, I'm not too attached to them and am thinking of using the opportunity to paint over the color with traditional nail polish, to see how that would work. Even though the original color of the press-ons has started to chip off, the nails themselves are still tightly adhered to my nails, so I'm thinking, why not just leave them on a bit longer and paint right over them? So I might do that, with a darker, opaque color for maximum obscuring of the original color.

Boo, tip wear.

Because I like to end on a positive note, these really were a perfect fit, size-wise. You really can't see any of my natural nail peeking out anywhere. imPRESS actually includes 24 nails in 12 different sizes, so that helps! I was able to find a nail size that looked pretty natural for all of my nails. If I hadn't told you, do you think you'd be able to tell that they're press-ons? I think they could honestly pass for nail stickers or stamping.

Closeup of the great fit.

These are also really great for me this week, since I just broke a nail and it had to be trimmed very short. These hide all that until it grows out a bit! Oh! And did I mention bottle is super cute? :) It's modeled after a traditional nail polish bottle, and is recloseable so you can keep the unused nails in for next time! How handy is that? (Teehee, handy, get it? :) )

So that's what I thought of the imPRESS press-on mani from Broadway Nails! How do you feel about press-on nails? Would you try these?

-Cattie

Note: This product was sent to me for review purposes from Influenster. This is my honest opinion about the product. I did not receive compensation (other than the product) for providing this review, nor was I under any obligation to produce a favorable review.

Try Something New!! Or not....

Hello, my lovlies!!!

Several times a year, ModCloth has a special "Stylish Surprise" sale in which they sell their overstock for super cheap prices. The only catch is that you have no idea what you are going to get until you get it. I've had various amounts of success with this sale in the past, and when it came around again in March, I couldn't resist. I've been pretty broke lately, but I allowed myself one item: a pair of shoes. Imagine my surprise when the package weighed 3.2 pounds. For ONE pair of shoes. I figured they must have been boots or something. I was again surprised when the package arrived and I opened it and found these:

Not my style at all. AT. ALL.

I shared the picture on my Facebook account, and our friend Lolo (she's funny, check her out) volunteered to take them off my hands. Amazing luck. I couldn't let them out of my hands without styling them once, though, so here it is! (BTW, I also took these pictures myself by balancing my camera precariously without actually having a functioning tripod. Hence the weird.)

I made a tunic longer by adding a skirt underneath it. 

This even convinced a guy that it was all one piece!

It's possible this is a cover of a terrible 80s movie.

"Oh, hey! These shoes are hard to walk in. Let me sit."

Overall, I say try things that are out of your comfort zone, 

but be aware if something is TOO far out of your comfort zone. 

Top: Simply Be

Skirt: ModCloth Le Centre Pompidou Skirt

Cardigan: I've had it for so long, I don't remember

Leggings: Old Navy

Shoes: ModCloth Stylish Surprise

Extra shot of me trying to set up the camera. What's with the face?

Meet Cattie!

Hello there! It's wonderful to meet you. Come here often? (I hope so. Or at least that you will once you see all the marvelous things we have planned for you here!)

Kati already introduced her fab self, and then my lazy bum took two full weeks (oops) to update with my own introduction. But the wait is over! Ta da! So, to begin with the beginning, I've always believed you're never fully dressed without a smile.

Okay, so maybe not. 

But I do now! In fashion, I gravitate toward anything cheery and colorful. For years I hid in shapeless, dark-colored clothes because I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin. It's an ongoing journey, but I've started dressing my outside to look more like my inside lately, which means colorful, joyful outfits that make me happy.

My recent fashion project has been figuring out what to pair with skirts. I love them, but I never seem to know what to wear with 'em. I haven't had great luck finding a button-down that will a.) fit over my boobs and b.) not hang like a tent everywhere else, and it seems like tees are just too casual. But a friend recently suggested adding a cardigan or a pretty scarf, and it was like, duh, why didn't I think of that? 

Basic skirt + colorful tee + cardigan + optional cute necklace = outfit success! (Uh, ignore the TOMS; they're comfy.) I think I can see myself using this handy little formula more often, especially on lazy days. It's a nice jeans-and-tee alternative!

The wind was picking up and people were already looking at me like I was a weirdo, so I decided to do a little twirling. This skirt is GREAT for twirling. 

And there ain't no being sad while twirling. :) So I started my day off a happy girl. How is your day going? (If it's going stinkily, I suggest adding twirling. Have I said "twirling" enough so that it's lost all its meaning yet? Twirling. Twirling. Twiiiiirling. I get a tiny bit dizzy just writing it.) 

Tee: Target (from ages ago)

Cardigan: ModCloth

Skirt: eShakti

Shoes: TOMS

Necklace: Etsy

I hope you're having a fantastic Monday, and that the rest of the week will put even more stars in your eyes!

-c

Meet Kati!

Hey all! Welcome to our blog! Cattie and I are so excited to share with you. Please take some time to read our "About the Authors" page.

I won't say I've always been a well-dressed lady,  but I did spend a day as a model when I was six years old. We rented this dress that I lovingly called the "Chiquita Banana dress." I wanted to keep it, but we couldn't afford it. I totally rocked it that day, though.

Nowadays, I spend my days finding exciting ways to mix colors and still look put together. I don't take stock in any of the color "rules" that are out there. I may have red hair, but I can still wear red and orange and whatever I want. As long as I feel confident. One day last week, I put together a very colorful ensemble that I was quite proud of.

I carefully walked through the backyard full of doggie "mines" to take this.

Top: ModCloth (No longer available)

Cardigan: Target (This color has limited availability)

Belt: New York & Company

Skirt: Dots

Tights: Target

Shoes: dancestore.com (not available there anymore, but still available at Amazon)

Hair Flower: Belle Blossoms (color is Pink & Ivory)

Earrings: Claire's Boutique