January Favorites

Hey guys,

January is almost over and February’s on the way which means it’s time for my first ever favorites post. There’s been so much going on in January and I’ve fell in love (and fallen back into love) with so many products.

Beauty

Bioderma Cleansing Water

I have heard so much rave about this product all over the internet and when i found it in a local drugstore I just had to get it. It is very gentle on the skin and leaves a tingling sensation after application. I use it as a cleanser before creams but you can also use it as as a make-up remover. By the amount of dirt it gets of my face, I bet that it’ll do an amazing job as a make-up remover as well.

Essie’s Nail Polish in School of Hard Rocks

This has been one of my all time favorite nail colors and I’ve fallen back in love with it. I got it last winter and had used it religiously throughout and dug it back out again for January. It’s a grayish navy blue color which looks absolutely gorgeous on your nails. Trust me go out and get a bottle you won’t regret it.

Soap & Glory’s Body Butter

I am a huge Soap & Glory fan and this product, just like their others, has not let me down. The cold weather just dries my skin out, especially my legs, and leaves it feeling itchy and scaly. The body butter works like a charm to help soothe the skin with multiple applications. I’ve tried brands like Johnson & Johnson and The Body Shop, but i feel like this just works so much better. Plus it smells of vanilla musk and trust me it’s amazing.

Fashion

Beanies

I have gone a little beanie crazy this month. Beanies are just a great way to cover up a bad hair day. I normally wear them with my hair down or with a side fishtail braid. I got this beanie from Zara and it’s in this gorgeous oxblood/wine red (my fav!). It has a really good grip on it as slouchy beanies tend to slip of my head as i like to wear them real low. I just hate it when they don’t stay on your head throughout the day and you got to constantly put them back on.

Knits + Shirts

I really love layering knits over button down shirts. The extra length from the shirt makes it wearable with tights and it also adds depth to the outfit. I paired a shimmery silver/grey knit from H&M with a denim frayed button down i got at a little boutique. Sometimes you buy one of those loose knit sweaters and realize that it just does not look good with a cami or tank under it, well the shirt is great replacement to it.

Random

Music

I have really weird taste in music which ranges from bubblegum pop to raw indie music. But this January Swedish House Mafia’s save the world has been on replay on my iPod.

Food

Food for Friend’s Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli is to die for. Just top it with your favorite pasta sauce and you’ll be all set for dinner.

– Alex

Current Obsession: 80s Hair Ties

It is an understatement to say that I am obsessed with these 80s inspired hair ties. I was shopping at H&M when i cam across these adorable hair accessories near the counter. They are fun, loud and a total contrast to the dull colors of winter. Spring is definitely on it’s way.

They come at $2.99 per pack of 10 hair scrunchies, 2 of each amazing color.

I bought 2 packs, one of the thinner more elastic sort of material.It comes in turquoise, mint, navy, a glossy pink and a hot pink. My favorite would definitely be the reflective glossy pink just cause it sort of reminds me of want one would wear to a roller disco.

The other pack comes with thicker hair ties. It too comes with a turquoise, pink, purple, yellow and coral. The coral has such a pretty color to it, almost a neon orange but with a tinge of pink to it. Maybe some obsessing over hair ties might seem a little strange but these just make a boring ponytail a little more fun plus at a low cost too.

IKEA Moppe Hack: Butterfly Drawers

 

Hey lovelies,

Here’s a little tutorial i have for you guys to create these super cute little drawer set to store your little knick knacks . So here’s what you’ll need:

What You’ll Need:

1.  Ikea Moppe Drawer
2. Acrylic Paint
3. Sponge Brush
4. Modpodge
5. Scissors
6. Transparent Spray Paint
7. Card Paper
8. Hot Glue Gun/ White Glue (basically any glue you’ve got)
9. Butterfly Decal Template (below)

 

Instructions

1. Start off with painting the drawers to your desired color using acrylic paint and a sponge brush. I went with Martha Stewart’s Beach Glass.

2. Using Modpodge, paste the butterfly decal template onto the card paper.

3. Apply a layer of Modpodge over the template.

4. When it dries, cut out the butterflies from the template and paint the side with the card paper your desired color. I went with the same color as i thought it would give a more subtle effect.

5. Using the transparent spray paint, seal all your butterfly cut-outs and the painter set of drawers to give it a more finished look and protect the design.

6. Fold the butterflies into half and paste them onto the drawer set

It’s as simple as that, your end result is a super cute and unique set of drawers. If you want, you could design the back of the little drawers with a different design to mix it up every once in a while. Maybe modpodge different fabrics or just paint it a different color. This is such a fun and easy way to organize your room, so i hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial.

xx, Alex

 

Halloween: Pebbles Flintstone DIY

Hey Lovelies,

Halloween has always been a favorite holiday of mine and i usually spend months contemplating on what to go as for Halloween. Knowing me, I never like to spend anything over $30 on something i would only wear once. Hence, I have turned to DIY to resolve my costume crisis. Although i must apologize that this post is being put up rather close to Halloween, but maybe this will serve as inspiration for future costumes ahead. This year i have decided to go as Pebbles Flintstone. I always loved the Flintstones and Pebbles could definitely translate well. With the help of an old oversized t-shirt and a pre-owned pair of sky blue shorts, i managed to create my costume in under $10. My costume consists of 5 parts:

• Pebble’s Green Tee
• Blue Diapers
• Hair Bone
• Mammoth Bag
• Prehistoric Jewelry

So let’s get started with the rundown and tutorial of how i put together my Pebbles’ Flintstone Costume!

Pebble’s Green Tee

What You’ll Need:

• White Tee
• Green Dye (I used Dylon’s Tropical Green)
• Black Cloth Tape (or any black tape)

All you have to do is follow the instructions on the back of the packaging and dye the shirt green. After that, cut out triangles from the black cloth tape and paste them onto your shirt. I folded the sleeves so that’ll it will look more like pebbles flintstone’s shirt or you can use a tank top instead.

Blue Diapers

I used a pair of preowned sky blue shorts as Pebble’s blue diapers. If you don’t have a pair you could dye a pair of white shorts or bleach a pair of shorts and then dye it. I would suggest Dylon’s Bahama Blue.

Hair Bone

What You’ll Need:

• Toilet Role
• Paper Mache Paste ( 1 part flour to 1 part water)
• Tape
• Kitchen Roll
• White Paint
• Newspaper

Instructions:

1. Cut the toilet roll in half and roll it up to make a thinner cylinder. Tape it into place.
2. Crunch up 4 balls of newspaper and tape 2 to each side of the toilet roll creating a structure of a bone.
3. Dip the strips of kitchen roll into the paper mache paste and lay it over the bone structure.
4. Leave it over night to dry completely.
5. Paint it.

I just paired it with a high poofy ponytail which i teased.

Mammoth Bag

I wanted a bag which could go along with the outfit. I didn’t want to spend money on a faux fur bag nor did i know where to even start looking for one. So i went with a good old paper bag made to look like it was made of mammoth fur.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 Paper Bags (1 of size you want the bag to be and a bigger one)
• Scissors
• Brown Paint
• Sharpie
• Cloth (For strap)
• Clear Spray Paint (Sealer)
• Masking Tape

Instructions:

1. Cut open the larger paper bag to for a large sheet
2. Place the smaller bag on top of it and draw out your “mammoth fur”
3. Cut it out and paint it brown
4. As you wait for the paint to dry draw then cut out a bone. Paint it white
5. Using a sharpie, outline the edges of the mammoth fur and add details. Do the same for the bone.
6. Paste the “mammoth fur” on to the smaller paper bag.
7. Use the clear spray paint to seal the designs
8. Using a long piece of cloth (i used a scrap piece cut out from the hem of a shirt) dye it brown by using 1 part paint to 1 part water. Stir it around and leave it in the mixture for about 20 minutes.
9. Remove it and squeeze out access paint. Leave it to dry. DO NOT wash it as the paint will run.
10. Attach strap to the bag using masking tape.

Prehistoric Jewelry

I did up a bracelet and a necklace but unfortunately at the time i was writing the post i only had finished doing the bracelet. I know Pebble did not wear any jewelry but i thought it would be cute to pair the outfit with a few accessories. I took inspiration for Wilma Flintstone and created these prehistoric pieces.

What You’ll Need:

• Clay
• Skewer
• Hemp/ String

Instructions:

1. Roll clay into 3/4 inch diameter balls
2. Poke the skewer into the middle to create beads. Leave to dry overnight.
3. After it has dried, string them into the hemp and tie as a bracelet/ necklace. (I tied a square not so that it would be adjustable.

For Shoes:

I wore my classic slip on tom’s shoes in bronze and pasted two paper bones on it.

Last minute options:

If you want to make a last minute outfit out of this just simply do up the top and the bottom. Cut out a paper bone and paste it on a rubber band to tie your high pony with. It will take about a day to do it.

I definitely love this fun and cute halloween costume. It is definitely a better alternative to my past outfits (Zombie, Hippie, Etc.) Hope you have a happy halloween.

XX, Alex