Weekend Window Shopping (part 2): Pool-Ready UnFancy.

Have we recovered? I know, it's all so shiny and good. But, for those with more average budgets like mine, this is really the way to do it:

Weekend Window Shopping (part 1): Pool-Ready Fancy.

Sometimes I put together lists of beautiful shiny things that I know I'll never be able to justify or buy. I enjoy the fantasy of imagining such things and that's the true nature of window shopping, right? So, with that in mind, here's how to do the pool or beach all high-end fancy lady (Don't despair, tomorrow will be the same theme but un-fancy.):

Cute Boy Friday: Goode Day Sir.

Can we talk about Matthew Goode for a second? I will admit he kind of slipped through the cracks for me until Downton Abbey but I recently watched Leap Year (which isn't great) and he is EVERYTHING good in that movie. Everything. He just scruffs up so well:

But he also does Downton Abbey so well:

And, you know, this doesn't suck:

And OH MY GOD, those eyes:

Yep, he'll do.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): NET-A-PORTER Sale!

I don't shop Net-A-Porter much because it's so freaking expensive, but Girl of a Certain Age posted about the sale going on right now and I got curious. You know what? There's a ton of great stuff for decent prices! This is what I found and every piece is under $75 (and don't forget 3.0% cash back with eBates!):

Outfits From Last Month! Part Two: Adrien.

On to part two! This is what I wore last month in Knoxville, all of which you've seen before. I'm wearing my J.Crew Downtown Field Jacket which is still one of my favorite things ever.

I think my jeans are James Jeans? My memory is fading. Aging is real and it's not pretty.

My favorite Olive & Oak blouse. It's not online but this one is really similar. (Related Tip: I was recently in a Lucky Brand store and did you know they have cute tops there? SO MANY CUTE TOPS. I always just assumed it was jeans but now I know.)

This is my MBMJ Kirsten Globetrotter bag and it's long gone but you should really buy this blue MBMJ instead. (That is a good price.)  Sorry about the ridiculous foot picture coming up, but it's hard to get a good shot of shiny-ass metallic slides apparently. 

They are by Lucky (again with Lucky!) and Marianne made me buy them and then bought herself a pair on Amazon. They are good times and I like being shoe twins with M.

So, there you go! That's what I wore more than a month ago. Nobody can say I'm not current, no sir.

Outfits From Last Month! Part One: Marianne.

Heeeey! I can't believe I haven't posted these yet but you get them now. When I went to see Marianne we did some quick photos of our outfits before we went a-shopping, something she hadn't been able to do for nearly a year. Here she is, you guys! Looking fantastic, as per usual:

She's wearing an Everlane v-neck tee (they are perfect) and some adorable drapey pants by Fire LA, which I couldn't find online. This pair at J.Crew are similar (and on sale) and an even more budget friendly version can be found at Forever21, if you must. 

Her jacket is Doki Geki and her amazing sunglasses which came from the Rachel Zoe Box of Style are Traveler by TOMS. They're so good on her.

We were both completely obsessed with this bracelet (also from the Rachel Zoe box.) It's the Miansai Modern Screw Cuff and it is the COOLEST and great for those of us with small wrists. I did not steal it from her, just FYI, I just touched it a lot. 

She is wearing Birkenstock Gizehs on her feet and carrying her favorite old SU-SHI bag which just gets better with age. 

Finally, this little gem of a necklace which she's been wearing a lot lately! It's the BaubleBar Mini Arrow Necklace which doesn't appear to be available anymore, but this one is nearly identical and very cute. 

That's Part One! Tomorrow you'll get to see what I wore. Exciting, I know.

Weekend Window Shopping: Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale.

There are a ton of sales this weekend but one of the best is the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale. They take up to 40% off selected current spring/summer stuff, so now is your chance to get some great new things for summer before it's actually summer! Whee. Plus, they're offering 6.0% cash back with eBates which is pretty decent. Here are my enabling suggestions:

Cute Boy Friday: A McConaughey Kinda Weekend.

For some reason when I was thinking about who would best represent the upcoming holiday weekend and the start of summer, my brain said, McConaughey. Not the super-serious Lincoln commercial McConaughey (which ruined every serious line he spoke in Interstellar) but this guy. Remember this guy?

OH YEAH. That's the guy.

Banana Republic Spring Collection aka I Am A Terrible Friend.

My BFF Kate sent me the following message along with a forwarded email from Banana Republic, subject line: "The 5 best pants to wear now." 

K: Lately I feel like Banana sends me these emails trying to convince me that I should style myself to look like an asshole. Like other people might be able to pull some of this stuff off, but if I tried it - asshole.

A: If you wear those gauchos I will not be your friend anymore. (Lunch tomorrow?)

K: I feel like we should go try them on for science. 

A: I don't like science but I think you might be right.

I just want to point out that this was her idea. (though I might have handed her some things and said, "You should try this on. HAHAHA!" before sprinting away.) First, let's get the gauchos over with:

Kate is wearing the Wide-Leg Gaucho Pant with the Stripe Cropped Sweatshirt and it's...not really working. Cropped with cropped doesn't do anyone any favors and those gauchos are Not Good. Are they ever good? Here I am wearing the gauchos in black with the Striped Modal Pocket Tee which I really kind of liked (the tee, not the gauchos):

#nope

MOVING ON. I threw the Heritage Printed Jumpsuit at Kate because I'm mean and she's a good sport:

It was a size too small but I still think it looked really cute on her! I am not generally a fan of jumpsuits but that works surprisingly well. I grabbed some of the blue Moto Zip Drapey Pant because I thought they'd be the worst, but they were really comfortable and had potential:

Except for the giant zipper pockets which ruined EVERYTHING and made my hips look huge. Stop this madness, BR! 

womp.

Kate tried on the regular Drapey Pant which were really cute on her, despite the Stripe Cropped Sweatshirt which is just such an unfortunate thing:

Speaking of unfortunate things, these Floral Jacquard Boy Crop pants are not for me: 

I liked them in theory but the fit was way off. WAY off. I mean, why such a huge waist? And more pocket-issues? I need to have a little chat with whoever is doing this. Oh Banana, you give and you take away. *sigh*

If I have somehow accidentally tempted you to buy something you should know that code BRSUMMER will get you 40% off plus 8.0% cash back with eBates. (Please don’t buy the gauchos, is all I ask.)

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Sale Sandals at Last Call!

Ooh, lots of good affordable-but-fancy sandals over at NM Last Call right now! The current deal: they're taking an automatic 40% off of the current prices and you can get 8.0% cash back with eBates! Not bad at all:

Adrien: More Remote Fun.

Still working on location and light exposure with the wireless remote and stuff, but it's getting there. I'm wearing a lot of my favorite things here, so I wanted to get some kind of photos, even if they're wonky. Like, way to not hide the remote, dummy:

Whatever, just check out my awesome new peep toe Lottas instead:

My jeans are Shockoe Atelier and I love them even if they're too tight right now. Unfortunately they don't make lady jeans anymore so I would go with these gorgeous selvedge Levis instead. And oh, this silk blouse! It's Fenn Wright Manson and I bought it in Knoxville at Marshalls (or TJ Maxx?) It's perfect:

Of course I can't find it online anywhere but it reminds me a lot of the this silk Joie top and I'd say the quality is pretty similar. Get thee to Marshalls! (Or TJ Maxx!) The necklace I'm wearing is one I posted about wanting...sort of. I posted this variation (and also love the owl) but got the star map instead:

It's really lovely and fun but it's jingly which makes me slightly insane by the end of the day. I feel like I'm wearing a very tinkly cow bell. Sweet. 

Lazy Beauty Reviews

I've been sampling a bunch of products lately, trying to get my skin to be happy. I think I've finally managed to get it back on the right path by (potentially) throwing money at the situation.  Caroline Hirons make the point that you really should spend money on good skin care and foundation and skimp on the rest. I pick my battles by going with an inexpensive moisturizer and spending more
on serums and active-ingredient products. (I've also been taking fish oil, drinking tons of water and cut all sugar, dairy and most booze from my diet because ugh. Kill me. But it's helping.)

What I'm really digging:

Good Genes

Sunday Riley Good Genes - This stuff is seriously too expensive but so far it's definitely making my skin look better and I'm starting to understand that "glow" thing everyone talks about. I'm using it every other night and if it continues to perform I'll probably buy it.

Take The Day Off

Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm - I reviewed this already but I wanted to give an update. I use this every night as my first cleanse to get my makeup off. I love that it's unscented and it just does such a good job without stripping my skin. Plus, it just feels luxurious. Good stuff.

Skin & Bones

Skin and Bones Luxurious Moisturizer- We reviewed this oil on the blog ages ago and totally loved it. However, it's pricey and after using up what I had, I didn't repurchase. A while ago I splurged on the regular bottle and it is STILL freaking great. The scent is probably not for everyone but I adore it it's spicy/woody/jasmine thing. I usually mix a pump or two in with my CeraVe moisturizer at night but sometimes I'll use it on my arms and collarbone/chest because it feels really nice and makes me happy and my skin loves it. Just saying.

What I'm dying to try:

Luna Oil

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil - This crazy face oil that everyone is raving about is supposed to have some kind of fancy non-irritating retinol in it and I am allllll up in that. I got a sample today at Sephora (it's...blue?) and I'll be trying it out starting tonight. I will report back. (Has anyone tried it? Do tell.) I also really want to try the Sunday Riley Juno Oil but my Sephora isn't fancy enough to carry the whole line, so Luna it is. For now.

Weekend Window Shopping: Shorts for Summer

I'm sure some of you are going to be all, "ugh, shorts" but I live in the south and in the south you wear shorts in the summer. Shopping for them is right up there with shopping for bathing suits, though. It's painful. So many pairs are obscenely short, have the word "mom" in the description or just straight up look like diapers. Nope. I've had to dig deep, but I think I found some cute options:

Cute Boy Friday.

So, it's come to my attention that a lot of Americans don't know about my favorite band, the Kaiser Chiefs. You should really fix this. Really. I'll wait.

Okay, now please observe how freaking cute the lead singer Ricky Wilson is:

And hey, he looks very good in a suit:

And now please observe how I completely and totally lost my cool last weekend and this happened:

Worth it.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Crazy Sale MBMJ Tote.

I have no idea why this awesome blue leather MBMJ tote is $191 on 6pm.com but oh my GOD will someone please buy it? That's crazy.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Mility Utility Tote

Also! Since we're on the subject of 6pm, it was pointed out to me via my Instagram account (where you can see a photo of me kissing Ricky Wilson if that's your thing) that my favorite Sam Edelman Trina sandals (reviewed here) are on the site in four colors and are nearly half off retail. Highly recommend:

Sam Edelman Trina

Ugh! So tempting, all of it. I need a nap or something.

The Scrolldown Takes Manhattan.

**I lowered some prices in the blog shop and added something new. Check it out!**

A: Please explain what is happening here:

image: The Sartorialist

L: Hold on, I can't catch my breath from laughing.

A: "Hello? Yes? What is it? I'm in the middle of... something."

L: I think I've had dreams like this!

A: Right? It's like the dream where you are back in high school but wearing just underwear. Or muppet slippers.

L: Like I hope this Shel Silverstein poem is framed on his wall:

A: You know what? Maybe...maybe...no. Never mind. It's too crazy.

L: Go on...

A: Lili, maybe those are just his shoes.

L: NO! No? No. Yes?

A: I mean, he's outside. With a coat on. And it's cold enough for gloves. WHY WOULD HE BE WEARING FUZZY SLIDES.

L: If only he were Japanese I would think that he stepped outside to make a quick phone call and didn't remember to put his outside shoes on.

A: See, if he didn't have the coat and gloves, I'd buy that. But...no. I think those are his outside shoes.

A: PeeEss

L: Maybe he needs an outside hat to go with these.

A: I think the Fashion People would totally dig that.

L: I'm giving this outfit a soundtrack.

A: Well! That just made my day. #90sforever

BUY THIS (Because It's Hurting My Feelings): Beauty.com Friends & Family

Oh man, you guys. I am trying so hard to be good and also trying so hard to not want fancy face serum stuff and then Beauty.com goes and sends me a 20% off code: BBFF20 (plus get 4.0% cash back with eBates.) There are only a few exclusions (Jane Iredale, Perricone MD and Rodin) which means it'll work on Sunday Riley Good Genes. Dammit. I'm still working my way through a sample but if it's magic I might have to get it.

I don't shop at Beauty.com as often as Sephora, but they have interesting brands like Korres and MALIN+GOETZ and the discount definitely makes it more tempting. Now would be a great time to buy that Mason Pearson brush you've always wanted or maybe something really sweet like this:

Lorac Pro Palette 2

Marianne was eyeing this fancy organic concealer/foundation so of course now I want it too:

RMS Beauty "Un" Cover-Up

They also carries It Cosmetics which is a brand I've been liking lately. I'm currently digging their Bye Bye Under Eye concealer. It's waterproof and full coverage but not cakey. (It does crease though, they are totally lying about that part.) Marianne swears by the CC cream, as well. And, when it comes down to it, I want this because it's cute:

MALIN+GOETZ essential kit 

Sigh.

Review: Lotta From Stockholm Peep Toe Clog Sandals.

This is kind of a fake review since I've already reviewed my black pair, but that was two years ago and now I have a shiny new pair of Lotta From Stockholm peep toes in red! Hooray! I am happy to report that I like my red pair just as much as my black pair. They're comfortable right out of the box which makes no sense. I wore them all day on Saturday and again yesterday morning and they're perfect. I know they absolutely look like shoes that will hurt you, but I swear I don't even have to use blister stuff and I have really sensitive feet. For size reference, I wear a US 8 and got them in a 39. I love them:

Lotta from Stockholm

Total man-repellers and not a style for everyone, but I've never cared about that. Wear what you like! The red is bright and orange-leaning, definitely a cadmium red, which I think is great for summer. I am going to wear these A TON. A couple of hints if you're thinking about getting a pair or already have. Rub a little olive oil into the wood sides to help to waterproof them. Also, if the wood gets dirty (and it will) you can clean it up with very fine sandpaper.

Also, I just don't understand why they nearly identical Swedish Hasbeens cost twice as much. Not worth it! Get the Lottas.

Weekend Window Shopping: Cheap Summer Dresses.

It's that time a year! The time when I start searching for cheap, easy dresses to wear in the hot weather. I found quite a few good options, all under $50:

Cute Boy Friday!

It's Lenny Kravitz day! Why is it Lenny Kravitz day? Because I say it is. That should be enough, right? (Also, did you know he is 50 years old? Dang, Lenny. Keep doing whatever you're doing.)

And here's a bonus pic that's most definitely NSFW. Also, this one. Happy Friday!