Adrien: Long Weekend Casual.

I wanted to try for a fun weekend outfit but instead you get this. Heh. Okay, it's cute and all but I don't know that it qualifies as fun. I do what I can:

I'm wearing Gap Real Straight jeans with a great slub cotton tank I got from Banana last summer. They don't currently have it in solid colors, but the striped version is pretty cute! They also have slub tees in good colors. I'd been considering buying the Everlane linen tank and then remembered I had this tank, so yay for that.

I busted out my fun new Old Navy crossbody bag this weekend and it's great. (More deets below.) Nice to travel a bit lighter. My Gap jeans are standing in for the LOFT white jeans that I've ordered but haven't gotten yet. I got two pairs to try (the Modern straight and Modern skinny) and I want to warn you away from their high waisted style that I tried on over the weekend. They will make you want to die. Just don't do it.

Deets! I'm wearing my Giles and Brother skinny railroad cuffs and a beaded necklace I got from BR last summer. This Kendra Scott pendant is a similar style and I'm currently very taken with this white beaded tassel necklace I saw over the weekend. (It made up for the horror of the high-waisted jeans.) So cute and summery! I might have to snag it on sale. Now, my little bag:

Old Navy! It comes in a bunch of good colors (I saw more in-store) as well as black and brown  (and a larger version) but I just can't resist a bit of snakeskin. There are a lot of really nice little double zip crossbody bags out there, but for under $20 this one looks great and you don't have to worry about it getting beaten up. 

I needed some color so I went for my red Lotta from Stockholm peep toe sandals. No regrets, still love them. This red Kensie pair (in cork, rather than wood) is a similar, slightly less clunky option. If you're of the Say No To Clogs school of fashion, I give you these adorable red Calvin Klein sandals. You're welcome.

Weekend Window Shopping: Summer Dresses.

There's nothing I like more than an easy, floaty summer dress. Here are eight options, all under $100 because that's how I roll:

Cute Boy Friday: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

I'm still working from the list of suggestions and I looked up Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and was all, YES PLEASE. Like, where has he been my whole life?? Oh...Game of Thrones? Ugh, fine. I will try to watch it (again) but it's so complicated. But...this guy. Worth it:

Holy hell, right? Damn. Scandinavian hotness. 

And this one is all, "Hey girl, you look so cute in those old yoga pants. I have to take your picture."

And he reads books (or pretends to) which is really hot. Also: beard. 

 And here he is all Game of Thronesy:

Come on. You knew this was coming:

Happy Friday, all! 

Adrien: Definitely a Keeper.

Hi! I am continuing my quest to dress like an adult so I pulled out an old skirt that I keep wearing because it has magical qualities:

I know, you're like, "Dude, that is just a red pencil skirt" but hang with me a minute and I'll show you. This skirt is from Ann Taylor and it's at least six years old. It's from back when they made quality things, before it got weird. (Though I have to say, I'm intrigued by this dress.) A red pencil skirt is surprisingly versatile and I wear mine year-round. This one at BCBG looks pretty good and you can't go wrong with J.Crew for something this basic. Ann Taylor, of course, still has any number of pencil skirts in solid colors, interesting prints and ridiculous florals but where's the magic? Because:

Damn. Seaming and covered buttons and a kick pleat? That ass is 30% Crossfit and 70% skirt magic. I am telling you. Ann Taylor used to care about such things. My blouse is also Ann Taylor:

It was plucked from the depths of the sale rack a few years ago and I just keep wearing it. This is why Ann Taylor is still worth a look - they do great, simple sleeves tops with wearable patterns and interesting shapes. They get marked down to nothing and are almost always machine washable. This one actually looks like the same exact cut as mine, right down to the neck ruffle. (The color is not for me, however.) Details: 

I'm wearing my Madewell Ensign necklace (currently on sale!) and a gold bangle that used to be my mothers until I stole it. Madewell also has a few bangle bracelets on sale, just in case you were wondering. I'm such an enabler. Onto ye olde MBMJ bag: 

I love a subtle metallic, way more fun than plain old tan or brown. I'm not generally a Michael Kors fan but this bag is such a good, sheeny gold! And I know I mentioned it recently, but I am still very into this reversible rose gold Ralph Lauren tote. My bargain pick is this amazing little metallic/straw crossbody. Perfect summer casual with a bit of fancy! 

These Chies need a trip to my shoe guy but I can't stop wearing them. If this pair of Chie Mihara sandals was in my size, I'd be wearing them instead! Or maybe this gold pair? Also not in my size. Oohh, or this pair which is in my size but is not on sale. Sorry, I like to torture with Chie. Maybe I'll just buy this pair at Madewell instead. Yep. Maybe. 

Adrien: Friday Outfit and Old Navy Tank Review.

This outfit is from last Friday and I decided to wear my new Old Navy split-back tank even though it's not technically work appropriate. When did that ever stop me? I intended to wear it with my white jeans but they seem to have...shrunk? Something. Something like that. Anyway:

I am so into this tank, you guys. I mentioned it in my ON shopping post recently.  I'm really happy with it and right now Old Navy is doing 50% off so it's less than $9! That is crazy. My jeans are Gap 1969 Real Straight and they're pretty basic but I have no complaints. This is what the back of the tank looks like:

It's split up pretty high so you might show some lower back but your bra isn't ever visible. I love the drape and the summery feel and I'm considering the light grey stripe version too. I sized down because the XS fit my narrow shoulders a bit better and I liked it a bit shorter on me, but the S certainly would've been fine. Details:

I finally fixed my rose gold Giles and Brother hook necklace, so it's back in rotation and I think it's nautical vibe works well here. I love the weight of this pendant and I'm also really into the Railroad Spike pendant and this Knot Pendant is so striking and nearly half off! I'm also wearing my Cluse La Bohème rose gold watch and a sparkly little bracelet that Marianne made me. 

I should give my MBMJ Too Hot hobo a rest but it's just such a workhorse. This sleek MJ hobo looks quite similar and the price on this nude MBMJ Natasha crossbody is quite good! I also like this little nugget. 

I tossed my oversized Eileen Fisher open cardigan over the whole thing so I wouldn't freeze to death in my office. This one in medium looks a lot like mine and is $83! Someone get that. I really need a lighter weight cardigan for summer and might order this one at Uniqlo as it was recommended recently in the comments. 

Finally, shoes. These are my red Chie Mihara mary janes and they always get me compliments. You can't go wrong with red and I'm currently crushing on these red Chie sandals and ugh, these too. For mary jane styles, I love this Miz Mooz pair and this Journee pair also looks really cute. Okay, I stop now. 

Shopping and Shopping and Shopping.

M: So, I have money from selling some stuff, and a little birthday money, and a 20% off coupon from Anthro AND my birthday 15% (though pretty sure I can't combine those). WHAT DO I WANT??

This looks super easy, I love the fabric this brand uses it's SO SOFT:

I've also been staring at this for a while. Coral or White? Coral or White? CORAL OR WHITE.

Or. OR!

A:  The first one is glorious, the second in coral. The third is SO YOU. I saw it on Kim France's blog and knew you'd love it.

M: gaaaaaah I can't really do all threeeee. I think the third one may not be very forgiving to my Cheeto belly.

A: Hmmm. My vote is for the first one. The second doesn't get great reviews. The third only works in black, I think.

M: I may try all three then just return what doesn't work.

A: I will require pics!

M: Maybe what I really need are these shoes.

M: I mean they are like Birkenstocks and clogs had a baby. For me.

A: Your description was, um, not selling them but they're actually really cute!

M: I think I need those more than the overpriced shirt dress.

A: I mean, you know that LOFT dress will be $15 in a couple of weeks.

M: Oh I'm not spending full price on that, no way.

A: But the birthday discount at Anthro should be used!

M: I think I'll wait on the dress to go on sale though. Even with 20% off it's too much for what it is. But the shoes I need ranow.

A: Those shoes should be yours. They went to all that trouble!

M: Do you use the Honey plugin on Chrome. GAME. CHANGER.

A: Der, of course I do. I mean, sometimes it stacks coupons I didn't even know existed. Is magic.

M: It delights me.

A: I use Honey and eBates and feel like I'm a genius. A broke genius who shops online too much.

A:  I'm currently obsessed with minimalist earrings on Etsy.

M: Hahah you nerd.

A: What? I'M NOT A HIPSTER.

M: ....

A: HEY.

A: Fine, never mind, I won't show you then.

M: Haha, let me see. I'm sure I'll want them all.

A: I've started wearing earrings in my second holes again so I want something really simple. Either these:

Or maybe these?

I love the idea of something fancier like these, but I'm afraid I'd lose them:

M: Yeah I would start with something cheaper. I have had my eye on those top ones and my everyday pair are similar to the second!

A: I just know myself and I can't be trusted with something so tiny and expensive. Gold fill is good enough for my cheap ass. (Update: I bought the second pair.)

STILL THE WORST In Two Acts.

A: Shobbit just posted about his assistant Camilla and linked her IG. Her actual name? CAMILA.

M: Haaaaa

A: How long has she worked for him? Two years?

M: Poor Camila

A: He is THE WORST BOSS EVER.

~ Part Two ~

A: A reader just sent me this:

A: Never gets old.

M: AHAHAHAHAHA

M: HAAAA

A: I WHEEZED when I saw it. WHEEZING LAUGHTER.

M:

A: HHhahaaaaaa

A: Between this and his spelling his assistant’s name wrong for years? It’s like Shobbit Christmas.

Weekend Window Shopping: Beach Bound!

Yes folks, I am going to the beach this weekend (chant with me: No Rain! No Rain!) and of course I have a fantasy beach wardrobe shopping list:

Cute Boy Friday: Sam Heughan

Young Mr. Heughan has appeared on the blog before but he's never gotten the full CBF treatment. He's almost...too much, you know? How can anyone look like that? it's unholy. I mean:

So ridiculously good looking and ooh, even better all grubby and be-kilted: 

And now we go shirtless because that's the best part: 

I MEAN YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU: 

I've saved this one for last. It doesn't actually look like him (though I'm pretty sure it is), but WHO EVEN CARES. IS GOOD: 

Yup. Happy Friday! 

Adrien: A Vast Improvement.

That last outfit wasn't...my finest work. I decided to try a little bit harder and dress like an adult who hasn't completely given up. Here's what I came up with:

This is a leopard sheath dress from Ann Taylor that I've had for years. It's a favorite! I wish they still made this style but I guess this one is the most similar they have right now but it's pretty boring. This Ann Klein leopard print sheath is nicely work appropriate and this fit-and-flare leopard dress is so pretty! And hey, you can't go wrong with a crazy DVF print dress. And, if you're a size 8, please buy this dress. I dig it.

I threw on an old open cardigan and wish I'd taken the time to straighten it out. It's a cheapy from Marshalls but this Splendid version would be a nice upgrade. This one at Last Call is pretty similar (and the price is great) and I love this sheer open cardigan at LOFT. The back on mine has a fun detail:

More details! I'm wearing my gold scarab necklace from BR. This similar Melinda Maria necklace is really striking and this Jules Smith beetle pendant is also gorgeous. Oh! There's also a new Lulu Frost scarab ring on the TJ Maxx site. So obsessed with that website. 

My ring is Alexis Bittar (from the Box of Style) and my bracelet is an old one I stole from my mother. It falls off a lot. My Cambridge Satchel bag matches my dress in a way too subtle to capture with my bad photography, but the black spots are actually black and reddish brown, so it works IRL. 

Here's the part where I torture you with yet another pair of eBay-purchased Chie Mihara sandals:

I love the bright orange trim and the round heel! I'm big on eBay for finding older CM styles - I'd buy this pair in a second if I was a size 9 and this pair of size 9.5 mary janes are hurting my feelings. And purple suede pumps in size 8? Save me from myself. For new Chie styles definitely keep an eye on Yoox! They have good deals, though limited sizing.

That's it! I'm really hoping the weather turns soon so I can wear some more summery stuff. Fingers crossed...

Beauty Review: Mascara Review Showdown!

I went to Sephora to buy the Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes mascara that Marianne had been raving about and while I was there, and apparently feeling all vulnerable, the sales associate recommended Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara, so I bought that too (in a travel size.)

I also took pictures which I'll acknowledge are completely f'ing useless because both sides look exactly the same. We'll just pretend. First, my bare lashes:

I have a hard time with mascara because my lashes are clearly pretty dinky and I wear contacts so I rub my eyes a lot which doesn't help. Also, I am lately missing a chunk of lashes on my left eye (I DON'T KNOW) so I was hoping one of these mascaras would help to hide this issue.

First, the Tarte mascara. This is an Advanced mascara with a system that takes a bit of practice. It has rules! The brush handle is marked on each side with a number so you start with #1 and brush the mascara on with the shorter bristles (while trying not to poke yourself in the eye with the longer bristle side) then flip it over to lengthen and separate. This seems like a lot of work and is very annoying, but if you really settle in and do the work, the results are very good (right side):

I know these pictures don't really show much difference, but I think the Tarte mascara might be slightly more dramatic and lengthening. 

On the left side I'm wearing the Too Faced Better than Sex mascara. Spoiler: it totally isn't. It has a big fluffy brush that gets a giant clot of mascara on the end that I have to clean off every damn time but other than that it's decent stuff. Natural, fluffy long lashes with minimal fuss. So...both are quite good, neither one is life changing and neither one holds a curl worth a damn on my pin straight lashes.

A few other quick reviews while I have your attention:

This Bite Beauty Lipstick that I ordered last month? I returned it. People rave about these but I was just completely unimpressed. The lip mask balm, though? Amazing and wonderful.

The Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturizer that I bought last fall is really nice stuff but the pump jar is annoying. It's heavy so you don't know that you're out of product until you press the little thing and nothing happens. SO ANNOYING. I am trying to use up other products I have, so I won't rebuy this right away. I hate that packaging.

I've been using my Skin & Bones Luxurious Moisturizer oil at night on my face (Sunday Riley Juno in the morning) and my skin freaking loves it. I always seem to forget how much my face likes this fancy Jojoba oil-based blend and it smells like dark magic. I don't even know how else to describe it, exactly, but I like it. There is a nice travel set with a few of the products (including the luxurious moisturizer)

Oh, and, Ampersand, my reader friend in Japan sent me a bunch of makeup and samples so I'll be writing up a post about that soon. Lots of cool stuff I've been trying out!

What have you tried lately that you loved? (Or hated?)

Adrien: I'm Sorry, You Guys.

This is super super super phoned-in, y'all. It won't stop raining and my brain is broken and I've stopped caring about "clothes" and "joy" and stuff like that. (See also: the blog shop. I will be listing stuff all week because I'm just wearing garbage bags from now on.)  I wore some clothes or whatever yesterday and this is what it looked like:

I'm wearing a very comfortable Old Navy chambray shirt (I also have the medium wash) that I really imagined wearing with white jeans or something fun, but instead I'm wearing an old pair of Sloan fit BR cropped pants. They have cool moto detail that you can't see, but it's there. This Club Monaco pair is pretty similar and I love this pair at LOFT. 

Sassy arm! I think the details are where things come together a bit more. I'm wearing the Feather Pendant necklace from Banana and I have to say, it's really, really pretty. It has a hinge in the middle so it moves! They also have feather earrings, a bracelet, and a crazyballs statement necklace version that I'm coveting. Man, BR likes some feathers. 

My watch is a La Mer stud wrap and I'm just going to admit right now that the battery has been dead for two years and I'm just wearing it anyway. It's cute, right? A little cooler than this Coach version and way less expensive than this adorable Shinola watch.

This is where I talk about how a metallic bag is the neutral you should definitely have one. Mine is the MBMJ Mag Bag and there's usually one on eBay (this one is a bit worn, but the price is right! It's big sister is also a deal.) In the world of new, I think this rose gold RL tote is really dreamy and my bargain pick is this Liz Claiborne hobo.

My awesome leopard flats are Madewell skimmers and I'm sad because they're starting to look a bit worn. Madewell has a cute leopard loafer right now, but no flats. This ankle strap version is nearly perfect except for the price and this French Sole pair is almost identical but still too much. Of course, there's always J.Crew for the perfect pair of leopard flats. Yesss.

That's all. I am going to curl up under my desk now and wait for the sun to come out.