Outfit of the Day: This Is A Lot.

Happy Halloween! This is not a costume, just my usual thing in which I wear stuff I like and then wonder if it's too much: 

Man, I really do love some leopard print and my J.Crew Tippi sweater is BRINGING THE LEOPARD. MAYBE A LOT. But, it's fun and I approve this sweater. J.Crew currently has plenty of leopard on offer and I think this one is my current favorite though the leopard Sophie also appeals. For a version more similar to mine, J.Crew Factory has you covered. Cute! Also, can I pull off high rise leopard jeans? 

There it is! This is my new-to-me LV Alma which I'll talk about in a minute. My jeans are new-via-Poshmark and are the older version of this Madewell style. Honestly, I wish I'd just bought the new ones because these do not have magic pockets and they definitely stretch out. Boo. They're comfortable but I will probably upgrade during the next sale. 

I threw on one of my favorites - my Madewell et Sézane Beckett jacket. It's long sold out but every now and then one pops up on Poshmark. For something similar, I'd recommend the Passage Jacket or the Surplus Jacket. 

Now! Shoes and bag. My shoes are the Everlane Day Glove flats that I talked about finding earlier in the week. They are kind of weird and I wasn't really sure about them at first but then I wore them three days in a row and I guess they're my best flats now? They are so weird with a high cut vamp, but with each wear they get more comfortable. I generally wear a size 8 and these are an 8.5 and fit me fine. (I think the idea is to buy your normal size so they stretch and mold to your feet but I don't know that my square-ass toes would love that.) Anyway, they're great. Weird, but great. 

Now, I talked about my Alma bag here but now that I've carried it for a while I have more information. The Alma is just an inconvenient little joy. I do need to get a strap for it eventually, but for now it's a hand-held nugget. I really love it's polish and structure and it's just the right size for my day-to-day crap. Yay. More details because why not:

Hey, here's my favorite necklace that you can't actually buy because it's sold out. I'm a jerk. It's a Dean Davidson labradorite tassel and this one is pretty similar (also Dean Davidson!) 

Here's a closer look because I took the photo, might as well use it. Ain't that bag pretty? So pretty.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Madewell Is Relentless.

Dammit, Madewell. I bought stuff during your sale promotion and now you're telling me you've extended it? Hmph. The deal is this: 20% off when you spend $100+ with code NEWLEAF. It's not, like, an amazing deal but if you already had a purchase in mind, it's a decent push. 

Here's what I was tempted to buy: 

This is flannel and has POCKETS. I l would wear with coated black jeans and boots. 

The jewelry lately has been dainty collections of bits, which I like. This is especially pretty. 

These are kinda weird, but I like the colors and pattern way more than the last iteration.

Doesn't this look cozy and ridiculous? I would wear this with high-waisted skinny jeans and red flats. 

Now. Here's what I still have filed under STILL WANT:

Today I love this bag in the toffee color. Tomorrow? I might want it in black. It's so good either way.

These are gonna happen, I just can't spring for them yet. Such an amazing color and I love the heel.

 And here's what I did buy: 

Womp womp. I know. But, I literally do not own a belt and I'm tired of hiking up my jeans.

Whee! I did finally buy these after they sold out in my size and then popped back in. Fingers crossed. 

That's it! Did you buy anything during this sale? Do tell. 

Weekend Shopping Report: Some Things Were Purchased.

Last week was A WEEK. By the time Saturday hit (in which I got a flat halfway through the race I'd been training for) I was really, really, really over it. Luckily, Kate was like, "what you need is lunch at the nice French place. Let's go get moules frites and wine." Hooray! We did that and then stumbled down the street to Need Supply Co.

Just some history - Need Supply started in my town as a store selling vintage Levi's (before anyone else had realized it was a market.) They've rebranded several times over the years and now they are a high-end, slightly terrifying but beautiful gallery-like store, which is super fun when you're tipsy and give no fucks. In we go.

Kate has been on a journey lately to find a new fragrance and Need Supply carries several lines we were curious about. D.S. & Durga was one of the brands we were intrigued by, though their website is infuriating hipster nonsense. I will say, the few scents we smelled in-store were pretty interesting.

Then we found Maison Louis Marie and y'all, this is an amazing brand. They only had one fragrance in stock (which Kate bought) and maybe 4-5 candles but all of them were lovely. I bought this candle because I kept sniffing it until my nose broke. So, a bougie candle purchase for me! Then we touched everything else in the store, I mooned over these ridiculously adorable sneakers, and we left. Heh.

Now! I should back up, because the next thing I'm going to tell you happened the day before this. If you're a regular reader you know I've been contemplating the Everlane Day Glove flats for some time. I just wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much money on squishy leather slipper-flats, you know? But something about them intrigues me.

Anyway, on my lunch break Friday I dropped off two pairs of boots to be reheeled and then decided to check out the Buffalo Exchange across the street because I'd never been. I looked at all the shoes first (honestly, hoping for some Tieks or Rothys to resell) and there they were, waiting for me:

This never happens! I never go to a thrift or consignment store and find EXACTLY the thing that's been on my wishlist. They were $35 and I bought them immediately. I will review them properly later this week but y'all, it made me so happy! It doesn't happen often but sometimes you find exactly what you want exactly when you need it.


PS. I mentioned last week that I bought a set of flannel sheets from LL Bean. YOU GUYS THEY ARE AMAZING. Thick and good quality and soft like a bunny. Highly, highly recommend.

Weekend Window Shopping: Fine. H&M is Killing It.

Listen, we have been very, very good about avoiding most fast fashion but Marianne pointed out that H&M has been killing it this fall and I went to take a look. Do you know how hard it was to narrow my list down to eight things? SO much good stuff:


       

         
       
     

Stuff I Like: A Lot of Words About The Ordinary.

At some point in the last few months I hit Peak Skincare. Like, I just couldn't handle trying to figure it all out anymore and I started to get really mad about how crazy expensive everything is. I've been using tiny samples of this and that for a while and wondering why my face wasn't happy. One thing I'd been using consistently, though, is The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (reviewed here) which seemed to be helping.

Then I bought the Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% because someone on the Internet liked it a lot. Then I bought the Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% as a cheaper alternative to Good Genes. Then I bought the Buffet peptide serum because Kate liked it. Then I started reading up on how to use this stuff together and I wanted TO CRY. So, I did what Kate suggested and I emailed them and asked them to design a regime for me. AND THEY DID. Amazing!

The Ordinary is great in providing simple, active serums at a low cost but, because many of them are single note, you can't just be slapping all this stuff on at the same time - some of it doesn't play well together and, let's be honest, it's A LOT. My face can't handle it.

So, they made some recommendations based on what I already had and suggestions for what to buy (I wanted to try retinol again for the winter) and here's what I'm doing:

🌞 MORNING::
“Buffet”
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
Sunscreen

🌜 EVENING:
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer)

🌛EVENING 2:
Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer)

🌜 EVENING 3:
“Buffet”
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
(I add my Sunday Riley moisturizer and sometimes skip the first two serums)

If I bought all seven of these products at once the total cost would be less than $60. Seriously! Less than the one stupid tub of Sunday Riley** Ice moisturizer I bought last month. (Which I really like, tbh.)

Now, looking at that routine you're probably like, holy shit that's a lot. And it is, but I'm only doing the evening routine every other night, and on the off nights I just use moisturizer and facial oil. So, my face gets Vitamin C, retinol and lactic acid each on one night per week, depending on the rotation. That's it! I might eventually take the retinol up to two nights, but not yet.

The Niacinamide + Zinc and Buffet both get used every day in the morning (and sometimes at night) but I really don't need to be doing all of it every day. I've been following this plan for about a month and my face is looking better than it has in a long time. I still have melasma (anyone try lasers for this?) but my weird little breakouts have mostly stopped and I'm looking smoother and brighter overall*.

This all sounds great right? Well, THERE IS ONE THING. One thing that I do not like about The Ordinary. All the tubes and bottles look exactly the damn same and the writing is SO TINY that I have to squint angrily at each bottle to make sure I've got the right thing. I need to color code them or something.

That's pretty much it! I am by no means an expert but if you have  questions, please ask. The Ordinary website also has a ton of info about each product and a regimen guide but if you contact them they'll tell you what to use and in what order and all that. So nice.

****

*Full disclosure: I have also been getting a facial with dermaplaning every six weeks. Y'all, dermaplaning isn't a life necessity but it does help all those active ingredients sink in better and it's so nice to have a smooooooth face. Plus, it's super relaxing.

**A word on the scandal: It's...not great. But also, it was so unnecessary! Sunday Riley products are quite good and fake reviews help nobody. That said, I think fake reviews are everywhere - Amazon, Sephora, Beautypedia, beauty influencers, you name it. Please remember that the founder of Drunk Elephant (or one of her employees) hounded Marianne for giving a less-than-glowing review of WonderBar on our dinky little blog. It's just ridiculous. I tend to trust the reviews on Makeupalley because it's mostly just folks like us, but who really knows. Just take it all with a grain of salt.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): GapFit.

I'm such a jerk. I really love Athleta, despite the prices and lack of sales, and somehow forgot all about GAP's fitness line, which I've loved equally hard in the past. Now, I know I included GAP in with my fast fashion ban back in January but Gleemonex made a good case for it in the comments of that post and I'm prone to agree with her.

Anyway, yesterday I checked out the website in search of denim jacket options and instead was like, OH MY GOD. GAPFIT IS STILL SO GOOD. It's fashion-forward and reasonably priced! And most of it is on sale! I still have a few pieces I bought several years ago that I wear and use all the time. I in NO WAY need more athletic gear but y'all this stuff is tempting:

Check out this cute-ass cross back yoga layer! I love stuff like this. 

I have an older version of these that are my favorite lounging-at-home pants. 

I just love this so much! It also comes in a navy/red colorway but the lavender is so good. 

This is basically my perfect workout tank - loose with a high neck. 

This looks ideal - a high neck and nothing moving. It also has hooks, so less struggling in and out.

And this looks like an ideal around-the-house-only bra. (Just me?) 

Ugh, this looks so high end and weird and I love it. I'm not surprised it's nearly sold out.

This gin tunic sweatshirt comes in a bunch of good colors but the creamy white is so serene. 

Ooh, fleece-lined winter tights! I had a pair of these a few years ago that I literally wore out. 

Okay, this is just regular Gap but OMG. This is the parka of dreams, y'all. 

Current Gap sale deals: Up to 50% off everything, plus 10% off sitewide with code TREAT. 

Outfit of the Day: Does This Go?

Hey, it's an outfit! Not a very interesting outfit, but this is what I wore on a fairly standard Monday:

I'm wearing my comfy Athleta Chelsea Cargo pants, which also happen to be my favorite travel pants. I swear by Athleta for pants that look cute and work-appropriate but are actually sweatpants-level comfortable. (The Brooklyn Ankle Pant is another good one.)  Plus, they work okay with my ankle boots too, so yay for that. This is boring. let's make it less boring: 

There we go! I will talk about this bag in a minute but before I forget, my top is from Ann Taylor and it's approximately 100 years old in Fashion Years. It's ponte so it'll live forever and I keep wearing it because it's got cute zippers on the side so it always fits! They actually have a VERY similar top in stock which looks pretty nice and I also found this one by All Fenix that has side zippers! 

Because I thought I was being cool or wanted to be warm or whatever, I threw on my denim jacket:

Yeah, that doesn't really work, does it. Maybe if it was a darker wash denim jacket? Let's move on to details: 

I bought this necklace (also in gold) from a Madewell sale this summer because I don't have much in the way of silver tone jewelry. I love the way it looks but it tend to get twisty, which is annoying. I still keep wearing it though. Now, this bag: 

It the Longchamp le Pliage Cuir. I basically reviewed it here but since I wrote that I've carried it a lot more. It's a great bag, y'all! I have the medium size which, as you can see, is plenty big. It holds a ton but is lightweight and folds up, so it's a good travel bag as well. And the leather is so nice - light but buttery and squishy. 

Nordstrom Rack has the large size in red and the medium in pink and blue. There's also an all-red nylon version at Last Call and a small red nylon shoulder tote here. Oh, and my boots! I've had them for a few years - the Madewell Lucien boot. You can still find them on Poshmark and the like but the Bea Boot is quite similar with the low wooden heel.

That's it for today! My next outfit will feature my other new bag because I'm that asshole. Heh.

Weekend Shopping Report: I'm Cold, Y'all.

A: I badly want those shearling Birkenstocks but I really should save for my trip

 *a few hours later*

A: Oops

M: Hahahaha

A: I made it less than three hours

A: Zappos sent me a 10% off code to apologize for breaching my data

M: Me too

A: I mean, what else could I do?

M: You were powerless

A: My toes are so cold, Marianne

M: Winter is coming

A: I am wearing a SWEATER today

M: same

So, yeah. I ordered the shearling Boston clogs and they should be delivered tonight! We shall see. The only other thing I bought over the weekend was a set of flannel sheets from LL Bean, which doesn't count as fashion, but I am COLD. Did I mention that? 

Wait! There's one other thing. I ordered a few pairs of the lightweight ankle socks from Bombas (my favorite) to see if they'll be the perfect no-show option for ankle boots. I will review them later this week after I've had a chance to try them out. If you've never tried Bombas, you can go through my link for 25% off your first order. (Full disclosure, I also get a shopping credit.) 

Weekend Window Shopping: Okay, Fine. Madewell Sale!

I swear I've been trying to lay off Madewell (WHY CAN'T I QUIT YOU?) but they are offering an extra 30% off sale items with code BESTNEWS and you know I can't resist that. Here's what I like:


       

         
       
     

We Discuss: Targeted Ads and Perfume. And Birkenstocks. And The Patriarchy.

M: Today in targeted ads: “American Eagle Has My Number” or “Why Do I Want This?”

A: That’s quite fashion forward for AE!

M: They have a lot of cute stuff.

A: I can’t even look

A: Though, I took out some of my winter clothing from storage and walked it right over to my thrift store pile, so maybe I should

M: Hahahaha

A: I keep getting served up $500 boots

A: Correction, $700 boots:

M: Wowza

A: Facebook serves these up to me DAILY

A: Do you think I’m rich, FB? Why the torture?

A: In other expensive shoe news:

A: *Sad puppy noises*

M: Soffft

A: Yeah.

M: Did you??

A: No, I just want them. My toes is code.

M: I wore my furkinstocks to Madewell and Anthro and all the girls lost their minds. Meanwhile my gay husband who works in men’s fashion is threatening to burn them 😂

A: Hahaaaaa

A: They are true man repellers

M: Truly

M: It’s hilarious

M: The patriarchy is threatened

A: You’re doing it right

M: Nothing says “I don’t care if you think I’m attractive” like these shoes

A: 🙌🙌🙌

***

A: Today in targeted ads: "Don't You Want To Smell Like a Celebrity?"

A: It’s Michelle Pfeiffer’s clean line

M: Ah!

A: Or, I might just buy the Le Labo Ambrette 9 which I recently re-discovered via sample

M: Oh yes

A: It’s very clean and soft

M: I recently got a sample of Le Labo Another 13 and I haven’t tried it on yet but it smells really nice

M: I can’t remember if we tried that one

A: We did and you didn’t like it!

A: Heh

M: haha

A: But our noses were broken probably

M: Well yeah

M: I probably won’t like it on

M: But also I am realizing that trying them on paper was probably dumb

A: I thought it smelled masculine

M: Because they warm up on your skin and change

A: Yes

A: I am curious about the Tonka 25

M: Sounds vanilla-y

A: It is described as woody, which I usually like, but vanilla can go either way

M: Try it and report back!

A: Wait, i just texted Kate because she got a bunch of samples recently and confirmed it’s vanilla-y

M: rats

A: I don’t hate vanilla, just not sure it’s my thing

M: I like it but it gets way too sweet on my person

A: Any fragrance that’s too sweet gives me headaches

M: same

A: I am still mad that Jo Malone Nutmeg and Ginger has been discontinued. Jerks.

A: But, the Ambrette 9 is really nice - a good warm clean skin smell, if that makes sense

M: totally

A: Or maybe I will just stick to smelling like Method body wash and ennui

M: 🤷🏻‍♀️

That Time I Won a Contest, Part Three.

Confessional time: Remember that awesome red LV Epi Speedy of mine? I loved that bag a lot but sold it a while ago because I needed the money more than I needed the bag and, honestly, I hadn't been carrying it as much. I've always kind of missed having an epi leather bag, though, so the rest of my Poshmark prize credit bought me a not-quite-vintage Epi Alma PM:

It's more of a lady bag than the speedy and it's smaller, but I carry less stuff around these days. It's just the right size for a wallet, sunglasses, makeup bag and my kindle. And oh, it's so satisfying! Something about having a really structured handbag just sparks all kinds of joy. I probably wouldn't have spent my own money on one, at least not right now, but it was totally worth blowing my contest winnings on something like this.

The dome satchel is pretty timeless but you don't have to spend a ton of money to get something similar to an Alma. At TJ Maxx I found this sleek black dome satchel and this Kate Spade satchel is super nice and quite similar. For well under $100 Aldo has a good looking version and hell, even Target has a version! I'm telling you, this is a classic.

And that's it! The Poshmark contest credit is gone. If you missed it, here's part one and part two.

Review: Helly Hansen Boyne Parka.

Hello! At last count I have ordered three (3) different Helly Hansen raincoats in an effort to find one (1) that I 100% love without hesitation. The first one was the Welsey II trench which I reviewed here, but I've also included a couple of updated shots in this review for the purposes of comparison and also because I don't think my original photos are very good. I also ordered the Lyoness II coat somewhere in there and didn't bother to review it before returning because it wasn't a good fit. 

NOW. Now we are at coat #3. This one is the Helly Hansen Boyne Parka and I linked it last week in my Nordstrom Rack post before immediately buying it: 

Y'all. I'm just going to spoil this review by saying THIS IS THE ONE. It's so good. I love the color and the length and fit is perfect. For reference, I'm wearing a size medium. The color (unfortunately named "beluga") suits me as well. 

The best part? it has the benefit of being lightly insulated with PrimaLoft. It's not winter-coat level insulated but it's also not a thin raincoat either, so a perfect in-between kinda thing. I also love that, while waterproof, it doesn't look like a raincoat. And it's got style: 

One of you also has this coat and we were bitching on IG about the strings in the back (like, why?) so I did some research and here's why. I love that the look was co-opted by the Mods in the 1960s! So cool! So fashion. Now, let's get practical. This hood, you guys:

Yes, I look like a dork but the hood is good and really deep AND it has an extension piece that folds forward. I don't intend on wearing this on a fishing boat so I don't know that I'll ever need that much hood, but I like it. 

I also love the dual pockets - fleece-lined side pockets to keep my hands warm AND big front pockets with a snap for my giant iPhone. Ideal. Honestly, the only thing I don't like about this parka is the lack of an interior zip pocket. All coats should have one! All the damn men's coats by Helly Hansen have one! The patriarchy doesn't want us to have inside pockets and it's really irritating. 

The light was weird when I took these but here's a closer look - the color is a really good greyish-army green. Now, for comparison, the Welsey II trench:

I really like a lot of things about this trench coat but looking at the photos it's clear to me that it doesn't fit me well at all. I think I was just enamored with the copper zippers. It's also a damn mess if you want to leave it open: 

...but that is pretty much what you deal with when you go for a double-breasted style. I love a trench, but for my purposes I much prefer the Boyne parka. 

It also comes in a very on-trend mustard brown color and is available in plus sizes! Nordstrom Rack has some other HH styles that are well-priced as well. (And thanks, of course, to my best Philadelphia friend for introducing me to this brand!)