Navy and Black. Always.

I went shopping with my mom this weekend. I haven't gone "shopping" in so so long. I usually go, get what I need, and leave. I actually took the time to look around and just shop for once. I went to Forever 21. I used to get all of my clothes from Forever 21 because I used to work there! As I've gotten older, I've found myself hating it. All of the clothes are too cutesy for me, and don't even get me started on how much I'm currently not on board with 80% of the trendy clothing (I'm saving that for another post).

After buying two nude bras, and a nude bralette, I finally bought something. For $8 no less! Worth every penny.

Does anyone else hate the "navy and black don't go together" rule? I will wear it together until I die.

February Favorites

February is gone (holy *&%$). It seems a bit crazy, but I haven't even noticed. School makes all the days and months just blend together. "What? It's February? I don't care. I just know that I have an exam at the end of this week that I am not prepared for."

I wanted to do all beauty things, but I decided to give a bit more variety.

#1 Bite Amuse Bouche lipstick in Meringue

I bought this mini lipstick in a set with Bite Fig. I originally had this idea in my head that I hated nude lipsticks. Boy, was I wrong. I bought it because I wanted Fig so badly, but I figured buying the mini for cheaper would be a good way to try it out. In the end, I loved Meringue much more than Fig! I think I'll begin to like Fig as the weather gets warmer. For now, it's much too peachy for me. I'm such a fan of Meringue. If I run out, which it looks like a real possibility, I'd repurchase. The scent is lovely, and it's the most comfortable lipstick I've ever worn.

#2 NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint

For this past year, I thought that NARS Sheer Glow foundation was my end-all be-all of foundations. It was. I've recently run into some real oily skin problems since starting a new skincare product. Nothing will stay on my face. It just melts off, Sheer Glow included. I was majorly bummed. So I decided to pick myself up the NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint. It's perfect for my oily skin. It applies so nicely, and it gives me that perfect coverage that I need. It also contains SPF, which is a huge plus in my book. I've been wearing it non-stop this month. It's been staying on my face pretty well even without a primer.

#3 Scatter dot H&M Dress

Funny story. Last month my brother-in-law got married up in Calgary. I had the cutest dress to wear that flatters me really well. As soon as I unpacked I realized that I had forgotten my dress hanging up on our curtain rod. I put it on there so I wouldn't forget it.. well I did. I didn't have a dress to wear! I had to go to the mall and buy myself a new one (oh darn..). I ended up purchasing this adorable dress from H&M. I've worn it as many times as I can since I did. It worked out for the wedding, and now I have a fabulous shift dress will slightly flared sleeves. Two thumbs up! I bought it in a couple sizes up to lengthen it so it is a bit too baggy, but I love baggy clothes.. 

#4 Baltic Amber candle

With spring around the corner, the candles I tend to gravitate towards contain more light scents. My favorite candles are the deep, woodsy, musky scents that I burn constantly in the winter (Blake loves these, also). We recently burned out all of our woodsy candles, and so I found this older candle I got years ago. Baltic Amber! It doesn't even come in this packaging anymore, but it smells so good. I've been burning it everyday, and I can't get enough. We'll definitely burn it out by this next month's end!

#5 Father John Misty

Have you guys heard his new singles? They are on repeat in my apartment. His voice soothes me. I'm so stoked for his new album next month. I'll be listening to it non-stop.

Chop Chop!

Oh, hey, it's me. Remember me? I forgot about you. For a long time. Apologies. No excuses. I just got busy with my new school career (Go Wildcats!).

I did something a little drastic this week feeling like I needed some kind of change. I've been very frustrated with my hair lately, so I chopped it.

TA-DAH!

I feel like I just lost five pounds. I'm completely in love. The biggest drawback; I have to actually do my hair in the morning. When my hair is long, I can not even touch it and it looks fine. Well, I thought that. Then I took a look in the mirror one day and just mumbled, "Man, I really need a haircut."

As Coco once said, "A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life."

Gift Guide | The Jetsetter

Do you have that friend that always says, "Well next year I'll be going to Ukraine!" I do. She's a hard one to shop for because she's such a nomad. Get her something that she can grab and go at any moment because you know she might.

Prague map - Etsy $10
Dual time watch - Skagen $195
Milk Have A Good Trip Set - Sephora $48
Maison Margiela Beach Walk Perfume - Sephora $28-$125
Fossil passport cover - Belk $55
Modern Snap Backpack - Everlane $68
French Phrasebook - Anthropologie $10

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November Favorites

November. I can't believe it's already gone. This month I went a little crazy in the beauty department. I've been a makeup fiend. Nevertheless, there will always be a ton of fashion favorites.

1. Camel coat

It's finally cold enough to wear my coat! I bought this coat when it was just a tad too warm. I wear this coat practically every day

2. NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned

I tried so hard not to buy this. I tried so hard. It was too expensive, and would I really wear it enough to make it worth it? I bought a dupe, and that dupe completely failed me. In a Black Friday daze, I caved. I'm in love. The perfect berry pout just in time for the holidays.

3. Roiboos Tea

I'm usually a green tea, or peppermint tea gal. One of my best friends lives for this tea, and I decided to throw it in to my rotation of morning teas. It's such a great flavor and perfect for my now freezing mornings. My friend suggests sweetening it with brown sugar and lemon. I would highly recommend!

4. Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose

I love floral perfumes, but I find myself not wearing any at all during the fall and winter. I think it may because my regular perfumes smell too.. spring-y? summer-y? I wanted a deeper scent, but one that wasn't too strong. Nirvana Rose is perfect. I want to wear it every single day. I bought the roller ball, and maybe one day I'll buy the gorgeous full size bottle.

On an embarrassing note, I bought this while visiting my in-laws. I left the bottle in their bathroom, three hours away. Whyyyy? We'll see how much my mother-in-law loves me to mail it to me. So I couldn't take a picture of my actual bottle..

5. Dogs dressed up

My husband pointed out that nothing makes me happier, or laugh more, than dogs wearing costumes, or wearing human things. This video made me tear up with happiness.

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Gift Guide | The Minimalist

It's December 1st! 

Oh hello, December.

I've never done "gift guides" in the past years, so I thought it would be fun to start this year. I decided to do a different take on what sorts of people you're gifting for. Some people make gift guides for "your bestie"or "your mom". I don't know about you, but my best friend would just politely accept some gifts they suggest because she's an individual with a different personality than every other "best friend".

So let's get started.

The first one is "The Minimalist". Like I've mentioned before, I've slowly been diving into the minimalist lifestyle. I'm dreading christmas a little bit thinking about all the gifts that I'm going to get that are just going to take up space that I just don't want, and will eventually just throw or give away. Here are some gifts that a minimalist would appreciate, but don't be offended when they return :)

Gift Guide | The Minimalist by sydneeislove featuring black and white wall art

The Curated Closet - Anthropologie $25
Big Sea Salt Shampoo - Lush $28
Geometric terrarium - Bliss Home & Design $85
Minimalist Print - Scandinavian Walls $5 (Plus a little extra to get it printed, maybe $5-$10 extra)
Minimalist watch - Skagen $175
Breton striped shirt - Boden $40
Essie Sand Tropez - Target $8

You may think that a minimalist is hard to shop for, but just keep it simple, keep it quality, and keep it  classy.

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Magenta Lips | Lipstick Mixing

I've been craving some new lip colors. I haven't been much of a great lipstick wearer. I had a sudden urge to just constantly wear it, but I was bored of all of the colors that I do have. I found a lip color on Pinterest that I fell in love with. I clicked through to find what it was, and it led me to a blog that said the lip color was a combination of two colors. I instantly wanted one of those colors (NARS Damned). It's a beautiful magenta. I had to have it.. But I don't have $26 lying around to spend on lipstick I won't wear often enough!

I took it into my own hands. I did what that blog did. I combined two lipsticks that I already own!

I combined Revlon Kissable Balm in Smitten and NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Voltaire.

Smitten is just a little too pink and light. I wanted something deeper, but Voltaire was too dark. So I put one layer of Voltaire.

This looks fine. In real life it looks much darker and brown. Then I put a couple of layers of Smitten, and Voila!

I'm going to experiment all week with combining more of my lipsticks. Are you bored of yours? Make some new colors!

Fall 10x10 Challenge Completed!

I did it! I completed my 10x10 challenge (link to my previous post with all my clothing items).

I wore every single one of my items. I started to get a little uninspired towards the end (hence the black on black on black), but I'm overall happy with all of my fits.

What I learned:

The fact that I wasn't being as creative with my clothes, it turned in to me going nuts on my makeup. I started getting excited to do my makeup in the morning. I wore bold lipstick four times in the past ten days! It's what made my creative juices flow. It even made me buy two new lipsticks! I probably could've done more with my hair, but I had so much fun with my makeup.

I also didn't include my outerwear. I love my outerwear. I kind of leaned on my simple outfits by wearing one of my structured jackets. It completely made me realize how I'm missing a couple of things! Like my sheer-ish black tights. I made a run in them last year, and I need to get new ones.

I'm working on a capsule wardrobe. This was a good start for me to realize what I really wear day to day.

I'll probably do this again every season! So here was my fall one.

Girlfriend Collective Leggings | No Pants Dance

I have to say, Facebook advertising works for me.. I can't help it. I know you're listening to me Facebook. I know you're keeping tabs on me. You're pinpointing things I obviously am interested in. Yeah sure, it bothers me sometimes. Not when I get a killer deal, though.

I saw an ad for the Girlfriend Collective. They were giving away "free leggings" (with the cost of shipping). The shipping only cost $20, so I got leggings for $20. I've been eyeing Lululemon, TNA, pretty much any of the leggings at Aritzia. They all range from $40-$200! I decided to give these a try. Why not? It's about the same cost as a pair from Old Navy. They can't be any worse than the ones that are currently slipping a bit in my drawer right now.

Well they finally came!

I'm in love. I'll admit, I've never bought any super high quality leggings. I have some from Aerie, Old Navy, and some that my mom bought me from Costco. They've all been good! I don't have many complaints. At least I didn't..

These leggings are soft. I mean soft. I took a look at them fresh out of the package, and I thought to myself "Oh no way in hell these are fitting over my current thunder thighs." I was wrong. They slipped on beautifully.

They're perfect for lounging.

They're also perfect for running.

My favorite part is that they don't ride down. They also are truly high-waisted (finally).  It's like I'm wearing no pants.

So I'll do a dance.

Two thumbs up for Girlfriend Collective. Go get yourself a pair for twenty bucks, too!

I Want That | Sonia Rykiel/Lancome

When it comes to makeup, I'm usually a "It is good quality? Awesome. I'll take it."

I've never really been a sucker for the pretty packaging that some brands hide their sub-par makeup in. That's starting to change a little bit. Stunning packaging is starting to catch my eye, which isn't a good thing. Brands that usually do this are luxury or very high-end brands.. I'll admit it, I spend a ton of money on makeup. But I buy well researched, and essential makeup.

This stuff though..

It's just so pretty..

How eye catching, fun, and gorgeous is this packaging? I mean seriously. I love the mod stripes that give me some mad 60s vibes.

The palette colors aren't as exciting as I thought they would be, but I love the purple palette. I'm a fan of plum-violet colors on my eyes. I would maybe consider it if it weren't $60 (!!!). The more I look at it, the more I want it.. The blue, however, is a big old no from me. It is not the 80s. I will not wear blue eyeshadow.

I would consider the cute lip pencils, though.

Sorry Lancome. I want you, but I can't have you..

Capsule Wardrobe 10x10 Challenge

I've been trying to minimize my possessions significantly. I've cleaned out my closet and my vanity. I'll talk more about this later, but I wanted to share with you a new challenge I'm starting in spirit of less is more.

It's called the 10x10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge. I'm so intrigued.

Here's the deal, I picked 10 items of clothing. I'm only going to wear these 10 items of clothing for the next 10 days.  Will I be sparked creatively? Or will I drive myself crazy? The possibility of either is equal. I'm uninspired. I'm ready for a wardrobe change. I've already started on that, so I'm just going to document my findings. For science. Or for fun!

Shoes, accessories, and outerwear does not count. I need to make sure I'm warm.

Here are my items!

1. Drop-shoulder black T-shirt

2. Long sleeve grey T-shirt

3. Charcoal grey cardigan

4. Buffalo plaid flannel button-up

5. Cream blouse

6. Oatmeal sweater

7. Blue skinny jeans

8. Black skinny Levi's

9. A-line black slip skirt

10. Black shift dress

I'll document my outfits. I'm going to try so hard not to repeat outfits.

Here we go!

Autumn Up

It's the first day of autumn (squeee). My autumn often consists me just eating pumpkin shaped reese's and pumpkin cookies. I just live for the days where I can wear a jacket.

Also, apparently a tornado hit my town today? I didn't even know it had happened until my mom texted me asking if we were okay. We had a crazy rainstorm, but I just sat on my couch with the patio door open. Let's start this autumn with a bang, am I right?

Here's what I'm craving this fall (besides pumpkin pie).

I usually wear a lot of grey and black. This season I want a little more camel and beige.

Fall 2016 Wish List by sydneeislove featuring a fall outfit

I've been out..

You've been neglected, but I have a really good excuse.

I got married!

I married my sweetheart about two and a half months ago. I'm happy. I'm content.

My wedding was completely planned by yours truly, and I had a little too many DIY projects. Hence, that's why I have not blogged in a while.

I'm done with my wedding, and I'm settled in my new apartment in my new town.

No, I will not be doing a "Wifey/Mommy Blog" (hopefully that latter one doesn't happen anytime soon!). I will stick to what I do best.

Fashion.

But I learned some things while planning a wedding. 

My wedding was a completely personal experience. I had my hands in everything. There were lots and lots of doing it myself projects. I was myself, and I was happy.

My dress, my bridesmaid outfits, my makeup and hair, my decorations were all very personal. I learned a lot. Now I want to share it with you!

Here are some highlights:

My nephew gave me a huge hug after we came out of the temple.

& more to come!