All Natural Style Secrets

Happy Wednesday my loves.

I hope each of you are off to a great start on this gorgeous hump day.

I'm not too excited about having to return to work tomorrow after a two month break but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Right?

I am, however, excited to be participating in a style challenge sponsored by the
Lucky Magazine Community.  They have partnered with Seventh Generation in order to present an #AllNaturalStyleSecrets Challenge. As a participant I received a free sample of this product from Lucky and Seventh Generation for use in connection with my blog.

Soothing Boost

In addition, I was asked to show off one of my chicest yet seemingly effortless looks. Starting with Seventh Generation’s skin serum as the foundation I've created a head-to-toe look.

With the stresses of everyday life, it is highly important to maintain a regular skin care regimen in order to keep your skin looking fresh and vibrant. It seems the older I get, the more sensitive my skin gets. If fact, I never had any type of problems with my skin (ie-acne) until wayyy after my college years. So when I  initially began to break out uncontrollably, I enlisted the help of a dermatologist who recommended to me a very inexpensive yet efficient remedy. 

I use the following products twice daily in order to keep my combination type skin from breaking out and getting out of control. 

Daily Skin Care Routine... by sherockwell featuring an oil free face wash

I alternate days with the Clean & Clear products so as not to exfoiliate too much.

All Natural Style Secret #1:  Rubbing alcohol doubles as a skin toner as well as a great makeup remover.

The Mederma is used to clear up any dark spots, while the CeraVe seals and moisturizes my skin. Recently, I added the Seventh Generation Soothing Boost Serum in order to add balance to any of my skin tone irregularities. This concentrated formula contains a soothing blend of Oat, Argan and Zi Cao and it smells AH-MAY-ZING. It's very absorbent, not heavy or oily so it won't clog my pores and it leaves my skin feeling like a baby's bottom.

Great skin care routines wouldn't be complete without great style to go along.

When I'm feeling confident about the skin I'm in I like to style myself in classically edgy looks such as this one.

Necklace/Clutch/Dress-NY&Co | Sandals-Target

There's nothing more attractive than a confident woman with beautiful skin!

So... 

All Natural Style Secret #2: Love the skin you're in by taking good care of it.

What are some of your favorite #AllNaturalStyleSecrets? I can't wait to hear from you! PS: Don't forget to vote for this post here. Thanks for reading. XOXOXOXO

Linked to: WWIW Monday Bloom Funday Monday Style Sessions Rolled Up Pretty The Pleated Poppy Random Wednesday I Feel Pretty All Things Pretty Friday Style Casual Friday

Monochromatic Purge...

 Happy Tuesday my loves...

I know that I'm a little late posting today but I was seriously debating whether or not I even wanted to post this look. Some things look so much better in your head than they do on film. 

And yeah, this happens to be one of those looks. 

Butttt since I love participating in challenges, I decided to submit the look for this month's

 Everybody, Everywear challenge. 

I wonder if anyone can guess what the theme is?

**Monochrome**

At first I thought it would be a cinch to build an outfit consisting of varying shades of the same color....

that is until I looked inside my closet...

Don't get me wrong-there are tons of colors in my closet-just not many of the same color...

So here's what I came up with

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V

Tee-Old Navy/Collar Shirt-NY&Co

I'm in love with this striped tee that I purchased from Old Navy during one of their super clearance sales. I believe I snagged it for just over $1. I paired a lighter blue collared shirt under it and I was actually pleased with the contrast of shades. 

Thennnnn, the problem surfaced when I got down to the pants. 

Pants-Wet Seal/Pumps-Wild Pair (old)

I purchased these wide legs from Wet Seal last year during one of their Buy 1, Get 1 for a penny sales. Being that they are a thin linen material I picked out a size smaller than what I would normally wear because I knew they would stretch. 

When I tried them on then, I loved them. 

Now, not so much. 

They stretched out way too much for me so now they just kinda look like I have on pants that are too big for me. 

                  

 

Needless to say that I'm in the process of purging my closet and I'm totally thinking that these pants are gonna get tossed into the 'purge' pile.

 But, this gorgeous pearl necklace-

Pearls-NY&Co

I'M KEEPING!!

How do you decide whether items in your closet will 'go' or 'stay'?

I can't wait to hear your answers!

Thanks for reading.

XOXOXOXOXO

Linked to:

Everybody, Everywear

YOLO Monday

The Pleated Poppy

Rolled Up Pretty

Rainbow Colors All Mixed In A Cup...

Colors make me happy. They make me smile. If I could wear every color in the rainbow on any given day....I would. Instead, I always find myself picking out the same color. Does anyone else do that? I mean, seriously, my freaking closet is color coded and all I can come up with is green.

Green vest,

green tanks,

green shorts. 

Last week it was red.

The week before that, orange.

What the hell is going on? Why can't I seem to get out of this color rut?

Evidently, certain shades exhibit different therapeutic sensors and ultimately have the ability to influence not only how we feel but also how others perceive us when wearing specific colors.

According to Phylameana lila Desy, green is considered to be the most healing among all the colors. It is a wonderful color choice to wear anytime you are wanting to feel more in-tune with nature and should be worn anytime you are trying to 'turn a new leaf'. Wear green when you want to see things from a different perspective.

Polo-Aeropostale/Wedges-Target

Wearing blue helps create a place of calm and serenity. Wear blue when you want to exude an air of authority.

While wearing gray and black can be depressive, wearing orange is a fairly high energy color. It emits sexual energy and has the tendency to make you feel quite playful. It is a highly intense color that not many can get away with rocking successfully.

Pink is very feminine and passionate and whether worn by male or female it can signal that you're not only approachable but also fun loving. Wear pink when you want others to instantly become attracted to you.

The color purple is said to be a 'statement color'.  It states that you are unique, special, and not afraid to stand out.

Red, my favorite, is fierce, powerful, and confident. Wearing too much, however, will tend to intimidate people. Wear red when you want your sexuality to exude from your being.

Yellow is warm and light. It's an affirmative color and gives off a feeling of perkiness. Wear yellow when you want to infuse some joy into your life.

Orange is associated with vibrant health. Wear orange when you want to have fun and be creative.

The color white represents cleansing, new beginnings, and purity.

DooneyandBourke-Vintage thrifted/Belt-thrifted/Bermudas-NY&Co

What is your favorite color to wear? 

On a lighter note, today is Day 2 of the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla over at FrecklesInApril.  She's asking us to 'Tuck it' however we want. It can be a shirt tucked into pants, pants tucked into boots, or even a scarf tucked under a belt. I went with the simple yet obvious shirt tuck. Find out more about the challenge here.



21 Day Challenge-Day 2



Sometimes I like to tuck my shirt into my pants...

What's your favorite way to 'tuck it'?

Post Title from: Rainbow Colors by Lil Wayne

Linked up to:
21 Day Challenge-Day 2
Thrifters Anonymous
Color Brigade
Thriftaholics Weekly

BDIB: I'll Bet You Think This Post Is About You...Don't You?

BDIB-Arm Party

VAIN-adjective, excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.

Vanity is a deadly sin, ya know.  And, as a blogger, taking (sometimes) daily photos of myself, I often wonder if I'm living in sin.  Am I conceited because I like sharing my style with my world of followers? This blog is my world, right!? And I can do what I want to, right!? I'm not so sure anymore. 

Destroyed Jeans-WetSeal/Tank-MileyToTheMaxx/Vest-NY&Co(gifted)

Recently, I read a thread by blogger friend, Kelly, that was posted to the FBFF group (initiated by Katy of ModlyChic) entitled 'How did you come out'? I'm not even sure that I responded or commented on this thread but I was rather amazed at the number of bloggers who have yet to 'come out' to their closest friends and family for fear of being labeled as a vain person. 

Should I feel guilty for not 'coming out' to my friends? I'm not sure that I'm ready for them to know this side of me yet. I'm not so comfortable with them knowing my innermost thrifting secrets. Knowing that I thrift 89.8 % of my wardrobe-they may think that I'm dirty and grungy. They may think that I'm cheap. I'm not sure what they will think, honestly, but I will leave it as such for now.  

My babe hates taking pics of me. He says that it's vain. Don't get me wrong, I don't spend a majority of my day primping and powdering myself in the mirror. But I do like to take a couple of snapshots of myself when I'm stepping out. Is that so wrong? This is why I like to be alone during my photo shoots. I can ferociously swerve across 3 lanes of traffic at the sight of a gorgeous location. I can zone out and get into my own groove-just me and my 'point and click'. I can randomly laugh when nothing at all is funny and I can take as many photos as I'd like.  And not be thought of as.....VAIN.

Shoes-XXI

Though I personally don't consider myself vain and I shouldn't give a f*^k what others think about me, I'm human-so I do. Hence the reason why I always try to have something interesting to say in my posts. I would absolutely hate to bore you with daily posts that focus solely on what I'm wearing and where I purchased it from. That was not my purpose upon creating this blog. I love to write and more than that I love sharing knowledge and opinions, and seeing the perspectives of others when it comes to topics that I feel strongly about.  

Belt-Thrifted (I love thrifted belts!)

Bloggers, it's your turn to sound off!

How do you feel about being labeled as a 'vain' person because you love to take pics of yourself?

SIDENOTE: I'm linking up with Kristina of PrettyShinySparkly for the BDIB-Arm Candy edition. Go on over to see how the rest of your favorite bloggers rock their arm candies!

(also) Linked up to:

Thifters Anonymous
Rule Breaking Monday
Color Brigade
Thriftaholics Weekly
All Dressed Up
Thursday is for Thrifters

Post Title From: You're So Vain by Carly Simon

****Don't forget to get your pretty manicures ready! I'm hosting a DIY Manicure Party on August 12 for FBFF. I would love to see you link up!*****

Everybody, Everywear (again): I'll Be Your One Stop Candy Store...

Thrifting is my way of life. It's therapeutic for me-it soothes my soul. It's my chemical romance. I'm in love with the thrift-I obsess over her each and every day. I've been thrifting for close to 6 months and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I anxiously wait for the time clock to say that I can stop working so that I can make my weekly run through town. 'Weekly espcapades' is what I like to call them. Some weeks they turn into daily endeavors. I'm an addict. Thrifting is like a drug to me. The thrill of finding someones discarded vintage Oscar de la Renta luggage or even a cutesy old school romper gets me all tingly inside.

Have you ever thought about why people get rid of such nice things?

On numerous occasions, I've found items with the tags still in tact, never worn before. I will admit that I'm a little on the selfish side. I like to get at least one wear out of an item before I chuck it. Maybe even two. I thought about doing a list of thrifting rules and tips that I've learned thus far but everyone does that so I'll pass. Me posting yet another boring list of tips would be like hearing a broken Lady GaGa record-it will make you want to pull your freaking hair out. I've tried to be a good girl and follow the rules of thrift but I think I've just about broken EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY RULE and debunked 99.9% of the myths that I have read since the inception of this ever growing obsession.

For instance...being patient. Sometimes I'm hella impatient and get frustrated with fumbling through racks of smelly clothing. So I only end up with one item. Like this kick a$$ belt that I found for 45 cents.

Thrifted Belt (I LOVE BELTS)

Like really, whooooo gives this stuff away? And is it cool if I come over and go through your 'junk bags' before you take them to the donation drop off? That way I won't have to 'be patient' in the thrift store annnnd I won't have to pay. I like FREE!!

What about the washing all thrifted items before wearing them rule? I admit-sometimes I don't. Especially when the tags are still attached. I found this teal H&M vest with new tags and guess what....

Thrifted Vest&Tshirt

I didn't wash it before I put it on. Just Frebreeze and Go. Is that gross?

This clutch was thrifted too. It's mainly fabric material and I didn't wash this baby either.

Thrifted Clutch

I did however, with complete certainty, make sure that I cleaned these thrifted wedges up before I put them on.

Thrifted Wedges

Even though they didn't show any signs of wear, I still don't know how many people tried them on before I purchased them. A little alcohol and a cloth soaked in super boiling hot water did the trick.

How do you clean your thrifted finds?

Another thrifting rule that I absolutely don't care to follow is to go on 'shipment days'. By show of comments, how many of you know of a thrift store that has designated shipment days? Last I knew, they got shipment everyday and to my knowledge only certain chain stores like Goodwill and CHKD have a specific rotation pattern with regard to shipment. The items that have been on the floor the longest get discounted first-so on and so forth. Honestly, it doesn't matter what day of the week I go-I always find something. Some days I find more than others but I haven't found my results to be relevant to which day of the week I shop on. Here's another instance...with the exception of the super long flared jeans from NY&Co, I found each piece of this 'fit on different days at different locations.

"Where are your shoes?"-random comment made by my professor

I'm sooo excited that Everybody, Everywear is hosting a 'thrifting' edition on Thursday because I can't wait to link up. This will give me a chance to find more thrifty divas to feature on my 'Word on the Street Wednesday' segment-all at once. It will be like a one stop shop. It's gonna be so sweet. And I'm gonna be like a kid in the candy store. HYYYPPPPEEEEE!!!!

SIDENOTE: I would love to tell the world about your pretty little blog. Wanna be featured. Shoot me a personal email to thriftyandshameless@gmail.com or you can just click on the cutesy little envelope in my sidebar.

What 'thrifting rules' have you broken lately?

Linked up to:

Thrifter's Anonymous
Rule Breaking Monday
Color Brigade
Thriftaholics Weekly
No Model Lady
Thursdays are for Thrifters

Everybody Everywear

Post Title from: Candy Store by Madonna

BDIB & FBFF: Can You Handle Me the Way I'm Are?

When I first began blogging, I noticed that I bookmarked everything as a favorite and followed everybody-maybe because I liked someone's outfit or they made a cute craft. Now, as I go through my favorites 7 months later, alot of things have been deleted. I now focus on content and would much rather follow those who share the same passion of thriftiness with me. Those who have a knack for being frugal and can turn one man's junk into their own personal treasures. I admire those who always have something great to talk about (rather than just rambling on about where their 'fit is from), those who are personable, and definitely, absolutely, positively those who communicate and collaborate with their readers.

Katy from ModlyChic wants to talk about labels today for FBFF. So I am fine with divulging that I'm a thrifty chic. Cheap-nah, frugal-hells to the yeah. But never a tightwad because I love giving to good causes. I wear that label, comfortably so. I love shopping for less and seeing the quantity of things that can be purchased for minimal dollars. Being thrifty is a way of life for me because I've never had access to an overwhelmingly large income. I've always had to make do with the little that I do have. Don't get it twisted though-one would think that I was extremely well off, in fact lots of my friends think that I'm really wealthy, but not by a long shot-I just like really nice things and have strategically learned how and when to shop for them at the lowest prices.

Tank-Donated/Maxi-NY&Co/Vest-WetSeal/Belt&Wedges-Thrifted

I wholeheartedly believe in taking advantage of the things that you have-make those things yours by adding your own flair. For instance-this makeshift colorblocked maxi (my version of today's BDIB-maxi edition) dress was created from a super long (redline clearance) maxi skirt and a (trashed) NY&Co nightie (yes, I said trashed because my auntie had this baby in a bag full of stuff to give away and I gladly accepted it) Cinch a thrifted belt at the waist and voila!

SIDENOTE AND UPDATE:
 I'm participating in an all new 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla from FrecklesInApril.  In this challenge, Kayla will give a daily outfit prompt that we must follow. We will blog about each prompt and that will earn us a specific number of points towards some kick ass prizes. The first prompt was to pick one item and remix it 3 times over the course of the challenge so I picked this cutesy denim vest that you see pictured above. You can learn more about the challenge here.

21 Day Challenge-Day 1

Thrifted Belt

I'm encouraged to label myself as this 'type'of 'thrifty blogger' because it's real. That's who I am. No need to create a blog and fabricate me (although some of us do live double lives). In blog and in person, I'm super frugalicious! My mom is always amazed by the amounts of money that I save. My babe has even caught on so now when we go out he always asks me if I have a coupon for anything in particular. Ohhhh and he loooves sending me on grocery shopping missions because he knows that we can eat for weeks off of 20 beans! In fact there are very few things that I will spend lots of money on-I turn my back on full priced-ness!

I will spend lots of my time on things though. On things like reading blogs. I get lots of inspiration from you gals. I get super excited when I find new lovelies to stalk and follow-especially when I find out that they value thriftiness as much as I do. I like being able to relate. Like my buddy Shana at ColorBlind-I'm in love and probably a little too obsessed with her blog, her style, and just her as a person even though I've never ever met her. I feel like I've known her for years because she expresses so much of her personality through this tiny little computer screen. So yeah, that's a good example of something I like to read. I do however, scour some not so relatable blogs-if only to look at their overly expensive outfits and great pics-but rarely do I comment or visit them everyday. All of their comments consist of various ways to say 'your outfit is fly' so why would I add to the monotony? Hell I'm almost certain that they won't return the visit anyway!!! Besides, my whole outfit only cost only a fraction of what they paid for their pinky toenail polish so what could they possibly have to say to me. Like really, who am I kidding!?

Do I find any benefits in labeling myself? Well I attract more people whom are interested in frugality. Great minds think alike and can appreciate that I recklessly swerve in my car when I see a trashed treasure on the side of the street, that I force people into letting me check out their junk before it becomes trash, or even that a majority of my closet is thrifted. And just because I use the terms trash, junk, and/or thrifted that doesn't mean that my things look grungy. See:

Thrifted Wedges

Sometimes labels can ring true, sometimes not! When people first meet me they think I'm a bit of a snob. And I agree. I'm a diva upon first encounter. Many people even think I'm a bitch when they initially meet me. Again, I agree. I'm short, blunt, and standoffish-until you get to really know the real me. The witty, down to earth thrifter who just wants to make you laugh and shower you with bear hugs and compliments. I agree that we don't need labels but it's the way of the world. It's just like a stereotype-oftentimes they are placed on us by others who in fact have not a clue the type of person we really are. I say the only way to really get to know a person is to live with them. You will 9 times out of 10 be surprised by who a person really is.

What about you, what type of person have you been labeled as-by yourself and/or others?

Wanna know how some of your other blogger friends feel about labeling-visit FBFF. Or maybe you need some new inspiration so that you can rock your new maxi in style. Go to PrettyShinySparklys BDIB page.

Ciao!

Post Title From: The Way I Are by Timbaland

Linked Up to:

Bloggers Do It Better

Fashion Beauty Friend Friday

Everybody, Everywear: I Can't Stand the Rain...

It was rather rainy in my area today. It wasn't the worst of the worst but it was bad enough for me to wanna throw my alarm clock out the window when it went off at 6AM.  You know...the kind of weather that makes you want to grab your man...and your favorite blankie...jump in bed and watch Netflix all day long. Those days when you only want to listen to smooth melodies on the radio and say to hell with chores and errands because they can get taken care of when the weather gets better.

And as just as my luck has it, I was running around ALL DAY LONG in the nastiness. FML!!

Good thing I wore these babies:

Yellow Rainboots

Ahhhhh....I love these!! I got them on clearance at GAP several years ago and I still get so many compliments on them when I wear them. Today I received the best one yet while standing in line for gas:

"I looovvveee your WELLIES"!

 I had the slightest idea what the hell 'wellies' were until the cute little lady informed me that this is what people in Scotland call rain boots. Ya learn something new everyday, huh!?
You think it's the bright yellow color that attracts so much attention?

Oh and speaking of yellow, Everybody Everywear has challenged all of the fashionistas in the blogosphere to show how they rock their yellow this month sooooooo....this is my version:



Boots-GAP/Tank-OldNavy/Shorts-DIY (Thrifted)



Cardigan-Aeropostale

My favorite part of this 'rainy day' outfit has to be this thrifted belt:

Belt-Thrifted

It's sooooo fun....

Now it's your turn....what do you like to do on rainy days? Would you rather stay in and do nothing or would you rather throw your rainboots on and splash around in the wetness?

Sidenote: Check out how Everybody, Everywear else is rocking their yellow today.

Linked up to:

Thrifters Anonymous
Rule Breaking Monday

Color Brigade

All Dressed Up
What I Wore Wednesday
Thriftaholics Weekly
Thursdays are for Thrifters

Post Title From: The Rain by Missy