REVIEW: Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask

I got a new thing last week, and after being out in the dusty wind for 4 days, my skin really needed a pick-me-up. This Lush face mask really hit the spot.

Portions for Foxes

I love tights. Like, a lot. I couldn't even count how many pairs I have. Colored, patterned, sweater, sheer, opaque - you name it. But these are the most recent addition to my tights collection, which I got from Modcloth last week and ooh baby are they hot. That's the idea that I had when choosing a song for this post, so I settled on Rilo Kiley's "Portions for Foxes." I felt like a bit of fox in these mock thigh-highs and my circle skirt from H&M. Thigh-highs are just sexy.

Sasquatch Outfit Roundup

I'm back from Sasquatch guys! I got home at 5 a.m. after driving four hours from the Gorge to West Seattle, then en route home. I slept for a good five hours and then just drank the biggest cup of coffee, but I wanted to share my outfits from the weekend with you before diving into all the concert photos that I'm drowning in. Seriously about 35 GB of photos and videos. It's going to be a long day.

But enough rambling.

Friday

 This day I wanted the easiest and comfiest outfit possible, and since the weather was absolutely spectacular, I threw on my cropped cami underneath my flannel. This flannel ended up being a lifesaver all weekend.

Saturday

NEW STUFF: May

 Here we have another edition of NEW STUFF. I got some new stuff in the mail today and I bought some new stuff today, so I thought what better way to break it all in than do a blog post about it?!

She's A Handsome Woman

 I haven't been this excited about an outfit for a long time. I was so excited about this outfit that I wore it twice this week - on Monday, and then again today when Sarah and I wanted to shoot. 

 I mean, can you blame me?

Boobs

As you all have seen by now, Angelina Jolie was a guest writer for the New York Times yesterday, where she revealed that she had a preventative double mastectomy because of a gene that makes her 87% likely to get breast cancer. I won't run down the whole article because if you haven't read it, you can read it here.

I've always been a fan of Angelina and her choices. While not necessarily helpful in any way, I appreciate her and Brad Pitt's decision to not get married until gays have the universal right. She's always been someone who has been incredibly open about her life and her family. This reveal has been met with a lot of discussion, mostly positive responses from mothers and other women. When I read her article and saw what people were saying on Facebook, it warmed my heart. I didn't have to un-friend anyone because of any disgusting remarks. Trust me, it's happened before.

But I recently came across these tweets, and a bunch of other responses from mostly males, and it repulsed me. Utterly disgusting that people would belittle a woman who literally cut off both her breasts for reasons none other than medical and for her family's sake. Utterly disgusting that they would bare her down to just a pair of tits, and now that she didn't have them anymore - she's worthless.

This is why I call myself a feminist. This is why I'm not afraid of the stigma that comes with the term "feminism." I'm more afraid of the fact that this belittling mindset isn't shamed more than that of feminism.

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I have my own immune system issues that require medication and treatments that I can barely afford, so I know what it's like to have a rare fucked up thing in my body. My family doesn't have a history of breast cancer, but we do have a history of pancreatic cancer. Trust me, if there was some sort of preventative surgery for that son-of-a-bitch, my mom would have already taken it. I know what it's like to have a family member get diagnosed with a cancer that is literally a death sentence. What would have been my grandmother's 82nd birthday is coming up next month, and she died 11 years ago, of pancreatic cancer. Mother's Day is still a sad day for my mom, even 11 years later. We know how much it sucks. 

Angelina has made a difficult, but smart decision to do this so that her kids don't have to go through what she did. She has put her family before her own vanity, and that should be encouraged, not torn down by misogynist dickwads.

Seeing responses from men saying that now that Angelina cut off her boobs, "Brad pitt is gunna be fucking the nanny," it makes me sad for them, and sad for the women in their lives and sad for the people that don't see how terrible that is. It makes me sad that misogyny isn't more recognized outside of the internet realm and more looked down upon in the real world. I just hope that these disgusting reactions to Angelina's brave decision and confession makes it obvious to the rest of the world that sexism and misogyny isn't just something you see in old advertisements from the '50s and on Mad Men.

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I've had large breasts ever since I hit puberty. I never needed a training bra. I jumped from no bra to underwire within a year, and at my largest I was a 40DDD. It's big. It's painful. It's expensive. And sometimes it's humiliating. When I was in high school at my largest I thought of getting a breast reduction. When I was buying prom dresses I had to consider if I could wear a legitimate bra with it, and I still think about that now when daydreaming about my wedding in the far off future. I have big boobs. Now I'm between a 36 and 38DD, and I like my boobs. I've grown to accept them, but if I ever needed to make a decision to lose them for my own health, I would do it. 

What I'm trying to get at is that I love my body and my large breasts and they're apart of me, but if I didn't have them they wouldn't make me feel any less of a woman. Losing them wouldn't decrease my value as a woman or as a person. And it shouldn't make anyone feel that way, because they made a conscious decision to put their health or family over their vanity. This is the same problem I have with the "Save the Ta-Tas" campaign. While it has good intentions, the message is misguided. It makes the disease about the breasts, not the person that they're attached to. 

They're literally just appendages of fat attached to the chest. That's it. The size of your boobs ≠ how much value you have as a woman.

Casual Success

I don't always get super dressed up. Whenever I run errands, I don't always like walking into the post office or grocery store in a full getup, especially since Gig Harbor is just about the least fashion-forward town I can think of. But I can't very well walk out of the house in an ordinary, boring outfit. I've still gotta put some flair into it. I'm not in college anymore. Sweatshirts don't cut it anymore.

REVIEW + SWATCHES: Benefit "Always A Bridesmaid" Creaseless Cream Shadow

 I got a new product last month, one that I am quite in love with, so I thought I would share my thoughts and some lovely photos for you to ogle at. 

This is the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Always A Bridemaid (and I actually feel like the name suits the color). It's a beautiful cool lavender color, which would definitely compliment all eye colors, but green and brown eyes mostly. I've been looking for a new cream shadow that isn't neutral and isn't a bright matte color like the Maybelline Color Tattoos I have, and this fit the bill. One day I might actually do a post of all my cream shadows. I'll put that on my to-do list. 

 

Not Young, Not Old

Something about this outfit just screams nostalgia. It screams childhood, and it screams youth, hence the title of this post. It's a Campfire OK song that I quite like, that you should definitely check out. But, on to the real purpose of this post.

I was testing out shooting myself in the backyard with my remote the other day and I'm so glad I finally figured it out! For some reason I never thought my tripod would work for vertical photos, but as you can see I was wrong!

Weekly Etsy Roundup

I'm back for another Etsy roundup of all the listings I've listed this week. I shot a ton of items recently (after mom and I went thrifting and STRUCK GOLD) and I still have a few more to post, but I wanted to spread them out so I can have consistent posting.

Leave comments if you have any questions and click through the photos to see the full listing and prices!

SOLD! Vintage 1970s jewel-toned emerald pumps (Size 5.5)

Vintage 1980s plaid high-waisted trousers (M)

Vintage 1970s boho crochet detail maxi dress (S/M)

Vintage 1980s Carol Anderson pleated shirtdress (9/10)

Vintage 1980s pussy bow secretary shirtdress (S/M)

Vintage 1980s camel brown leather boots (6.5)

SOLD! Vintage 1960s Pendleton blue plaid wool blazer (S/M/L)

I'll definitely be back next week with another Etsy roundup, so stay tuned and please check out my shop. The dress from my last outfit post will be up in my shop very soon.

REVIEW + SWATCHES: Hayley Williams for MAC "Sounds Like Noise"

I don't know what my face was doing here, but let's get on with the review.

I recently ordered the new limited edition lipstick from Mac that Hayley Williams partnered with them to make, and I absolutely love it. "Sounds Like Noise" is a straight-up orange lipstick, and it's a matte finish. And when I say orange, I mean that there is no red in it like Morange or Neon Orange, but it's lighter and closer to a coral if anything. 

It's definitely very matte, so I recommend using a lip balm before putting on the rest of your makeup so your lips are well-moisturized for the lipstick application.

Old Old Fashioned

This dress has been in my Etsy closet for over two years now, and I think I've worn it once... well now twice. I don't know why I haven't worn it more, maybe because I'm clumsy and didn't want to damage and/or stain it because I wanted to sell it. In this particular day, I was feeling very Betty Draper and decided to through this puppy on with some more modern and trendy accessories.

Wishful Thinking: May

Tryst Pump - Nastygal // Topshop Wonder Pinafore - Nordstrom // Feel Younger Primer - Lush // Charisma Primer - Lush // Skin79 Super+ Beblesh Balm - Amazon // Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer

Pining For Pinafores

It's officially spring, which means that I am stocking up on dresses like nobody's business. And recently I got a little be obsessed with pinafore dresses. I mean look at them. I can't help but channel my inner 6-year-old for them.