Garden Party:The Clothing Collective Series

How is everyone? I feel like I have been away from the blog for too long and it has been killing me! Today I am going to get back into the groove with a great fashion post for The Clothing Collective series that my bestie, Katie and I started!

Our chosen theme for this fashion post is: Garden Party. 

I'll be honest I have never even BEEN to a garden party, but even if you aren't heading out to a garden party to nosh on tea and macaroons anytime soon this look would work well for any outdoor event that you just want to look special for.

I love color so I chose to go with one of my favorites for this outfit: royal blue. Something about the color just makes me feel confident and calm, which is perfect for keeping it fashionable during the hotter months.

I also wanted a classic heel and something that wouldn't be too difficult to walk in because outdoor events usually have more walking and standing than usual. You won't want to be the pretty lady with sore feet while trying to look gracious, serene, and perfectly in control of that tea cup or fruit kebab.

Dress: Modcloth. Shoes: Hautelook. Belt: Modcloth. Clutch: Hobo Bags.

I've been growing my hair out for a while now and while I love how I can braid and curl my hair 8 ways from Sunday the rising heat has been making me sweat! So when I'm spending time outside this summer season an up-do is one of my necessities! I chose the princess roll up-do and I love how quick and easy this style is while making it seem like I put a lot of time and effort into it. I'm a bit taller than most of the people in Korea so I have become a bit lazy worrying about bobby pins showing on the top of my head, but I'm glad that you can see where I fixed the pins under the headband. Give this look a try when you want a fast and pretty hairstyle! Birchbox did a wonderful tutorial on creating this hairstyle that I shared on an earlier post find the hairstyle, here.

For accessorizing my outfit I kept things pretty simple because less can be more and it helped keep the overall feel of the outfit casual. I went with a simple floral belt, statement piece necklace, neutral clutch and a bright bow headband for some added color.

I hope you enjoyed my take on an outdoor event outfit! I loved putting together a look that was dressy enough for cucumber sandwiches, but still casual enough to enjoy a plate of BBQ if you choose.

Check out Katie's take on our garden party theme, here.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to get caught-up on all the posts that I have lined up to share!! What kind of outfit do you prefer for an outdoor event? Let me know how to dress to impress and stay tuned for our next fashion post: summer fun!

What I Wore : An Evening At A Ball

Today I want to share what I wore to a recent Army Aviation Ball. My husband and I were really excited about attending the ball and we jumped at a chance to put on our best and spend the night with our friends. When I was deciding what to wear for the ball I knew that I wanted to go for a look that was vintage, chic, and most of all me. I'm not a fan of overly tight, short, bedazzled, cleavage bearing, tafetta numbers and sometimes when it comes to formal wear I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place, but NEVER FEAR, Modcloth is here!

For the ball I wanted to go for a vintage look and got the Rosé Bubbly Dress from Modcloth, which I paired with my favorite silver BC heels. I opted for no accessories other than my wedding and engagement rings and a simple leather Hobo clutch in ivory.

I debated between doing a dramatic make-up look, which I did the previous year with red lips and dark eyes, but I decided that this sweet cocktail dress garnered a fresh face to complete it.  I went with my go to Lancome cosmetics to create a simple, but chic face. A pink and gold eye, pretty pink lip and blushing cheeks were perfect for the evening.
 
For my hair I went with an AWESOME princess roll up-do that I learned how to do the previous day using a Birchbox tutorial! Everyone complimented me the entire night on my hair that looked salon quality, and only took me about 15 minutes, a handful of bobby pins, an elastic hairband and a few sprays of hairspray. Thanks, Birchbox! Here is my up-do and you can find the tutorial, here. I will do a future post on how I altered the hairdo to hide the hairband.

I think my husband and I cleaned up pretty well and I know that we definitely felt our best and had an amazing evening! Don't you just love the vintage inspired details of this dress? I fee like this dress helped me strike a perfect balance between formal and fun. What do you like to wear on a special night out? Do you have a go to style that makes you feel elegant and put together?

Dress: Modcloth: Rosé Bubbly Dress, $157, here.
Clutch: Hobo Clutch Wallet in Ivory, similar, here. I snapped mine up at a TJ MAXX for 30 bucks so keep your eyes open!
Shoes: BC Winner's Circle Pumps in silver, $45.50, here.
Hairstyle: Princess Roll Up-do tutorial by Birchbox, here.

Review: Birchbox

I haven’t done a product review in a quite a WHILE, and I am back with a bang! This week I will be reviewing Birchbox’s amazing service. Birchbox is a wonderful service that delivers high-quality beauty, lifestyle, and amazing odds-n-ends that I would otherwise not have the cash to indulge in. I signed up for Birchbox sometime ago and was thrilled when I got my spot to join the service, and I have been waiting to tear into my first box ever since.

Because I have an APO address there is a delay in the service so I am nearly 2 months behind on the box that I get. Bummer, but I am just happy that customs is letting my boxes through. ;) My first box was unbelievable! Even my thrifty husband was impressed with what I got for 10 bucks. 

Here are my items for the December Box (better late than never, right? ;))

ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss in Berry Pink: Great color and quality with a handy built-in mirror. I really liked the shine and consistency of the lip-gloss because it didn’t leave my lips feeling sticky and the color was really pretty with just enough shimmer to be appropriate for an evening out if you wanted. Also, it had a faint but pleasant strawberry taste and scent my husband immediately picked up on…needless to say I was giving out kisses shortly after trying this gloss out. ;) Something really awesome about this was that I was given a FULL size of this lip-gloss and it retails for16 bucks by itself, which made my Birchbox SO WORTH IT!

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/makeup/lips/model-co-lipgloss

Fresh Citron de Vigne Perfume: The perfume is really clean and fresh smelling and is a convenient size. I like the scent for days that I need a little pep in my step! I felt sophisticated and oh-so French with this perfume. It is a departure from my signature scent Marc Jacobs Daisy, and while it won’t turn into my go-to scent it is still a nice addition to my scent collection.

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/fresh-citron-de-vigne

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute: All I can say about this masque is....WOW, WOW, WOW!! It is pretty much the greatest thing that I have ever put on my skin! It is amazing how soft and hydrated it has left my skin after just a short time of using it. The great thing is that you don't have to put very much of the masque on to feel that it is working AND it's a no-rinse masque which shows just how gentle it is on skin. If you have painful dry skin then this is your product! This product is such a great addition and definitely an item that I wouldn't have had the chance to try on my current budget.

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/nuxe-creme-fraiche-face-mask 

12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment: The hair care product is an ABSOLUTE gem and it left my hair feeling healthy, hydrated and under-control without feeling greasy or heavy. I just spritzed and worked this through my hair before blow drying and my fly-always dropped big time! I have been locked in a war of attrition with my bangs as they grow out and this spray has been a godsend.  I’ve already got this little baby in my checkout basket and will be adding it to my daily routine.

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/12-benefits-instant-healthy-hair-treatment

Emily’s Chocolates Chocolate Covered Fortune Cookie: Who doesn’t love a good cookie? When I saw the package I was like….rats….It has been in there since December, but my husband wanted to eat it so I gave it to him to munch on. I saw his face and then stole the other half that he hadn’t managed to get into his mouth yet. Oh, yea, I stole that cookie good! The fortune cookie was so yummy! It was peppermint chocolate dipped and after all that time sitting in customs the little Christmas themed cookie was still delicious.

http://www.birchbox.com/shop/emily-s-chocolate-fortune-cookies

Out of all the products that Birchbox sent me in my pretty little box the 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment is my ABSOLUTE favorite item next to the Nuxe hydrating masque. I am already picking up my full size of the hair product because of the great condition it has left my hair in, and the masque has visibly changed the overall appearance and feel of my skin.

I would definitely recommend Birchbox to any Cosmo girl on a budget! For just 10 USD you get a sweet little box packed full of stuff that you might consider frivolous in favor of paying off those student loans, can I get an AMEN? The best thing is that you can pick what kind of items Birchbox sends to you with the interest survey that you fill out concerning the types of goodies you want. All of the items were generous sample sizes and I even got a full-size item like the really great lip-gloss that I scored.  For all of us on a budget do yourself a favor and get on the Birchbox Bandwagon! Just because you are on a savings plan doesn’t mean that you can’t add some glamour and pampering to your life!

Here is a link from my account that you can use as an invite to get on the Birchbox list!

https://www.birchbox.com?raf=5c86m

Have a great day and I am so excited to be back home and blogging!