Dressed for Time | Spring and Summer Style Tips from a Chicago blogger

VIICode Eye Mask Review

April 23, 2018

This post was sponsored by VIICode. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Hello, loves!
So happy to announce that my time spent away from posting on here has been used very productively, planning content and events and reviewing all types of products to share with you all!
First up are these Oxygen Eye Masks from VIICode. They sent me a package to test out and I’ve been using them for the past couple weeks. The package comes with 6 treatments, and I would recommend wearing them twice a week for 3 weeks. The first time I tried them out was after I returned from Palm Springs to attend the Create & Cultivate event at the Ace Hotel. It was such a fun day, filled with such inspiring and empowering speeches from a plethora of boss babes, but my skin definitely felt the heat and dry climate of the desert when I came home.
The patches were a little bit confusing to me to apply at first because I thought I was supposed to peel off both of the white sheets. Upon a little research, I learned that you only need to remove one of the sides and affix the sticky side to your skin. I used a little mirror to apply them, but I didn’t try to make it took perfect. As long as they contour and wrap around the eye a bit, they’re going to do their job.
The masks are actually able to be worn two different ways, and for that I’m grateful. When I first signed on for this review, I did not yet have eyelash extensions. Wearing the masks overnight (recommended is 8 hours max), I knew would not be an option because the ingredients in them would break down the lash glue. Thankfully, they can also be worn for 2-4 hours during the day, making them the perfect after-work skin treat for my skin!
When I know I want to do a mask, I’ll remove my makeup and/or wash my face when I get home, give it a few minutes to dry, and then apply the gel-like patches to my face, then go about my evening… Making dinner, watching TV, etc. I take them off before I go to bed and wake up feeling refreshed, and the skin around my eyes feeling smooth, hydrated, and plump.
I don’t have a lot of lines to soften, so I can’t speak to that effect that the product claims, but I absolutely love it for the moisturizing and calming effect it has on my under-eye area.
The masks are just the tiniest bit annoying at times when I try to look out of the corner of my eye, but other than that, I can’t really feel when they’re on. A pack of 6 sets of masks will cost you $55 and last you up to 3 weeks. I hope you enjoyed my VIICode Eye Mask Review! I’d love to know, what types of masks have you tried that you loved? Have you tried masks specifically made just for the eyes?

Eye masks c/o ViiCode // PJ’s c/o Adore Me // Book / Beauty by Lauren Conrad

Blogiversary Tales and Gozon Lace Blouse

March 30, 2018

This post is sponsored by Gozon. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OK, wow. NYFW really did take it out of me.. From the travel, to the mass amount of content I had to sift through, I definitely needed to take a substantial break before hopping back on here! I have a lot to share with you all, but first want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for following along on this journey over the past four years. It’s been quite the wild ride, with more ups and downs than I’d ever want to fully elaborate on here. I would, however, love to share some of my top takeaways from blogging, and my outlook on my future content.

Blogging is expensive. Granted, there are cheaper ways to do things, especially if you’re not a fashion blogger, in my opinion. I feel with home decor, you can swap out a few pieces, change the angle and time of day you’re shooting, and it looks like a whole new space. With fashion, so many people are concerned with the allure of the new. And I will admit, I’ve had those moments too. I remember once when my photographer was shooting a new dress of mine that she looked down at the bag I was holding and said, “We’ve already shot that one before, so I’ll just focus on the rest of your outfit.” For some materialistic reason, that struck a cord in me that I should have a new bag/pair of shoes/etc. for every look we shot. THIS IS NOT ATTAINABLE or realistic and will have you racking up the credit card bills in no time. Things like website hosting, security, photographers, props, travel, etc., are all parts of the job that you can’t really get away from. So many people I talk to still think that blogging is showing up and taking pictures, which brings me to my next topic…

People think that blogging is not a real job. Granted, I don’t blog full-time yet, but so many folks I share my story with think that blogging could never be self-sustaining, lucrative, or a respectable way to make a living. One look at some of the top ladies of Instagram, think Chrishelle Lim, Jenny Bernheim, Rachel Parcell, and on, and it’s easy to nip that “lucrative” comment in the bud right away. The respect and self-sustaining bit are earned, and come with time. Side note, I have to pay taxes from blogging, so that sounds pretty real to me haha!

Beware the mean girls. Yes, this is a competitive industry, and no, not everyone in it is a snob. But boy, there are some real winners out there! I was at a Simply conference last year and left my notepad on my front-row seat to hold my spot so I could go grab a water bottle (it was July, hello!?), and when I returned, it had been flung on the ground and someone else was sitting in my spot. The occupant gave me a snarky look, chuckled, and then went back to talking to her friend. Fun. I’ve also been privy to conversations of girls talking poorly about other bloggers, body shaming, slut shaming, the whole nine. It would be like high school when they’d say “Oh, let’s not invite her to come because _____.” It’s SO important in this industry to stay true to your morals and not be swayed by the mean girls to turn nasty.

You get a lot of free stuff. It’s pretty cool, I will attest to that for sure, but I also have about 35 sheet masks from different brands in my bathroom right now, waiting to be tested. I have dozens of lipsticks I’ve used once, and more jewelry than one person should reasonably own. Again, it’s cool, but it also has filled my house with clutter, and I feel quite glutenous and guilty at times.

Lastly, You don’t have to be perfect! I’ve spent hours before getting ready to take one perfect shot, only to find that my tag was sticking out, my hem was turned up, or the item I spent 20 minutes steaming was wrinkly after a car ride. I’ve learned to stress less on the little details, and especially on things that are beyond my control when shooting, at events, and everything in-between.

If it seems like the above is mostly negative, I didn’t mean it to be, I just started typing and that’s what came out. I truly LOVE blogging, and creating lovely content, honest product reviews, and styling tips with you all. There are so many amazing people I’ve met through blogging, and wouldn’t change any of the bad stuff if it meant we wouldn’t have crossed paths. My future content will definitely be true to my style, be budget-conscious, and honest to the core. I’ve heard some influencers say they won’t speak poorly of a brand on their channels, because they wouldn’t want that brand or any other to know that they would say something that wasn’t 100% positive, but I don’t believe in that philosophy at all. You are coming to me for the truth, and there are generally good and bad to most things. I did an Insta Story poll recently asking just this, and an overwhelming 97% of you voted you’d like to see all types of reviews, not just the stuff that I loved. Good thing I love speaking my mind 😀

Now, can we please talk about this outfit for a moment? I was looking for a boho-inspired gauzy white blouse, and was thrilled to find this style on Gozon.com. Gozon is a women’s contemporary boutique, offering up new styles daily. They’re also super reasonably priced, as the average cost for a dress is around $30-50. My top here is only $31, and I’m wearing a size L for reference. That’s another thing I dig about Gozon clothing, is the sizing seems to always work for me, whether I order an L or XL. Their shipping is also super fast, and items usually get to me a couple of days after ordering because they’re based out of LA.

I paired this lace blouse with some olive moto leggings, my spring-standard espadrille wedges, layered gold jewelry, and a fun tribal-print woven tote. You’ll definitely catch me wearing this to brunch, on a casual date night, or while doing some shopping around town.

Top c/o Gozon // Leggings / Nordstrom // Wedges / JustFab // Tote / TribeAlive from the Box of Style // Bracelets / Kyle Chan Design // Choker / gift / Necklace / Ettika

Thanks again for following along on my journey. To the next four years! 😀

NYFW Day 3/4 Recap

March 2, 2018

My NYFW Day 3/4 Recap contains affiliate links and was created in partnership with Salon V, Joli Beauty Bar, and Bond 45.

Hey loves!
I’m so sad to say that my recap of all things New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018 is coming to a close. I think I was delaying writing this post because I didn’t really want it to be true! All the more to look forward to next season, right?
Day 3 started with the typical visit to Jamba Juice for another round of oatmeal with brown sugar and bananas, followed by a subway ride to our first destination, Salon V. If you watched my Stories on Instagram, you might have caught our visit, and you still can because it’s saved to my “highlights” reel!
Instead of the curls I’d been requesting, I wanted to go for a more sleek look, because today would be the day that it rained A LOT and I knew there was no way they would have stayed intact. My blowout left me feeling smooth, sleek, and super chic!
Next up, we met with the uber talented Katie Stuart of K Stu Photography (also be sure to check out her stunning personal blog, WanderAbode), at Grand Central Terminal for literally one of my fave photo shoots ever! It’s crazy that in some of the shots, it looks like we have the place to ourselves…

(My outfit) Sweater / Moth from Anthropologie // Leggings / Nordstrom // Booties / Forever 21 (old) // Earrings / Forever 21 // Clutch / JustFab
Shot by KStuPhotography.
Sorry for the influx of pics, but like I said, this one of my fave shoots to date so you know I had to share my top selects!
Next up, we braved the torrential downpour and headed over to Joli Beauty Bar, where we were greeted by Charde and Zsuzsi, the proprietors of this glam studio. They offer one of the most inventive and necessary services I can think of in the city, the Zsuzs, which touches up both your hair AND makeup before a night out or event. They even have lockers in the back where you can store your workbag, a change of clothes, etc., that can be messengered over to you the next day! They also have a VIP primp area for clients that want a bit more privacy. Charde and Zsuzsi are both crazy talented, and had the three of us looking like NYFW bombshells in no time!

If you can’t tell, I was totally feelin’ myself! I asked Charde to throw in a couple curls to bring back some volume.

We then headed over to the Angela Mitchell Presentation, a display of the latest styles from Canadian sisters, Krystal and Marilyn Lavoie.

A couple of highlights from the show. My top picks were the pairs with crystal embellishments.

We then rushed over to the Show Collective featuring Seven Crash, Lavenda Coodly, and Halo Mimi at a BMW dealership. Unfortunately, as per usual, there was a mixup at check-in and even with my email confirmation and a PR contact’s name, it still took us over 10 minutes to proceed. We were told there were only two seats left by that time, and the other three girls in our group would have to watch from the balcony. As myself and Danielle headed over, we were told that the show was about to start, and we were going to have to watch with everyone else up the elevator. We hoped for the best, but by the time we made it up there, there was not one space left to actually be able to view the collections come down the runway. My feet were already not in a good way, so I found an empty desk, put my feet up, and watched the show from one of the girl’s live Instagram feeds. Better than nothing? The styles were a bit eclectic for my taste for the most part, but there were some gorgeous dresses that I did see walk down. No pics because, yeah, I didn’t see a bit of it firsthand.

A little frustrated, and a lot beat from the day, we headed back to the hotel for some R & R and to do a little packing prep, before getting ready for dinner. I have to say that our meal at Bond 45 was one of the top notes of our entire trip. From the service (ask for Jonathan, it’s a must!), to the atmosphere (upscale yet still relaxed), to most impressively the food, not one detail at Bond 45 has been overlooked. I may have actually been in a food daze after our experience, but I remember starting with the Cocktail for Two (with pineapple-infused tequila, habanero tincture, passion fruit and lime, and it is YUMMY), followed by the most delectable house-made burrata with heirloom tomatoes and ridiculously flavorful olive oil, fried artichokes with lemon aioli, two pizzas (including the “a lot of pepperoni”, which gave me the idea to start putting spicy honey on my slices), and then a slew of entrees.. We all helped ourselves to multiple servings of the chicken & truffle fettuccini, scallop scampi, chicken parm, spaghetti with short rib meatballs, and pastrami spaghetti carbonara. If it sounds like a lot of food, that’s because it was a massive amount of food! We were happy little porkers, as my grandfather likes to call it, and were sad to admit we could only manage a few bites of the chocolate blackout cake and strawberry cheesecake they presented to us for dessert. Are you hungry, yet? Because just the thought of this delicious meal still makes my mouth water. I will definitely be back next time I’m in the city.

I included this solo shot of Alyssa from Life and Style by AP because I thought it was so darn cute!
From L to R, here is my girl gang – Sydney from Sydney Bliss Photography, Lavenda from Lavenda’s Closet, Katie from K Stu Photography/Wander Abode, Alyssa from Life and Style by AP, Alison from All Things Alison, muah!, and Danielle from Danielle Alana Reyes. These ladies are so vibrant and inspiring, and I’m so lucky to call them friends, too!

We parted ways that night, and headed home to sleep off the stressful, yet crazy fun day.

Sydney and Danielle had to make an early flight, so Alyssa, Alison and myself checked out of our room at the DoubleTree Times Square West, and cabbed it to The Real Real. We were invited to check out their flagship location, as well as the opening of their in-store cafe that just opened on the bottom level. They are serving up coffee and tea, as well as gourmet snacks and bites, everything we needed for a little pick-me-up at the end of Fashion Week. It wasn’t difficult to get a bit lost in their sprawling and designer fashion-filled store, but we all had planes to catch, so we chatted a bit then headed to our respective airports.

Their little patio area is so cute! It was super chilly still, so I made good use of my earmuffs, found on Amazon after a recommendation from @rachmartino after I saw her rocking the same pair! The bag envy was in full effect at The Real Real, and the Valentino’s, Chloe’s, and Gucci’s (props if you caught the butterfly brooch-encrusted one I posted on my Insta Stories), had my heart racing and my wallet oh-so-nervous. Side note, they have a pop-up shop open now though April 15th at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas! If you can’t make it to either location, visit The Real Real online and take $25 off your first purchase.

I’ll be honest, my trip to the airport was a rocky one. I couldn’t find the bus to take me to the airport because it was in a different spot than the drop-off. I had to depend on the kindness of the nicest man EVER who walked me through Port Authority, carrying my bag at times, to help me find my spot. Then the bus driver passed by my Terminal for SouthWest, causing me to drag my super heavy bag uphill a half mile in the other direction. Then we had tons of turbulence landing in Phoenix for my first layover and ended up circling the city for 20 minutes. I can’t tell you how happy I was to see Mark after my long flights. And wouldn’t you know it, I brought the rain home with me!!!

I truly can’t wait to start planning for September, because now that I have one season under my belt, I know what the expectations vs. reality are, and to plan accordingly for traffic, weather, and to ALWAYS print out my show confirmations. I had a blast, got to know some blogger friends a whole lot more, and make some new ones, I saw a different side of the city, and felt pretty damn glamorous while doing so.

I’d love to know, what are your thoughts on Fashion Week? Worth the trip, or watch from home (Insta)?

NYFW Day 2 Recap

February 21, 2018

This post contains affiliate links and was created in partnership with Essex LA, Pucker & DreamDry, and Mamo restaurant.

Kisses from New York!
Welcome to my NYFW Day 2 recap, where I’m sharing all of the places we went, things we did, and tasty food we ate.
Our first stop, after Jamba Juice, of course, was to Pucker Makeup inside DreamDry in the Flatiron district. I wish I had more shots of the inside of the salon, because it is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with luxe touches and glam finishes everywhere. Our dear friend Sydney, Danielle’s personal photographer, was able to grab a couple of shots of us, mid-makeup application, and right after before we left for our formal shoot.

Seriously, what a transformation! My makeup artist, Daisy (find her at @the_daisy_love), was the sweetest, and gave me a subtly smokey bronze eye, flawless skin, and a bright lip to match my booties, which she created on the spot! She even gave me a little sample of it to take with me for touch-ups. I realized that my hair was looking a little flat due to the dismal weather outside, and one of their hairstylists was able to touch up my curls in the less than 10 minutes I had before running off to our shoot. If you’re in the area, be sure to use code “SOCAL10” when booking to take $10 off your first makeup application.

We shot with Chris Gray Studios at Union Square Park (after a 6 block jog) and the weather was only moderately on our side. It started to sprinkle during the first 20 minutes, and was actually pouring when we were wrapping up. We made it work though, which I’m so happy about because we got some great shots. We had a little downtime before our next location, so Sydney offered to take some shots of us acting like real New Yorkers, to hysterical effect.
Jacket / Leggings / Clutch / Sweater $23!!! / Boots / Necklace (vintage) / Glasses

Ok, so in the first shot, we were not acting and were legitimately confused as to how to get to where we were going next. This was one of about 37 times when this happened. Navigation in New York succckkked and it seemed like no matter how fast-paced the city was, the GPS was never able to catch up to where we currently were, and directions like 41st St. between 9th and 10th Ave didn’t mean shit when you didn’t know which way 10th was.
The last shot was probably one of my faves from our trip, and caused multiple cabs to pull over in earnest, and I felt a little guilty then waving them off.

We made it to Mamo a few minutes early in the POURING rain, and they were happy to accommodate us. I loved how attentive and knowledgeable our server was, without being overbearing. We ordered the calamari and veggie stack to start, and let me say that the calamari was some of the best that I’d ever had. At first, I was thinking, “where is the sauce?,” but then I realized that it didn’t even need it. For my entree, I went with the gnocchi, also delicious, and I loved that I could actually tell the difference in the tomatoes being ripe. I was considering dessert when Alison asked for us to try all 4 of the options, which I was happy to oblige in tasting each and every one of them, with the strawberry affogato being the winner in my book. I will definitely be back to visit next time I’m in the city!

Alison, Alyssa, and I Ubered over to our first show of the day, Colour by Nandi Madida. To be completely honest, we only caught the last 3 or 4 minutes of the show, due to having some issues at check-in, which would find to be a common occurrence at shows, so I don’t have pics to share. We wear able to watch the last look and the finale come down the runway, which you can catch on my NYFW highlights on Insta. From what I saw from the recaps, the line looked exquisitely tailored, with flattering cuts, and neutrals as well as bold looks.

Off to our next show, MacDuggal, which, again, we had issues at the door. I showed my confirmation email to different people and they still said I, nor the girls, were on their list. They finally let us up, 20 minutes before showtime, to stand in a crowded, cramped, overheated balcony area, where I literally got shoved out of my spot by a couple of former beauty queens wearing tiaras, not even kidding. I was able to get one shot before the show started, and one as I was leaving from a different angle, because I just couldn’t take the heat, or bitchiness, any longer.

We were just spent after this show, so we decided to skip out on the art show we had planned, and went back to the hotel to nap before dinner.
After a nice little siesta, we all (minus Alyssa, who was attending a friend’s 30th bday in the city), headed to The Liberty NYC, a lively happy hour spot, for dinner and to meet up with some fellow Style Collective and RewardStyle members. I was more than a little disappointed when only 3 out of the 11 additional guests showed up. I’ve learned that unless money is involved, people will flake for events like this. Next time, I’m requiring a deposit haha! I did have the chance to catch up with a couple of girls from across the US, so that was lovely, as was the Liberty’s spinach artichoke dip!

I hope you enjoyed my NYFW Day 2 recap… Day 3/4 is coming soon!

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