The Essentials.

Here are some photos I took of the things that I consider staples for a typical day (work, school, hanging). It runs the gambit from nails to clothes. Check it out:



Michael Kors tote bag. Just got it this weekend actually after eying it for a while. Never had a "luxury" purse or anything persay, so I was hesitant that I even needed it. But I kept coming back to it (literally walking by it time and time again in the Macy's), and then after I found out I was accepted into my schools business school (HUGE FEAT! YAY!) I spoiled myself with this. Totally practical for carrying books/folders and very professional. So soft and leathery. Love it!



OPI Nail Polish. At just 8 bucks for salon quality, I've fallen in love with OPI. I love these summery colors. The green one on the right is borrowed from a friend haha.


My face stuffs. L'Oreal face wash (with this thingy called a Scrublet--life saver for my acne!), Bobbi Brown Hydrating Gel Cream, and FINALLY a foundation that forreal matches (couldn't see it go on), Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation.

My face routine as of now, but it ALWAYS changes....


Urban Decay NAKED Palette. This is a cult favorite and has been sold out for almost half a year. I snagged one though. I don't really use this as much as I should, but this palette represents my shift towards neutral and more polished and professional make up.


I couldn't live without my perfume collection. Burberry, Marc Jacobs, and Dior shown here. I'm a sucker for light florals.


Juicy Couture, Chloe, and Gucci shown here. Vera Wang Princess blurred in the back. My faves!


Okay so this isn't a fashion item really, but ever sense I got my iPhone 4, it has become a 5th limb. It's actually handy for shopping. Good for checking for sales and product reviews on the
go.


Ray Ban Tortoise Shell Wayfarers! Classics, really! Instant confidence when I put them on. Not to mention they're super healthy for your eyes (UVs aint ever getting through these). Wear them EVERY DAY. So sturdy too :)


I'm probably going to dedicate an entire post to all my Steve Madden items. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE his shoes so much. On the left are my leopard print wedges, for photoshoots and events only. In the middle are my go to summer sandals, and on the right are my nude colored flats that I use for work. I'm starting a small Steve Madden collection. There are 2 more pairs that aren't shown here, and I will probably get more. Inexpensive and HELLA quality and cute. Love love LOVEEEEE.

Jean jacket from ZARA. It's been short lived in my closet, but I can TELL this is going to be a staple for the rest of summer AND fall. Goes with EVERYTHING and adds that extra POP to an otherwise boring outfit. See:


That's me (also sporting those SM Leopard Wedges) in the jacket. It can be edgy and sweet depending on what's underneath.

I also have a leopard print blazer from ZARA that's mighty sharp and can be dressed up or down. For some reason it's not letting me upload though....


Welp! Those are my staples (as of now, of course)

-Millie Michelle

It's Been A WHILE.

Whoa

So I've neglected this blog big time. I guess over the school year I got busy...HELLA busy. And while I kept up with my fashion (SO MANY NEW THINGS TO SHOW!), I didn't quite keep up with this blog.

It's kind of cumbersome to update and write a blog when you have school, work, and personal life to deal with first and foremost.

But here's to a new beginning.


That's my new camera. It's funny because if I look at one of my very first posts (wish list), I said I wanted a camera like this, right? Well thoughts become things and now I have one! I have two lenses for it too, for versatile shooting! Once I got it I thought "Well, hey! Maybe this is what I need to revamp my fashion blog!" (even if I am the only one reading it--it's like an online fashion diary that I can look back on always.)

Pictures of clothes from online is so impersonal. So this camera will enable me to have more Outfit of The Day posts, which actually show how the clothes look on me.

I guess another thing that has changed is my overall sense of style. I change my style like every six months it seems. I hope I'll be able to upload some of my new things.

FASHION ASIDE, I'm still a make up junkie and over the last year (because that's how long I've been gone!), I have accumulated so much and learned so much. So much to show!

So I may be back kind of soon to show you some of my favorite fashion/make up staples that I have now :)

Remember, this is a fashion blog, and if you're faint at the heart, you may misinterpret this for bragging. That's not my problem! If you're so unnerved that I have things and if you let material possessions determine your worth, then you need to seek psycho therapy. Just a little disclaimer.

Be back soon,

Millie Michelle

Recent Buys.

I feel like I am a logical and compulsive shopper. The logic comes in because before I buy ANYTHING, I really scrutinize whether or not I'll wear it, if I need it, and what it will match. I can't tell you how many things I've bought that look good on the hanger, but DON'T look good with any of my existing clothes. Then it just spoils in my closet, or I over compensate for the bad buy and buy MORE things.

But the compulsive part DOES come in though. Like, I KNOW I have plenty of necklaces, but that doesn't stop me from getting more. OR I know I have a stack full of jeans, but that doesn't stop me from getting more.

I don't know, it's a delicate balance. But I do always feel that I buy things I know I will use A LOT.

That being said, these are my recent buys:



Not a big fan of light-washed jeans, but I've seen a lot of people with my build (short/petite) pull them off nicely. AND these have rips and studs AND they were only $25 WITH shipping. Good, right?
American Eagle. They shipped today, hope they fit. Had to get them in a size 6, but maybe bigger can be better.



Okay, THIS is where the compulsive side comes in. I have been jonesin for a pair of wedges like these. Dulce Tejada (www.dulcecandy.com) always wears shoes like these. Brown tones, high heeled, high wedges. And she's SHORTER than me, and they make her look very tall. And she wears them all around town, so they must be comfortable enough.

So I've been on the prowl for a few weeks now trying to find cute (AND CHEAP) wedges. And then finally I found these at F21 and got them immediately without thinking. Like I saw them, bought them, done.
I'm excited though!

Yeah, still haven't started my job. But the universe as provided me new and creative ways to make money, and it's really funny and encouraging.

I think I'm learning to buy what I actually need. When I have HUGE lump sums of cash, I end up going crazy with things that I can afford, but don't need.

So this is good :)

-Millie Michelle

Lovely Delights.

THIS POST WILL BE LONG AND WORDY, BUT TOTES WORTH IT!

I'm not sure where my obsession with make up began. But I do fondly remember stepping into my 7th grade English class with purple eyes, thanks to my very first eyeshadow by CoverGirl. I think I still have it somewhere!

Anyway, seven years later, and my make up collection has expanded greatly. I also have become quite adept at applying it, and I wouldn't even say that had I not been complemented on it many a time. And yes, I am BRAGGING about that, deal with it, haha.
At summer camp one year in California, these boys were doing a skit that required them to dress up like girls. And they came to me to help with with their make up out of the 400+ girls there. I MEAN, COME ON!

But now I'm seriously serious about my make up. No more wearing yellow eye shadow everyday. No more relying on thick eyeliner to feel pretty. No more putting weird sparkle things in the corner of my eyes.
I'm an adult now, and slowly but surely I am starting to apply that to my make up collection.

Unfortunately, growing up and maturing style wise means you can no longer expect the teeny-bopper stuff to keep working out. And growing up in the make up industry means investing your money in more sophisticated and higher quality brands like MAC (Make up Art Cosmestics) Urban Decay, Benefit, Stila, Smashbox...well the list goes on and on. But you know what comes with better quality, better looking make up? YEAH, MONEY. UGH. Ain't it a bitch...

I think what I wanted to do with this blog post was detail some of the items from said brands that I have bought over the past year (because somehow being in college and seeing all the beautiful people made me want to invest more on how I look. Also, college made me go on Youtube A LOT more, and anyone who knows beauty knows that Youtube is chalk full of beauty guru's who tell you all about the latest make up collections, how to use them, and if they're worth buying).

Keep in mind that I do not have A LOT from these brands, I mean...when I say expensive, I mean it. If you fill your online cart with 5 items from MAC, you dish out $120. No joke. So I have saved my dollars to buy more essential things.

Here are my staples:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation. My shade is NW43. I went to the MAC stand at my local Macy's last summer and asked them to find my shade. It was my first time EVER wearing foundation. It's a double-edged sword. On one hand I was happy I had a foundation that I could use to get that perfect complexion, on the other, though, now I have this thing where I HAVE to be wearing foundation every time I go out, period. It's sad because I think my skin is beautiful, but it falls victim to pimples. So do I wear foundation to cover up the pimples that the foundation may have caused? I don't know. Rest assured that I now have 4 or 5 other foundations in my collection that I can go to when I feel MAC will be too heavy.


MAC Strobe Lotion. I have now come to find out that no matter how beautiful your eyebrows, lips, or eyes look, NOTHING can compare to having that beautiful, glowing skin as a canvas. There's this thing called highlighting. It essentially means putting hints of sparkle and brightness on strategic locations on your face, and to the untrained eye, you look like a glowing angel from heaven. You can either mix this strobe (like a bright strobe light, get it?) lotion with your liquid foundation to have an all over, bright and dewy look. OR You can dab small amounts of it on your cheeks, chin, and bridge of your nose to look as if you have professional photography lights on your face everywhere you go. I love this stuff.
Use too much of it and you can look like a glittery mess.



MAC blush in Sweet As Cocoa. I used to never give a shit about blush, to be frank. If you even said the word blush to me, I'd conjure up a picture of a woman with pink cheeks. Plus I thought it was unnecessary. Most of my make up obsession up until last year focused mainly on my eyes. BUT, like I said, I was inspired to step outside the box, to me anyway. I purposefully did not get a blush in any red or pink hue, because I was still worried about the result. Instead I opted for a blush that would add a subtle glow to my cheeks, one that was basically the same color as my skin. So I got this, and like everything else I have, I LOVE IT. It has tiny tiny tiny glitters in it that reflect light. And there is nothing more beautiful than a bright looking face, especially when your skin isn't in tip top condition.
Yes, you can use this and the strobe lotion at the same time. Trust me, in the right proportions, you will look beautiful.


MAC Prep + Prime Finishing Translucent Powder. Ugh yes I know, all my products have been from MAC and have been for the face. But it's SO important. This magical fairy dust (it seriously does remind me of fairy dust though) "sets" your make up. So you have to put it on after your foundation/concealer routine so that the stresses of the day won't cause your foundation to melt, flake, or wear off. Yes this powder is white, and yes you can use it with ANY skin tone. Don't you dare try to put more than a pinch of it on your face though, or you'll look like a powdery, ghost-like, hot mess.
This is great for hot days...you know the ones where you're out and about so you want to put your best face forward, yet you don't want your foundation to melt off. This is a perfect way to prevent that catastrophe from happening.


MAC Paint Pot. Yes this is for the eyes, finally. In my research, I have found that most make up artists use this as a "base" for your eyeshadow. That's just fancy talk for your eyeshadow needs something under it so it will stay on all day. I, however, use this as an eyeshadow alone, which I'm sure many people do. I got this in a darkish tan/rich brown color in my attempt to start wearing more neutral colors (yes, I only wear yellow on occasion now). What's amazing about this is that is goes on creamy yet dries to a powdery consistency. The cream state of it allows more of the pigment to show up, and spread nicely on your eyelid. The powder obviously makes it so it doesn't rub off or crease. Yum!



MAC Eyeshadow. This is your standard run of the mill MAC eye shadow. They have about a bajillion shades, no lie. These are pigmented, and range from super natural and neutral, to bright neon. I think these are the cheapest things that MAC sells, hahahaha. Anyway, I only have a few of them because even though they may be cheap in comparison to the other products MAC has, they are still pretty pricey (about $13 dollars a pop, which is almost 60 bucks if you want 4 colors, ugh). I like these, wish they weren't so expensive though. I think the paint pots are better. They range from matte to sparkly too.


So I don't only wear MAC. This is the Urban Decay palette called Deluxe. I thought this was a great buy, but if I remember correctly, this was about 50-60 dollars. Yeah, it was kind of hard to part with that much cash. But this palette is well worth it. It comes with 9 colors, and annoyingly only has 8 sponge-tip applicators. So you'll have to double up on one color. You can see it ranges from soft browns to a bright as all get out green. So this was great for the wild child in me that still does have random urges to go out the house with bright neon eyes. It also has a standard black color which is necessary if you want to do a smokey eye, probably the most popular eye look ever. These colors are so pigmented, probably moreso than any MAC shade I've seen.
It has lasted me for almost a year, and no color (which have all been used a lot) is even close to running out. So it's def an investment, one that's worth it.



Clinique press powder. My friend introduced this to me. I saw her using it on a hot day and it got rid of the sweat and shine without making her face look cakey. I use this after I put on foundation to set my face. (Sometimes the MAC powder gives me too much of a matte look, and I'm a dewy girl). I got it in a shade that matches my skin too. This is the number one rated press powder (Sephora). Clinique is known for their gentle formulas, so it's perfect if you have sensitive skin (like moi). When I was going through a bad acne faze this spring, I was advised to stop wearing foundation and let my skin breathe. I just used this powder instead. It gave me pretty good coverage and let my skin heal. And it's portable!




So we've talked about the face, and about the eyes (with the exception of mascara and eyeliner: I find that drugstore mascaras and eyeliners work 100% perfectly. Although I did just buy a MAC eye liner just to see what's up...)

Now to talk about the lips. When I bought my first lipstick, I felt so guilty. I've seen my mom and many other women wear it, but I felt like I was getting sucked in by the beauty industry. I used to be a girl that was happy just wearing mascara, and now I'm putting stuff on my cheeks, contouring with bronzer, AND wearing lipstick?!?!?

I quickly got over that.
Lipstick is a standard in any woman's beauty bucket.

I got this Yves Saint Laurent lipstick but in a brown-ish color, in another attempt to keep it natural. I love it. It just adds a hint of color, nothing extravagant by any means.




That being said, I am still mostly a gloss girl. I think it because I'm too scared to be putting colors on my lips like that. I have this Smashbox lip gloss. I figured since I love gloss so much, might as well invest. What can I say? Gloss is gloss. You can't really get it wrong. This isn't better than anything else I've ever used, nor is it worse, but I'm a brand name girl living in a brand name world. I can admit that.

~~~~

That's pretty much it for my professional make up collection. Drug store brands have stepped up their game a lot, so I mostly go to CVS for my beauty fix (Plus I tend to spend more money on fashion and music). But there's nothing wrong with indulging in some expensive things. When it comes to things you are putting on your face (you know, that thing that everyone sees) I think it's important to know what's going on it. So I research everything I'm going to buy.


Youtube Guru's I've learned from:

Michelle Phan

Username: MichellePhan

I LOVE HER. She is the NUMBER ONE Guru on Youtube and has parlayed her passion for make up into a FULL TIME career. Aside from being the spokesperson for Lancome, and jet-setting all over the world, AND having her own beauty line, Michelle, who has literally worked her way up from the bottom to the top (Lancome actually DENIED her when she applied a few years back to work at their make up counter. Life is funny, right?), uploads videos on a weekly basis for the every day girl. Everything from school make up, to a bonafide Lady Gaga look.
Her art school background makes her the perfect person to go to when you want to be creative and fun. I have attempted many a look that she has created.

Dulce Tejada

Username: DulceCandy87

Would you ever have guessed a girl who can fix an engine and served in Iraq would even have a clue about make up?! So crazy. Once you get past her extreme colloquial speech, you can pick up some really good tips about make up from her. I think she's an undercover millionaire, so she's the perfect person to go to when you want to know if you should buy something, because chances are she has already bought it and reviewed it. Magazines like Seventeen and Nylon have featured her and her beauty smarts. Her make up collection is probably as big as a football field.
But her clothing collection is even BIGGER. She's an all-around fashionista, but I'll talk about that another day.


~~~

So that's it for this long ass post.
It's easy to think that make up is the most superficial thing a girl could be interested in, but any smart person knows that beauty is skin deep. And at the end of the day, no matter how much money you have spent on your face, if you don't feel beautiful and exude beauty from the inside, then it was all done in vain.

Make up is just a tool to enhance what God has given you. And there is nothing wrong with a little enhancement. Just make sure not to rely on powers, glosses, and glitters to feel beautiful. You already are.

-Millie Michelle

Georgetown.

I love going to Georgetown. It's like to Soho of Washington D.C., to me at least. I went with my friends and it was nice to spend a nice warm (okay, SCORCHING HOT) day hitting up the town, and making mental lists on what I want to get the next time I'm there.

Georgetown has a lot of stores, which leads me to think that it may be the premier shopping district of D.C.
The stores we always go into are: H&M, Victoria's Secret, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, LUSH, Zara, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, Juicy Couture, Betsey Johnson, MAC, Sephora, Commander Salamander, J. Crew, Polo, Steve Madden...etc.

So you get the point!

I only got items from Urban Outfitters and Sephora since, if you haven't heard by now, my bank account is meager.
(The dress I got from UO was in-store only, so I cannot find a proper image of it, and therefore will not include it here. But it was CUTE!)

Here:

Leg Shine by Michael Kors. This was in a bin at the front of Sephora so they can entice you to buy more than you need. Well I did!! This was 10 bucks, and came in a mini size, and I love it. The scent is awesome (floral) and it actually works. It add a nice shine and bronze glow to any part of the body. Couldn't be happier.


High Lengths mascara by Clinique. I was itching for a new mascara since all of mine were reaching or over the 3 month limit. This was fairly cheap for a dep't store mascara (only 14 bucks) and I was intrigued by the brush! Look how cool it looks!! It works so well. I actually ventured on to the Clinique website and it's also a featured item there, so I'm glad I have it. It separates each lash and gives length, without all the black gunk.


That's it for what I got at G-town, LOL. Told yall I was poor. But I still want to share with you some memories from the day. Enjoy!

-Millie Michelle

Stretching Dollars.

My recent job situation had me down for a bit. Not to mention I had a stint with the stomach flu. But I am back with a new post about some new items I've bought despite my dwindling bank account.
You'd be surprised how many sites are dedicated to us poor fashionistas.

Here are a few of the items I have been able to buy:


I got these from 15dollarstore.com, and any reasonable person with a brain cell can deduct that, yes, I got these for 15 dollars. Youtube guru Michelle Phan turned her followers onto this site, claiming she had gotten items from it. So being that she's pretty reputable, I decided I too would buy something from this site. And because I don't have Michelle Phan's wallet, I was even more excited. I LOVE THESE. I got them in the mail today and am ecstatic. I was worred about how they would look on my short and stout legs, but alas they lengthen them beautifully, and I am happy about that. They use to be $65, so I'm also happy about that.
They're going to become best friends with my black skinnies :)

Love this head band. Got it from Forever21.com, like most things. I was watching a wedding show (as I have been a lot lately since my brother is getting married, a topic I may dedicate a post to) and the bride wanted her wedding to be 1920s flapper-inspired. And she took out a headband that was like the one pictured above and put it on and I loved it, so I decided to have my own version of it. I plan to put it to wrap around my forehead rather than use it to push my hair back.

Another item from F21.com I mean what can I say? It's gray, it's soft, and it's studded. Enough said.



F21.com again!!! My other sandals from here are about to break, so I needed to get a replacement for them fast! But they were both only 8 dollars, so I can't really expect them to last a million years.

I figured out very late that ELF Cosmetics has $1 make up all year round. I thought it was only a promotion that went on during the holidays or something. That being said...ONE DOLLAR. Heck yes I got A LOT of things and will continue to buy from them in the future. I haven't gotten it in the mail yet, so when I do I will be sure to do a separate post here on what I got and how I feel about it!

I made good on one of the intentions I had for this summer. I got a new flat iron! This product also has yet to arrive on my doorstep, but I'm still so excited. This is what my hairstylist uses, so I have high hopes. Not to mention it got a 5 star review on almost every site I ventured on to. So happy to welcome my new flat iron into my life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is just part one of the blog post I had in mind. I will split it up into two separate posts...things I got in the mail, and things I got in person while I was in Georgetown with my friends!

-Millie Michelle

Skin Care.

I got a request to do this post.

HAHAHA.

Anyway, skin care regimens are very important to every girl. And if you ask around, you'd know they change as quickly as the seasons. It's about finding something that actually works for you and sticking to it.

In this post I will tell you the products I have used, how they worked, and the products I use now. And being an African American woman, I have a whole 'nother set of skin problems.

Let's start off with the infamous drugstore acne washes.




Do you catch my drift? I have used ALL of these and more. Here's what I can say about them: EH. They're not bad, not good either. And here's a common trend amongst them: DRYNESS. They dry out my skin so much!! They smell serious too. Ugh. I think I'm done with drug store brands now, unless I'm in between real acne washes. I feel as though these brands are GREAT for the person who doesn't get acne, and just uses these as a means to get their face clean.
BUT I, like many others, actually have an acne problem, and none of these do ANYTHING about it. Seriously.
So my overall conclusion: Great products for a nice clean face, but don't expect any results.
Moving on...

Let's talk about those face washes you can't find in drug stores now. And with that, comes price. Here is what I've used:




I guess you can say I haven't used so many of the "serious" products. Most of the time I've been using the drug store washes, letting my acne ebb and flow and just dealing with it the best I can.
Proactiv: wasted a lot of my life using this. I started when I was in 8th grade, so like, 5 years ago. I think I only used it for a year though. But they kept on mailing and mailing and MAILING it to us. Literally, I still have some left over that I only use when I'm desperate.
I don't like this stuff. Here's the deal. Say you use it for 2 weeks. Great results. No new acne at least, and the scars are healing. Then, one night you get in late and forget to wash with it. Wake up and you've got 10 MILLION PIMPLES. I hate that. It's like you have to use it twice as day for the REST OF YOUR LIFE for it to work. Ugh. No thanks.
Plus it burned the HELL out of my face. Like sticking it into an oven. Ouchies.

Seacret: My brother used this stuff after he bought it from a mall kiosk. Shady, right? Anyway, he called up my mom and said he had used it for like a week, and that there was NO evidence he ever had acne ever. So my mom jumped on this and bought it for me. It's basically a peel, and then a moisturizer. So there's no cleanser involved, which is bad for me because I need something to wash my make-up off.
Anyway, you're only supposed to use it ONCE week, and for the rest of the week, wash with water only. So I knew already that the results would be tampered with because I used another face wash throughout the week (for the make up). So I used it once, and got fantastic results. Used it for the second time, great results. Used it for the third time, okay results. So on and so forth. Worked for the first few weeks only, and its REALLY expensive. Safe to say I wont be using it again. But I still have some of the moisturizer left over, it's the most LUSCIOUS thing ever.
Seacret is more of a buffer, not an acne eliminator.

Clear Advantage: One of my mom's friends had a left over bottle of this from her son, so she gave it to my mom to give to me. They're a pill you need to take every day and they clear your acne from the inside out. New for me. Took the pills and for the first few days I got TERRIBLE headaches after I took them. But I guess after my body got used to them, it actually started to work. I noticed all it did was dry up my pimples and prevent new ones (except for when it's my time of the month. NOTHING can stop those pimples) from coming. Did nothing for the acne scars, although I feel nothing will unless I go get some laser procedure. Whatever.
There was also some free sample of face wash that came with it. Didn't do anything spectacular. Smelled like strawberries and didn't leave my face TOO dry.

What I use now:

Acne.org. My mom and I literally just went on Amazon and typed "acne face washes." We got a lot of results, but this was rated with 5 stars the most so we got it.
I've been using it for a little over 2 days now. It's pretty different from what I'm used to using.
Scent free, light, and hopefully if I stick to it, it will work.
Face wash is decent, not TOO trying. Then you use what's called a "treatment" and that's a gel you put on your face and let dry. Then you use a moisturizer with jojoba oil in it, so it doesn't make my skin dry, which I LOVE!
The secret to this system, according to the owner, WHO IS NOT A DERMATOLOGIST (not as if dermo's know what works anyway coughProactivcough), is a heightened amount of benzoyl peroxide, which oxygenates the skin which limited all bacteria growth, hence no acne. The gel part of it has the BP, and as you get going with the regimen, you're supposed to use more and more BP until eventually you're just lathering BP all over your face. Benzoyl is what REALLY kills acne, but too much is irritating.
We'll see if this works. I like it so far.

Just a little on the make up side:

I don't just use all these acne products on my face and just lather on any type of foundation. I use this Acne Solutions foundation for my skin. It gives dewy medium coverage, and has medicine in it that heals acne. So as you wear it, your acne is being treated. Who knows if it works, haha. But I use it now when I must have foundation. I also use Clinique press powder. Clinque is just an over all gentle and trusty product to use on your skin.


So that's it for my skin care spiel, at least the face wash side of it. My skin regimen is much different once the face is washed and the make up is on. Maybe in another post.


:)

-Millie Michelle