the floral print

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This look has a polished up top/party downstairs contrast that I like. The multiple anchors of solid white bring it all together for me.

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These shoes are quite fake. Les knockoffs.* I wanted to try out the studded look and find that I like it, but it’s not love. They are uncomfortable, too. I have too many other shoes I prefer to keep them but they have convinced me that I want to find a pair of white pumps. I’m totally on board with the trend of white pumps.

*I don’t generally have much interest in knockoffs—I don’t generally have much interest in their originals—but once in a while they are convenient for playing. I don’t feel a moral quandary about it when the original is something I would never consider purchasing anyway. Louboutin is not losing a potential sale here. Still, they are unsatisfying unless made well in their own right, and desired in their own right (there is a bag I want, of which I’m considering getting a (still pretty expensive, but comparably cheap) replica, because I find the silhouette so appealing and can find no wantable substitute) which they usually are not. I often later think my money could have been better spent…this is undeniably the case. It always serves as a lesson, however, and from such lessons one emerges an increasingly superior shopper.**

**Interesting thoughts on this in Garance Dore’s recent post about style bloggers being, in a way, people who are just really good at shopping for themselves. There is a lot of truth to this, I’d say.

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This is the Givenchy Fushcia Irresistable lipstick, the Japonesque blush, and a bit of playing around with the Kat Von D Monarch palette.

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Floral leggings (thrifted), Banana Republic trench (thrifted), Loslandifen pumps (eBay), Lands End turtleneck (thrifted), Mulberry Roxanne bag (thrifted), Pearls of Joy 10mm studs. On the nails: Essie polish in Naughty Nautical.

x

 

the Kat Von D Monarch palette

If you’ve been reading for a while you may remember that I’ve been looking for a sepia eyeshadow, and was for a while considering the Kat Von D Ladybird palette, though in the end I had too many reservations and didn’t go for it. I’m so glad I didn’t, as Kat Von D released two new palettes this month with new colors and formulas, one warm, one cool. Guess which one I liked more?

IMG_2737the warm one

I picked up the Monarch palette, which wasn’t even on the shelves yet in Sephora last week but they sold it to me anyway. The colors were, are, irresistible to me. This is what I wanted the Urban Decay Naked palette (which I don’t have (or want) in any incarnation) to be. Taupe, beige, bronze, gold, champagne, brown, russet…everything I like best, and with lovely, buttery textures.

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See that shade on the left?? Are you seeing??

This already has great reviews online, and it deserves them. I haven’t had much time to play around with it yet but I’ve been swatching and musing, and I am pleased. I have some reservations about the top right base shade, which has some oversized glitter, but this is the only negative to report so far. This should be on shelves officially in the next couple of weeks, so if you’re near a Sephora (this is a Sephora exclusive), I urge you to check it out. The other palette is nice, too, with blues and stuff, but, you know. This one is better.

I’ve been making a lot of decisions based primarily on color lately, and color seems to be playing an increasingly significant role in my vision generally (in all types of choices). Somehow color is jumping out at me more, seems more important, more powerful and more poignant than it has been in the past. It’s always hard to tell if I am imagining these things. Still, it does seem I am struck down (smitten, really) more often by some singing color these days. I am the same, perhaps, only more so.