Category: Fashion

I’m not really a lipstick person.

I mean, I love the look of lipstick in photographs, but in real life I’m more of a Chapstick or Carmex kinda girl. I’ve actually been known to wake up in the middle of the night, slop some Carmex on my lips and then go back to sleep. I’m kinda hardcore like that.

I did find one lipstick I really liked at Sephora last year and whenever I remember, I put it on before taking pictures. Usually, the moment I’m done I wipe it back off. I just like the FEEL of lip balm over lipstick. I’ve been looking for something that I could actually wear all day and I think I finally found it!

I was perusing through Walgreens the other day and came across these Maybelline SuperStay 24 2-Step color lipsticks:

In theory, they sounded like EXACTLY what I was looking for. You put the color on, let it dry and then it stays on all day through lip gloss applications. In fact, the stick had the color on one end and the lip gloss on another.

I grabbed up a few colors and raced home to play with them. Actually, I also grabbed a package of candy corn because it’s mandatory when doing a fall Walgreens stop.

Here’s the color I was trying to match, it’s called Sephora Rouge Shine No 33.

According to the directions, you must first make sure your lips are totally dry when you start. Since I’m always wearing Chapstick, I just wiped it off really well with a tissue. Fine, who am I kidding… a piece of toilet paper.

Then…

Use the applicator to draw on your lipstick. Pay extra attention to the lines of your lips, because you don’t want to make mistakes and give yourself crooked lips. That would be weird. Wait 2 minutes for the lipstick to dry, then swipe on the lip gloss. It’s okay if the color looks a bit uneven before you apply the lip gloss, because the shine smooths it all out.

That’s it. The lip color is sticking around ALL DAY. Even if you don’t use the included lip gloss and use Carmex instead. Even if you eat. And kiss your toddler. And drink. And eat some more. It doesn’t budge! And it doesn’t taste yucky because you can use your own gloss over it!

So you may be asking yourself, “HOW do you get it off?!” Well, makeup remover. And not every makeup remover will do it. I tried my normal Almay eye make-up pads and it didn’t do a thing. Luckily, I had some of Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover sitting around, because it took it off with just a swipe or two. My lips felt kind of greasy afterwards, so I used some hand soap to wash them off and then lathered up on the Carmex to re-moisturize.

Here’s my try at all three of the colors. What do you think?

The top red is super saucy, but my husband hated it. He then tried to back-peddle and say that maybe it was just that it didn’t ‘go’ with the shirt I was wearing (it was navy blue… so he’s totally wrong!), but I think he’s just not a fan of bright lip color. The second color is the one I’ve been wearing lately on instagram and at my friend’s wedding. The third one is much more subtle and makes for a great work look. Or, you know, a non-threatening look for the husband to get used to!

What do you think, is the red too scary? If you had to pick one, which would be your favorite? Do you have a makeup product you’re obsessed with? If so, share it in the comments so we can all try it!

 

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I purchased the lip color with my own money and was not compensated for writing about it. I didn’t even include any Amazon affiliate links for ANY of the products mentioned because I want you guys to know that this is NOT a paid commercial of any kind, I just LOVE these lip colors!

{This is not a sponsored post. eShakti is not paying me to say nice things about the company. I don’t actually accept money from anyone with the instructions that I have to say nice things about them. eShakti provided me with a dress of my choice for review purposes – whether my experience is good or bad. All thoughts and opinions are my own}

I am not a mannequin.

I never really know what size I am when I go into a store and typically will try on two sizes of the same item to try and figure it out. Sometimes three sizes. And I might not even find one that fits properly.

Does this sound familiar?
Like, pretty much EVERY lady out there has the same issue, right?

Which makes me kinda mad… because if EVERYONE has issues with clothing sizes WHO are they supposed to fit?

So, when a nice person at eShakti reached out to me, I was intrigued. Using their website, you can customize your clothes to your size and style. And for my Canadian friends, they ship to the US AND Canada.

Let’s say you see a dress you like, but aren’t a fan of the neckline? Well, you can switch it out to a different option. Maybe you need something more modest than a miniskirt shown on a design you otherwise love… you can pick to have it made into a longer skirt!

The best part though is the sizing. For those who just want a standard size, eShakti offers everything in sizes 0-36W. However, you can customize any piece to your specific size and shape by giving them your measurements! It only costs $7.50 to customize, but for your first order it’s free.

I had a really hard time narrowing down the dress options, so once I got it down to three I asked my Facebook friends which one I should get.

The one in the middle, the Colorblock Graphic Print Poplin dress ($79.95), was the clear winner. It looked like something that was totally my style, but like NOTHING else already in my closet. Normally I would just pick a size and cross my fingers that it would fit when it arrived, but this time I decided to make sure. I used eShakti’s instructions for how to measure myself and added each of my measurements into the customization form. In addition to giving them my personal measurements, I also had them shorten the dress to knee-length since a calf-length skirt is not very flattering on me.

I was hopeful, but a bit apprehensive about the order. I had googled eShakti blogger reviews at some point after I placed my order and come up with a mixed bag of experiences. I figured since the company was giving me a dress for free to review, at least I wasn’t losing anything. I know you guys expect fully HONEST reviews from me (as you should), so I knew I’d have something to write about… even if I hated the dress!

When I heard the delivery man at my front door, I bounded down the stairs and threw the door open like I was expecting the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol! {Is that still a thing?} Luckily the driver had returned to his truck so quickly, otherwise he may have been frightened by a crazy-haired, pajama-wearing lady with coffee on her shirt and cookie butter smeared across her face. {It’s been a difficult week. Okay?!}

I was in no shape for pictures at that moment, but I did Instagram it. Check it out, instead of a size tag it says ‘Custom’ because it’s exactly JOULES-sized!

Well, it took a couple days but I finally have a fashion show for you:

For the first styling I just let the dress shine all by itself with no jewelry and just a pair of simple black wedges (Adrianne Vitadini). And um… do you see that thing that gets every lady’s heart excited? POCKETS! Man, do I love a dress with pockets!

The fit is PERFECT. There is not an extra bit of fabric anywhere – it fits my bust, my waist and my hips with no room to spare. Just the fact that it fits all three is pretty much amazing for me. Typically, I will have to have a little extra room at the waist in order to get the bust to fit correctly.

For this picture I added on my favorite bright yellow necklace to add some color (found on etsy). Even though apparently bubble necklaces aren’t cool anymore, I don’t care because it makes me happy. I also threw on my pair of gold heels (Loft) that I’ve nicknamed my “Wonder Woman Heels” because I feel like I can kick some butt in them. And be sexy too. And yes, the fact that the skirt is flipped up on the side is driving me nutty.

This is probably what I’m going to end up wearing for my friend’s wedding this weekend. It’s super cute, comfortable for the 1+ hour drive to get there and has a fun skirt to twirl around on the dance floor.

Here’s my ‘work’ look. I toned it down a bit with a black cardigan (Banana Republic), but kept the hourglass shape by buttoning just the middle buttons. I also added a pair of beaded hoop earrings (Sasa Designs by the Deaf), a bright green bracelet (World Market) and my favorite gladiator wedges (Franco Sarto). Oh and my hair went up in a messy bun, because I’m ready for WORK people. WORK IT!

Just kidding. My hair went up because I got all sweaty running up and down the stairs getting the accessories for the pictures.

Here are my pros:
I’m in love with this dress. I’ve never had a dress that has fit me so perfectly and this one fits me like a glove. When I saw on the website that your order would be delivered within 14 days I was a bit skeptical that I’d get a great quality dress made to my custom measurements, but that is EXACTLY what I got. The best part is that because I customized the dress to fit my style, I know I’ll be the only one at the wedding wearing it. Not like when I find a great skirt at Loft and then see it on three of my friends {true story}.

Here are my cons:
There are only a couple things that I don’t really like about the dress. First, the zipper is on the left side of the bodice, so it is really awkward to zip it up and I’m kind of terrified that I may get a chunk of my skin caught in there if I zip too quickly. I’d much prefer a back zipper, even if I might need help to get it zipped up. The other thing that bothers me is that I requested knee-length and it’s just a smidge too long. I think it would be better if it were an inch or two shorter, but it’s not enough to make me dislike the dress.

eShakti is supposed to send me a special reader promo code for you all, but I haven’t gotten it yet and really wanted to get this post up. As soon as it comes through, I’ll add it for you all. If you visit their website, they are actually offering a $25 gift coupon for any new customers… so you might want to check it out!

Do you have trouble finding dresses that fit your figure? Have you ever tried eShakti? Do you also get a little giddy when you realize your skirt or dress has pockets?

 10/3/14 Update: I now have a super awesome coupon code created exclusively for my readers! Use pocketfulofjoules to get 10% off when you shop at eShakti between 10/3/2014 – 11/3/2014. Enter the code in the promotional code box upon checkout (it’s not case-sensitive) and it can be used any number of times until it expires. It can also be combined with ANY other promotional offer, gift coupon or gift card in the same order (unless explicitly specified), so you can use it with their $25 gift coupon for new customers! (The code is not applicable on previous purchases. The code is also not applicable on clearance/sale, gift cards and overstock categories). Happy shopping!!

 

{Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. eShakti provided me with a dress of my choice for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own}