bitty.and.bunny: July 2012

Monday, July 30, 2012

Revlon Review

This post brought to you by Revlon. All opinions are 100% mine.

**It's important to note: According to Peta, Revlon conducts animal testing.  When I agreed to review the products, I was under the impresssion that they were a cruelty-free company.  But during fact checking for this post, it became apparent that they are not.  Therefore, I cannot in good conscience recommend the purchase of any of their products.  As a compassionate consumer, I never buy cosmetics that have been tested on animals.  Please be assured that I will never let another oversight like this happen again on this blog.  To search for cruelty-free companies, please click here.**

I was recently given the opportunity to participate in a product review for the Revlon Expression Experiment.  They sent me a whole bunch of makeup to play with.  Check it out:
There were face & eyelid primers, nail polish including base coat & top coat, 3 different kinds of lipstick, and 2 eyeshadow palettes (which come with handy illustrated instructions on the back).
The face and eyelid primers are just...ok.  The face primer promises to smooth & soften the skin, reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines.  All I really noticed was that when I put it on my nose, it made it a little less shiny for a about a half hour.  As for the eyelid primer/brightener, it didn't do much to help keep my eye makeup in place on these uber hot summer days we've been having.  But I did apply it to the bow of my lip as a highlighter to make it appear fuller. 
The nail polish, specifically the base coat, was the most impressive product by far.  The orange polish and top coat are your average orange nail polish and top coat.  But the base coat completely rocks.  I will say that it leaves a strange, musty smell that somehow manages to last about 3 days, but it's an odor most people probably wouldn't notice.  I just happen to be blessed with a keen sense of smell.
Lucky me?
Anyway.  As an experiment I put base coat only on one hand, and left it off the other.  I think the results speak for themselves.
Usually my nail polish chips within 2 days - 3 if I'm lucky.  So when my nails still looked almost perfect after 9 whole days I could hardly believe it.  I'd never been a base coat kind of girl before, but you better believe I'm going to start taking the extra 5 minutes to apply it before I paint my nails.
As you can see, the lipsticks, while all in the same shade of red, are of varying intensity of pigmentation.  I liked the lip butter the best - it was very moisturizing, and I think it's a universally flattering color.  
The lip gloss was a little too sticky and shiny for my taste.  
The lipstick is very pigmented, and looked too intense until I blotted most of it off.  After that, it left a pretty stain of color behind.

I had been most excited to try the eye shadows.  The colors look bold and interesting, but after using them I've come to the conclusion that they are anything but.
 
 The shadows aren't very pigmented, and I had trouble getting the colors to show up on my eyelids at all.  The only way to get them to show up at all was to use them wet, and still it was just barely visible. In the photo you see, I had applied them wet, and used many, many layers.  The highlighting colors (yellow in the grey palette, and green in the blue palette) didn't even show up on my lids, no matter what I did.
If you like a (very) light wash of barely visible color on your lids, then go with these.  But if you like your eyeshadow to actually show up, this is not the palette for you.

Makeup can be such an empowering tool for women - it can help us feel prettier and in turn, more confident.  Want to show me how you express yourself with makeup?  Post your looks on Facebook using the Revlon Expression Experiment application and leave me a link in the comments section.  I'd love to see what you come up with!
exp_exp_logo.jpg (2 documents, 2 total pages)

Lessons

{tee, dress: target (similar)  |  sandals: blowfish (similar)  |  necklace: f21  |  rings: c/o oasap, f21 (similar 1, 2)  |  sunnies: harmon (similar) }

Over the weekend I learned some important life lessons:

1. A huge downpour in the morning does not necessarily preclude a huge downpour in the afternoon.  Don't go for a hike even if the weather site only predicts a 20% chance of rain.  Because it will rain - hard.  And you'll still be 2 miles from your car.
2. When the temperature says 75 degrees, be sure to check the humidity level, too.  Because that can make it feel like 95 degrees, and you'll be so hot it'll even turn the rings on your fingers into small, suffocating circles of oppression.  We won't even get started on the whopping three pieces of clothing you decided to wear.

And yet, somehow, this is still my favorite time of year.  I think I might be suffering from some sort of seasonal masochism syndrome.



Click here to see where I'm linking up today.



Friday, July 27, 2012

Happy Little Weekend

{top: target  |  shorts: gap  |  sandals: o'neill  |  necklace: jenny present (similar) }


Lately I've kind of been on a lace kick (see here, here, and here).  It just makes me happy.
And also, mellow painters with white-guy afros do it for me, too.
Enjoy Bob Ross's words of wisdom and have yourself a happy little weekend.

(Linking up today)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Feeling Knotty

{tank: f21  |  skirt: target  |  sandals: delias (similar)  |  earrings: claires  |  necklace: gift}




So, yesterday I was all tied up in knots - literally.  First I tried a new, totally easy way to style a top knot (tutorial here!), and that inspired me to tie a knot in my shirt as well.
Because, you know, if there's an opportunity to match my tank top to my hair, I'm all over it.


In other news, I recently participated in a Christmas in July blogger swap with the sweet, funny, & adorable Whitney of Katy Goes Boom.
And she sent me some fantastically thoughtful gifts.  
Take a look:
clockwise from left: a chevron storage box (love!), dainty earrings that she made herself, and a can of her favorite mock-meat, FriChik, for me to try since it's not sold around these parts.
Not pictured is another gift that's arriving separately due to some curious-child-interference (ie. her daughter plucked it out of the package before she sent it). Word has it the culprit's feeling a bit guilty about plundering from my stash, and she sent her sincerest apologies via email along with some virtual hugs and kisses.  As if anyone could be mad at that kid!
Click here to check out what everyone else sent & received.


And like always, I'm linking up with the usual suspects today.


Monday, July 23, 2012

Familiar

{top: marshalls (similar)  |  tank & jeans: target  |  sandals: blowfish  |  necklace: jenny present (similar)  |  earrings: gift (similar) }


I'm sure you don't remember, but last time I was in this location, I was wearing this top's twin.  There must be something about my dad's house that subconsciously rekindles my urge to pair foliage with frills.
Apparently it's an irresistible force and anything but compliance is futile.
I have to admit - I'm happy to oblige.


I'm linking up here today.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Stuffed Animals & High Heels

{top: c/o sugarlips  |  shorts: old navy (similar)  |  shoes: payless (similar)  |  bracelets: f21 (similar 1, 2) }


Last night I had a date with hunny bunny to go see Ted.  Since I wasn't sure what to expect from a movie about an anthropomorphized teddy bear, I erred on the side of fancy.  
Really, I would have used any excuse to wear this amazingly light and flowy top I got from Sugarlips Apparel, though.  Its feather-light fabric, unique cut-outs, and sheer side panels make it an instant favorite.

Yup, I think dressing up to watch an animated bear hump a cash register, ingest large quantities of drugs, and curse like a sailor was the right choice.
I'm classy like that.



You can also find me hanging out here today.

Monday, July 16, 2012

An Ode to Humidity: Haiku

{top, shorts, necklace: f21  |  sandals: blowfish  |  rings: inpink, c/o oasap, (crazy similar 1, 2) }



An Ode to Humidity
Backyard barbeque
Too sticky, sweaty, and hot
I'd rather be nude


These photos were taken by my wonderful friend, Jayvik, when he and some friends came by for a bbq yesterday.  He and his awesome wife are pretty hilarious, by the way.  These were the only ones I wasn't completely cracking up in.

Psst...I'm linking up over here today!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Smitten

{teesimilar hat: old navy  |  skirt, belt: target  |  bag: won in giveaway from Rachel the Hat  ring: inPink (similar)  |  necklace: jenny present (similar)}


Remember a few days ago when I declared my allegiance to my new favorite top?  Well, double that for this skirt.
Even though this is the first time you've seen it on this here blog, I may have worn this maxi almost every day of my mini-vacation last week.  On the beach, on the boardwalk, out to dinner, or at a bar, this little workhorse looked appropriate no matter where I went.  Unless you were one of the servers at the bar we kept going to.  In that case, it looked like I wore the same thing every day.  
Which I did.


Today I'm linking up with these lovelies, as well as with Sharon @ The Tiny Heart, where we're styling looks for a backyard bbq.  Also, a big, grateful shout out to Rachel the Hat for sending me that beautiful, so-very-her handbag that I won in her 1 year blogiversary giveaway last month.  Thank you, Rachel!!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

That 70s Vibe

{top, jeans, shoes (similar): target  |  necklace worn as bracelet: vintage (similar)  |  watch: sprout}


Something about wearing a poufy, speckled, tucked-in top makes me want to throw on some knee socks & booty shorts, and boogie-oogie-oogie on down at the roller rink.
But instead I just wore this to the mall.
So, do me a solid - pop in your 8 tracks, fluff out that afro, and get down with the funk.
Someone's got to be groovy around here.
You dig?



Come see where I'm linking up.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Nearly Naked

{top: target  |  shorts: jcp (similar)  |  shoes: payless (similar)  |  necklace: gift}


I think I've just discovered my new favorite top.  It's lacy, it's flowy, it's versatile, and quite possibly the best part - wearing only a black bra underneath actually looks chic and not like I was just too hot to put something opaque beneath it. 

I swear I'm not an exhibitionist, but as I've made clear before (as evidenced here), when temperatures are at 100 degrees, it's nice to get as close to naked as legally possible.


This look was also featured at the Frugalista Diaries, where 4 other bloggers & myself posted 5 different ways to wear summer shorts.  Go on over to see everyone's beautiful interpretations, why don'tcha!  And while you're there, check out the rest of Megan's site.  She's quite the stylish broad, and a complete sweetheart to boot.


Also, linking up here today.
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