Mani(c) Monday - April 29, 2013

Been away from posting on my blog in general lately, which therefore means I haven't been consistent in putting up my nail posts on a weekly basis.  However, here is a much belated Mani(c) Monday post of one of my favorite nail colors I've worn through this spring season.  This time around, I wore New Money by L'Oreal, a buttery creamy lime chartreuse shade that I've totally been obsessed with recently.  I found that it looked particularly looked nice with my nails at a longer length, although I was only able to wear it on my nails for a short period of time.  I also mentioned this polish as one of my spring essentials on my YouTube channel, so you can check that out (here) if you haven't already.  All photos taken by me.  =]

New Money by L'Oreal

Mani(c) Monday - April 15, 2013 (Late Post)

I really need to get back in the habit of posting these in a timely manner...and consistently.  But anyway, this is what I wore on my nails a couple weeks ago when I had a few consecutive days off from work, which explains why I was able to rock such a daring shade (for me anyway).  I really wanted to embrace the elements of spring, and wore this polish by Circus by Andrea's Choice, a brand of polish I have never tried before.  This polish shade is called Somersault, a warm creamy buttercup yellow shade that greatly contrasts the tan of my skin, so it is definitely one that particularly stands out on my nails.  Although I was only able to wear this polish on my nails for a few days, I really liked the smoothness of it, and was remarkably opaque for a light nail polish shade.  I'm not entirely sure where to go about finding other nail polishes from this line, as my cousin gave this one to me, but I believe you can order them from the Circus by Andrea's Choice website.  All photos taken by me.  =]

Somersault by Circus by Andrea's Choice

Stuff I Bought: Prabal Gurung for Target Collection

I realize that this collection came out what seems like forever ago, and only remnants of it are still available in store and online (aside from ebay)...but I still wanted to share with you the couple items I picked up from yet another designer collaboration at Target.  Months ago, upon hearing of the collaboration between Prabal Gurung and Target, I was very eager to see what types of pieces this collection would encompass, especially from such a popular up and coming designer.  After seeing the lookbook pictures that Target had released, I was pretty set on only a couple of pieces that I really wanted, although there were a lot of great pieces being featured in this collection.  The two "must have" pieces I anticipated were the pullover sweatshirt in the First Date print, and the black flat sandals with the silver plaque detailing.  Since spring was still approaching at the time, I felt as though those were two great pieces that I could wear together to bring in the warmer months, and were definitely stand outs of the collection that fit my personal style.  Nonetheless, I was able to get both the pieces I wanted without much searching (and without having to wake up at the crack of dawn), since there wasn't too much madness surrounding this collection.  Aside from the two pieces I got, other ones I had interest in were the two toned cardigans, the gorgeous printed dresses, the adorable clutches, and the jewelry (that had been sold out by the time I got to look).  Overall, I was pretty pleased with the quality, selection, and range this collection shown, all of which are perfect for this spring season...and I would encourage checking it out if any of the pieces still remain at a Target near you (or if you're daring, and really want a certain piece, you can cautiously check ebay).  Below are product shots of the pieces I picked up at a couple different angles, along with detail shots of the collateral that came with the pieces (box and tag), and the haul video where I talk about these pieces that I picked up. You can be sure to see an outfit post wearing both of these items as well as an OOTD video in the near future.  All photos taken by me.  =]

Pieces I got from the Prabal Gurung for Target collection.

Sweatshirt in First Date print by Prabal Gurung for Target.

First Date print.

Black flat sandals with silver plaque detailing by Prabal Gurung for Target.

Box the sandals came in.

Tag that was on all of the items from the collection (closed) 

 Another view of the tag (open).

Mani(c) Monday - March 25, 2013 (Late Post #2)

I know I was supposed to post this up a couple days ago, but got a little sidetracked from doing so.  Regardless, this is what I had on my nails over this past week, yet another neutral color although it is one of my faves.  This time I'm wearing DS Classic by OPI, a holographic sandy beige shade that looks flattering throughout the year on a variety of skin tones.  DS Classic by OPI happens to be one of my most used polishes, and is one that I will definitely repurchase due to its wearability and flattering appeal.  I typically recommend this nail polish shade to people who are looking for a generally flattering  shade that has a bit of pizazz to it, although it does seem to be quite conservative.  I'm sure you wouldn't be able to tell from my picture, but this polish picks up the light beautifully when hit by sunlight due to the holographic qualities.  I have a string of days off in the upcoming week, so you'll have to see how daring I'll be in my polish choices.  All photos taken by me.  =]

DS Classic by OPI

Mani(c) Monday - March 25, 2013 (Late Post #1)

I've been very negligent in terms of being consistent in posting my Mani(c) Monday nail posts, so this week I'll have two separate posts up.  One will be going up today, and there will be another one going up tomorrow, so be sure to keep an eye out for the other one.  In this post, I am wearing San Tan-Tonio by OPI, a mid tone toffee brown shade that seems to almost blend into my skin color.  The color definitely shows up lighter on my nails than it does in the bottle, but that actually works in my favor in terms of suiting my skin tone.  I tend to gravitate towards using this shade during the warmer months since it seems to blend in with the elements of the spring and summer seasons, particularly when I've gotten a bit deeper complected.  I really wanna dive into my selection of blue and minty shades for spring, but we'll have to see what I can get away with for work...so for now, there will be more neutrals like this.  All photos taken by me.  =]

San Tan-Tonio by OPI

Chevron Chic

Even though I have been eagerly anticipating the start of spring, I've been squeezing out every last bit of layering and the elements of winter wear in my wardrobe.  I based this outfit primarily on the long sleeved top I got by Andy South, focusing on the geometric angular detail of the downward chevron created at the bottom, a signature element of the designer.  Being an avid fan of neutrals, I didn't draw too much contrast in this look, and kept the color palette in the range of the oatmeal color as well as the black.  To accentuate the chevron detail further, I wore a square scarf by Marc Jacobs with the point facing the bottom of the long sleeved top, which also helped to keep me warm on this particularly gusty day.  I found this outfit to be very comfy yet very chic for going about completing daily tasks, and I will definitely be busting it out again when the colder months approach.  All photos taken by Zeric Villanueva ... a couple more detail shots to come (that will be taken by me).  =]

Outfit Details: long sleeved oatmeal and black top with chevron detail by Andy South, black denim skinny jeans by Levi's, Shoes: Areas distressed black suede ankle boots by Jeffrey Campbell.  See other photos for accessory details. 

Black silk and cashmere blend square scarf with border detailing by Marc Jacobs, black and gunmetal aviator sunglasses by Marc by Marc Jacobs, silver stainless steel armor ring by L'Mond, silver stainless steel mesh band watch by Skagen, Arena Giant leather bracelet with silver hardware in Latte by Balenciaga.

Covered In Camo

Transitioning into spring after enjoying lots of the layered covered looks from winter is dwindling down, but I've been trying to make the best of what remains of this season.  Since 90s grunge kinda resurfaced as a current trend, I took it upon myself to incorporate elements of the style into my wardrobe.  I thrifted an actual military camouflage jacket for about $4, and felt it was seemingly lackluster, so I removed the sleeves and embellished the shoulders with cone and pyramid studs.  After that, I just rummaged through my closet to put together the rest, which is pretty true to the edgy side of my personal style.  Along with the other elements of this outfit, I particularly focused on the studded leather wrist pouch a.k.a. wrist fanny pack by Chief Hawaii, the perfect mix of statement accessory and useful portability (especially great for clubbing, or running errands). I found this outfit very easy to wear, which explains why I've already worn it at least twice since I altered the jacket.  Below I have shots of my 90s grungy outfit in my camo vest...and yes, these were shot in my back yard (in case anyone was wondering).  All photos taken by Zeric Villanueva (except the last one).  =]

Outfit Details: olive colored racer back tank top by RLX by Ralph Lauren, military camouflage jacket made into vest with stud detailing thrifted from Savers, distressed light wash denim jeans by Guess, Shoes: distressed black with black spikes Lita by Jeffrey Campbell.  See other photos for accessory details.

Mirror reflective aviator sunglasses by Marc by Marc Jacobs, multi stranded varied chain necklace from MetroPark, black leather with silver studs wrist fanny pack by Chief Hawaii (seen alone in the photo below), silver stainless steel armor ring by L'mond (not seen in this photo).