long n lean

Free People Destroyed Long N Lean Denim Jacket in CLOUD WASH.

Denim jackets are my can't live without, and this one is calling. my. name. Seriously digging that step hem and distressing.

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NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Blushing Nail Polish Set Swatches + Review

I know, I know, I know...I am not always the biggest fan of pink polishes; but when I spotted this Relationship Status: Blushing Nail Polish Set from NAILS INC., I couldn't resist. There's something so girly glam about the ombre-inspired quartet, that works year-round {and will also be perf for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October}; while adding a playful prettiness to your paws. Side note: the formula is phenom - something I've come to expect from NAILS INC. Let's get to the swatches!

The Strand is a Berry Creme. Y'all, it has been a minute, but I have finally found it...a OCW! The Strand is more fall than summer given its juicy berry hue. That said, adding it to your polish repertoire as early as August is definitely understandable as it is bold, beautiful, and a brilliant seasonal transition shade. The formula here is positively phenomenal - legit one swipe, and just a few minutes dry time and voila! Absolute perfection. Highly recommend! This is 1 coat.

Victoria Embankment is a Pale Pink Creme. One of the greatest disappointments in swatching is when you have a stunning shade, and it refuses to photograph well. So is the case with this bad boy. Victoria Embankment is a year-round pale pink creme that is sheer at one coat and opaque at two. The sheer to opaque build-up is beautiful and seamless, so it's def a versatile color if you like to switch between the two looks. This one had such fantastic wear-time. I wore it for over a week - even after filing my nails, there were no chips or cracks, and even tipwear was nonexistent. Obsessed with this one - you will be too! This is 2 coats.

Dover Street is a Barbie Pink Creme. Answer me this: is it even summer if you haven't rocked Barbie pink on your nails at least once? Seriously. Dover Street is one of those Barbie pink cremes that I can never get enough of because of the lilac/lavender undertones that legit amp up the girly vibes! The formula here was perf! Two coats gets you full coverage and the prettiest nails on the beach. Highly recommend if you dig flirty pinks! This is 2 coats.

St. Christopher's Place is a Neon Pink Crelly. Can we just take a moment to admire how juicy this shade is? Please! St. Christopher's Place is a watermelon-inspired neon pink that was made for playful afternoons spent beachside. Though I'm not typically a neon pink fan; the plump, juicy look of this one {all attributed to the fact that it's a crelly} make it a standout for me. NGL...it was a nightmare to photograph; but the formula was phenom, which more than makes up for it. Next time I may try layering it over underwear {white creme polish} to make it even more electrifying!This is 2 coats.

AVAILABILITY: Sephora.

PRICE: $22.00 for the 4PC Mini Set.
SHOP THE POST

xx

NOTD: Defy & Inspire Vita Fit Vitamin Infused Nail Polish in Ion the Prize

Three coats of Defy & Inspire Vita Fit Vitamin Infused Nail Polish in Ion the Prize. Blurple Creme.

True story: I purchased this pretty because it was only $2.99, and I needed something extra for free shippingl but I am obsessed!

Ion the Prize is a brilliant blurple creme that I thought was going to be an electric blue {purchased online, so colors can be distorted} - but I'm not mad about the diff. This color is a stunner. Yes, it required 3 coats because it's fairly thin; but it is decadent once opaque, and is both chip-free and long-lasting. Not gonna lie here...I kind of want to buy all of the colors in this collection now!

What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


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pietro

Free People Pietro Tie Back Romper in MELO PEARL.

Obsessed with this cutie romper. Legit the best look to beat the heat!

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BOOK REVIEW: Truly Devious: A Mystery by Maureen Johnson

“Stevie had no fears of the dead. The living, however, sometimes gave her the creeps.”
NGL here, my Harriet the Spy-loving heart did a little jump for joy while reading this one because Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious truly felt like a more grown-up, tech savvy version of the book that literally shaped my childhood, with Stevie taking up the role of Harriet, Nate starring as Sport, and Janelle headlining as the inimitable Janie. But I digress...Truly Devious, in a sea of supernatural, stands out as an unputdownable thriller in the vein of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes that will make. you. swoon.

There is nothing truly remarkable about 16-year-old Stevie Bell, so when she lands a spot at the exclusive Ellingham Academy, a school nestled in the remote mountains of Vermont, priding itself on its gifted student body, she questions whether a mistake has been made. After all, her only true talent lies in her obsession with true crime - particularly a case that took place at Ellingham Academy eighty years ago {more on that later}. Nevertheless, Stevie is desperate to fulfill her desire of finding a dead body {morbid, I know}, and experiencing adventure that will put her on a path to becoming a detective, so she heads to the elusive institution. If a mistake has been made, they'll simply send her home - no harm, no foul.

A free institution for the best and brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists across the country; Ellingham Academy was founded in the early Twentieth Century by Albert Ellingham - a tycoon determined to create a novel learning experience highlighting that "learning is a game." But soon after opening its doors to the public, Ellingham's beloved wife and young daughter go missing. In their place is a mocking riddle constructed of possible heinous deaths the pair may endure, and an ominous signature...Truly Devious.

A cold case dubbed one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history; Stevie is convinced that by gaining access to Ellingham, she'll be able to hunt for clues and solve the mystery - thereby placing her on the map as an up and coming detective to be reckoned with. But soon after arriving at Ellingham, Stevie finds herself embroiled in a different death, one carried out by a Truly Devious copycat, and knows that it's time to put her detective skills to work to catch the killer - before the killer catches her.

My one qualm about Truly Devious was that I did not discover it sooner, because it was everything I've been hoping to find in a YA - romance on the backburner, mystery at the forefront, and a dynamite cast of characters. Though the idea of Ellingham, at times, seems too good to be true {free in this day and age??}; Johnson makes it work splendidly, and makes it difficult not to complete the book in one sitting. NGL, some may feel very perturbed by the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers at the end; but having bonded with the characters, I didn't see the loose end as a flaw - rather, a chance to come up with a few theories of my own before snagging the sequel, The Vanishing Stair.

If you're seeking a new mystery series to sink your teeth into, this one comes highly recommended. Bravo Ms. Johnson!


Star Rating: *****


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NOTD: NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in Buckingham Palace Road

Two coats of NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in Buckingham Palace Road. Aqua Teal Creme.

I don't know what it is about aqua/teal shades, but I don't love them. There's just something blase about them that I can never put my finger on; but maybe that's just me.

Buckingham Palace Road is one such shade. An aqua/teal creme that checks all the boxes for a bright, summer-perfect pedi; with a formula that is to-die-for {two weeks, no chips - natch!}. While, admittedly, this bad boy is not my cup of tea; if you dig a good teal you'll be swooning.

What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


xx

sunny

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angele

Free People Angele Minidress in DRAGONFRUIT PUNCH

Jury's still out on why I'm crushing so hard on this dress, but I'm obsessed and kind of want it in all of the colors!

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NOTD: NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in New Bond Street

Two coats of NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in New Bond Street. Cornflower Blue Creme.

I love a good baby blue, but this bad boy takes baby blue to another level with subtle undertones of lilac that make this beauty stand out above the crowd {yes, I was just watching A Goofy Movie}.

New Bond Street is a cornflower blue creme that will make all of your pastel polish dreams come true. I'm obsessed with this shade for summer because it manages to bridge the gap between bright and pastel, and I am incapable of resisting that. Gorgeous formula here - easy to apply, super fast dry, and longwear. Def a new fave for me!

What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


xx

stripes for days

Free People Stripes for Days Sweater & Shorts Set in SUNSET COMBO.

Picturing myself lounging in this cutie two-piece all summer.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

“No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.”
Y'all, I tried so hard to like Marie Lu's The Young Elites; but there was literally nothing that I enjoyed about this book - no matter how many times I thought something might pop up to change my mind. NGL, I have had a 50/50 positivity rate with Lu's books {some I love, some I loathe, and sometimes I start to love one well after the halfway mark}; but this one just did not cut it for me. Womp womp.

One decade ago, a deadly illness known as the blood fever swept through Renaissance Italy. It claimed the lives of almost everyone it touched; but some children were spared - left with their lives, but scarred with strange markings that earned them the title malfettos {abominations}. Sixteen-year-old Adelina Amouteru is one such survivor. Her beloved mother, however, was taken; leaving her in the hands of a monstrous father who cannot see beyond her changes. Her once black hair turned silver, her eyelashes paled, and her once beautiful left eye is now nothing more than a jagged scar. In her cruel father's eyes, Adelina is only a malfetto - a burden upon their family's good name, standing in the way of lavish fortunes. Adelina thinks otherwise. She has heard of other malfettos - malfettos with strange abilities that leave people fearful; abilities that give them power. These are the Young Elites, and Adelina is determined to find them.

Burning with anger after learning her father's plans for her, Adelina kisses her younger sister, Violetta, goodbye and flees into the night. She has not gone far before she is found, and accidentally unleashes a dormant fury within, killing someone. Now armed with the knowledge that she too has powers, powers that would make people fall at her feet, she is even more convinced of her belonging to the Young Elites. But she'll have to reach them first. When she is apprehended by The Inquisition, led by the young Teren Santoro, and sentenced to death, her future seems unclear. But then she is rescued by none other than the Elites, and feels that things are falling into place. That is, until she feels their less than warm welcome.

Helmed by the handsome yet mysterious Enzo Valenciano {aka The Reaper, who, btw, gives off major Assassin's Creed vibes}, the Young Elites {aka the Dagger Society} is composed of a group of malfettos with abilities that range from manipulating other people's emotions {Raffaele} to commanding and controlling animals {Gemma}. Though their abilities are different, they share a commonality: they don't know what to make of Adelina and her illusionist abilities. Some want her dead. Enzo, however, the son of the late king of Kenettra, vouches for her, welcoming her into the folds of the Dagger Society, and determining that they will train her in her abilities. But Adelina has a secret - an agreement with Teren that she can't extricate herself from. One that will place all of her newfound Elite friends in grave danger.

This was the worst book I've read all year. Marie Lu can write, she can; but this one was just drudgery. The characters were mindblowingly boring who read like one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. I legitimately could not discern one from another because they were so uninteresting. Adelina, who I thought was going to be an amazing character was just dark and angry. And the supposed spark between her and Enzo? Yeah, I didn't feel it. In fact, I felt no chemistry between them; and even if I did, it wouldn't have mattered because Enzo was every bit as boring as Adelina. NGL, there were times when I really loved Raffaele {perhaps because of his calming nature}; but he was not strong enough to hold the weight of the entire book on his shoulders. I will say this...the ending, starring Maeve Corrigan, the Princess of Beldain was brilliant. Unfortunately, her appearance came too late for me; thus, I will not be reading the sequel The Rose Society.


Star Rating: **1/2


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NOTD: NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in Grosvenor Place

Two coats of NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish in Grosvenor Place. Lilac Creme.

Le sigh...shades like this are my absolute Kryptonite because they are far and few between and are simply charming for year-round wear.

Grosvenor Place is a Barbie-esque lilac creme that makes me want to break into Aqua's Barbie Girl. True story. The bright yet muted tone makes it stunning for spring straight through summer; but would also look gorgeous for winter {hint hint}. Formula is positively perfect. The opacity builds quickly, and the wide brush itself makes it possible to oftentimes cover the entire nail in just one swipe. Obsessed with this one!

What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


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pose

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90s

LULUS 4SI3NNA Delaney Cinched Tie Shorts in BLUE.

Digging the 90s vibes of this look.

xx

NOTD: Sally Hansen Insta Dri Nail Color in Gain Mo-Mint-Um

Two coats of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Nail Color in Gain Mo-Mint-Um. Mint Creme.

Ladies, y'all know how I feel about mint nail colors, but there is such a shortage of them on the polish market; so I was ecstatic to stumble upon this bad boy!

Gain Mo-Mint-Um is a glorious mint creme that retains that saccharine pastel vibe {so perf for spring!}; whilst harboring a bright undertone that makes it magnifico for summer vacay! As always with Sally Hansen, the brush collects way too much polish with each dip in the bottle; but with careful application, you can still get a gorgeous, even mani. Highly recommend this beauty for tips and toes!
What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


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details

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elliott

LULUS 4SI3NNA Elliott Crop One-Shoulder Sweater in NUDE.

Summer date night sorted, amiright?

xx

NOTD: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Mentos Nail Polish Collection in Peppermint Dandy

Two coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri x Mentos Nail Polish Collection in Peppermint Dandy. Bright Blue Creme.

Le sigh...legit swooning over this bad boy!

Peppermint Dandy is a brilliant bright blue that you will be grabbing for all. summer. long. #Fact. Formula here is fire. Not only is this beauty a OCW, it is fast dry, and literally chip-resistant. As always with SH, wipe excess polish from the brush on the lip of the bottle before applying to the nail. As long as you remember to do that, you. are. golden.

Sally Hansen is seriously stepping up their color game this season and I am here for it!
What nail color are you rocking for #ManicureMonday?


xx

rainbow heart

LULUS BP. Rainbow Heart Drop Earrings in RAINBOW MULTI.

LOVE how playful these pretties are for the summertime! The $12 pricetag doesn't hurt either.

xx

NAILS INC. Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish Set Swatches + Review

Y'all if this quartet doesn't give you all of those taste the rainbow feels then I don't know what to tell you because i. am. obsessed. Nails Inc. has been slaying the polish game lately, so it took less than 1.2 seconds for this Relationship Status: Proud Nail Polish Set to land in my cart. True story. But it's not just the colors that earn a huge w here. The formula is phenom, as is the staying power. Word of advice: run, don't walk, to snag this bad boy.

Shaftesbury Avenue is a Coral Creme. This color y'all? Dyiiiiing! Shaftesbury Avenue is a delicious bright coral creme that gives me all of the watermelon-inspired summer picnic in the park vibes. This beauty right here is brilliant to work with. Application fell just shy of OCW status. But the ultimate clincher? I wore this bad boy for 12 days with nary a chip, crack, or even visible tip-wear. Highly recommended! This is 2 coats.

Grosvenor Place is a Lilac Creme. Le sigh...shades like this are my absolute Kryptonite because they are far and few between and are simply charming for year-round wear. Grosvenor Place is a Barbie-esque lilac creme that makes me want to break into Aqua's Barbie Girl. True story. The bright yet muted tone makes it stunning for spring straight through summer; but would also look gorgeous for winter {hint hint}. Formula is positively perfect. The opacity builds quickly, and the wide brush itself makes it possible to oftentimes cover the entire nail in just one swipe. Obsessed with this one! This is 2 coats.

New Bond Street is a Cornflower Blue Creme. I love a good baby blue, but this bad boy takes baby blue to another level with subtle undertones of lilac that make this beauty stand out above the crowd {yes, I was just watching A Goofy Movie}. New Bond Street is a cornflower blue creme that will make all of your pastel polish dreams come true. I'm obsessed with this shade for summer because it manages to bridge the gap between bright and pastel, and I am incapable of resisting that. Gorgeous formula here - easy to apply, super fast dry, and longwear. Def a new fave for me! This is 2 coats.

Buckingham Palace Road is an Aqua Teal Creme. I don't know what it is about aqua/teal shades, but I don't love them. There's just something blase about them that I can never put my finger on; but maybe that's just me. Buckingham Palace Road is one such shade. An aqua/teal creme that checks all the boxes for a bright, summer-perfect pedi; with a formula that is to-die-for {two weeks, no chips - natch!}. While, admittedly, this bad boy is not my cup of tea; if you dig a good teal you'll be swooning. This is 2 coats.

AVAILABILITY: Sephora.

PRICE: $22.00 for the 4PC Mini Set.
SHOP THE POST

xx