Your True Nude

 In the August edition of InStyle magazine, they highlight the newest nude shades created by RGB Cosmetics. Nail stylist, Jenna Hipp, partnered with the polish retailer and has created a mini collection of flesh-toned nude lacquers from buff to cocoa, which means you can now paint your tips in a polish that's more your "true nude," instead of just the basic and "universal" milky, beige.

Inspired by the foundation colors of her celebrity clients, Rachel McAdams, Lauren Conrad, Kerry Washington and Jennifer Hudson, Hipp created four shades for the Hipp x RGB collab which come in F1 (cool yellow beige), F2 (barely buff), F3 (golden medium brown) and F4 (chocolate with reddish undertone).



Shades: F4, F3, F2, F1

USA produced RGB nail colors are free of chemicals, like formaldehyde, and are cruelty free. I'm all over the F3 shade, and will post a review once I get my hands on it. Each bottle is priced at $16 and you can purchase your shade here.

AKIRA Chicago Shopping Review

I'm a little delayed in getting around to it, but I'm giving my unbiased review for AKIRA, a trendy Chicago retailer I posted about here last month.

I ordered two items, a white linen blazer and a pair of high waisted, linen trousers in a jade blue (which I was super excited about!). Both items were from the retailer's personal brand, AKIRA Black Label.

The total order came to $90. Shipping was about $7, which isn't terrible plus I also used a coupon code which gave me about $15 dollars off. From the time I placed my order, it took 6 - 7 days to receive it. I had a few issues with sizing, the retailer noted that this brand runs small, more like junior sizing, so even though I took my measurements, I sized up. Bad idea.

When the pieces arrived, both items were made from reasonably good fabrics, the linen wasn't stiff and didn't feel cheap, but the blazer was a bit too large and didn't look flattering. However, the trousers were really cute and actually did fit in the waist, but they were super long. Even with a four inch platform pump, the pants covered my shoes.

I loved the color of the pants and debated keeping them and taking them to a tailor, but it was more effort than I was willing to put in. I returned both items and had to pay return shipping. As it turns out, the pants were on clearance, so I was issued a store credit for those and a refund for the blazer. I ultimately did place another order so that I could use my credit, but this time I went for a pair of Jessica Simpson pumps that I had been eyeballing on other sites for a few months. I am very happy with those!

Overall, I can't say my experience with AKIRA was a bad one, but I can't really say it was all that great either. I'm not certain that I'd order clothing from them again, but I'd definitely do shoes and on my next trip to Chicago I'd go to the store to shop, that way I can try the items on first.

Prep with a Primer

There are those lucky girls with the fabulous skin who wear little to no makeup and spend next to no time prepping in the morning. Well....that's not me. So, I rely on a primer. And if any of you out there have issues with your makeup going on smoothly, have oily or combination skin or large pores, there is bound to be a primer out there that's right for you.

You apply primer after your moisturizer and treatments and before makeup. Primers usually contain wax, silicone or another kind of polymer. A good primer shouldn't settle into the skin, but should instead "fill in" the problem areas of your face, creating a smooth and even surface by smoothing out fine lines and pores and keeping your eyeshadow from creasing, thereby helping your makeup up last longer.

There are different primers for eyes, lips and face. I've only purchased ones for face specifically, but I still use them on my lids occasionally. I've used a couple different brands, which varied in price range, but ultimately found a drugstore brand that worked best for me. For many years I used Prime Time by BareEscentuals all over my face, which I really liked and it made my skin feel silky smooth after application. And though I had positive results with my makeup and no adverse reactions, I'm a very oily girl, so I felt I needed something more.

Most recently I started using L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base on my inner cheek area to help smooth out my large, oily pores. It feels powdery smooth after dotting it on and I feel it really helps my mineral makeup last throughout the day.

primer

I encourage you to check out a primer, but before you do remember that just because the primer is more expensive does not mean it will automatically work better for you, so you may have to try a couple before you get it right. But hey, that's why coupons and promo codes come in handy!

DD's Style File - My Coveted White Blazer

A few posts back I did a post on how to wear white blazer (read it here) and mentioned wanting to get my hands on a budget friendly one of my very own. And I finally got one! It is a lightweight linen with ruched sleeves and it was super affordable at $35!

Ironically, I also became slightly enamored with one of the Polyvore style inspiration boards that I did for that post, I loved how all the bright colors came together cohesively and the white blazer kept it from looking too loud all while keeping the look fresh. So I used that as a guide for my own outfit ...

I wore this look to work and although I was wearing a vivid color combination with a denim skirt, I felt very professional, chic and pulled together. This will be marked as one of my favorite wear-to-work looks.



White linen blazer - Charlotte Russe
Fuchsia ruffle blouse - Express
Denim skirt - Express
Turquoise peep toes pumps - Nordstrom
White handbag - NY & Co.
White belt - eBay
Silver earrings - The Limited

If you're still shopping for a white blazer and you like mine, find it here at Charlotte Russe!