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chocolate laced

NYX Professional Makeup Haul, concealer, soft matte lip cream, lipstick, lipgloss, clearance, foundation, matte foundation, drop foundation, eyebrow mascara, eyebrow gel, eyeliner

I am by no means a makeup aficionado, nor is that a goal of mine. This is also NOT a sponsored post. This is simply my excitement shared with the world!

I was introduced to makeup by my sister, Sarah, who I adore and have consistently been inspired by. I probably would have never experimented with makeup if it wasn’t for her. My makeup looks, when compared to hers, are like kindergarten art juxtaposed with Van Gogh’s Starry Night. There’s absolutely no comparison, and I’m okay with that.

I tell you that little story because, in my best little-sister fashion, I’ve snuck a lip color or two from her stash to mine. The lip colors were both from NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Cream collection: Budapest and Transylvania. I usually wear these colors in tandem, creating a blended look that has me feeling myself...as I should be...but last week, when I dipped into Transylvania and Budapest, the cities were evacuated! There was enough color for one fouth of my lips’ surface area and that just will not do! And so began my mission to replace these lip colors.

I knew that ULTA Beauty sold NYX because I also use their Total Control Drop Foundation (which I love) so I went straight there. I thought $6.50 was a reasonable price for the lip colors (since I pay more than that for Maybelline's SuperStay Matte Lip Color) but I was pushed to search outside of ULTA since they were out of Budapest. That’s where Walmart comes in.

Apparently, there is a clearance sale at Walmart and almost all NYX products have a shocking discount. The Total Control Drop Foundation that I purchased from ULTA Beauty for $11 is on sale for under $4! Like... who was going to stop me? Here's exactly how I made out:
NYX Professional Makeup Haul, concealer, soft matte lip cream, lipstick, lipgloss, clearance, foundation, matte foundation, drop foundation, eyebrow mascara, eyebrow gel, eyeliner
NYX Professional Makeup Total Control Drop Foundation, Cocoa (Walmart: $3.59 ULTA: $14.00) [75% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Total Control Drop Foundation, Mocha (Walmart: $3.59 ULTA: $14.00) [75% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick, Deep Rich (Walmart: $8.00 ULTA: this shade not sold. other shades: $12) [33% off]

NYX Professional Makeup Haul, concealer, soft matte lip cream, lipstick, lipgloss, clearance, foundation, matte foundation, drop foundation, eyebrow mascara, eyebrow gel, eyeliner
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream, Dubai (Walmart: $2.71, ULTA: $6.50) [58% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream, Berlin (Walmart: $2.54, ULTA: $6.50) [61% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream, Budapest (Walmart: $3.15, ULTA: $6.50)  [52% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream, Madrid (Walmart: $2.54, ULTA: $6.50) [61% off]

NYX Professional Makeup Haul, concealer, soft matte lip cream, lipstick, lipgloss, clearance, foundation, matte foundation, drop foundation, eyebrow mascara, eyebrow gel, eyeliner
NYX Professional Makeup Eyebrow Gel, Chocolate (Walmart: $1.56 ULTA: $7) [78% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Tinted Brow Mascara, Espresso (Walmart: $3.23 ULTA: $7.50) [57% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Super Fat Eye Marker, Carbon Black (Walmart: $3.53 ULTA: $10) [65% off]

NYX Professional Makeup Haul, concealer, soft matte lip cream, lipstick, lipgloss, clearance, foundation, matte foundation, drop foundation, eyebrow mascara, eyebrow gel, eyeliner
NYX Professional Makeup Dark Circle Concealer, Deep (Walmart: $3.53, ULTA: not sold)
NYX Professional Makeup Concealer Jar, Cocoa (Walmart: $2.67, ULTA: not sold)
NYX Professional Makeup HD Photogenic Concealer Wand, Cocoa (Walmart: $2.58 ULTA: $6) [57% off]
NYX Professional Makeup Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation, Cocoa (Walmart: $4.38 ULTA: $7.50) [42% off]

SUMMARY:
1) I was not able to replace Transylvania from Walmart because it wasn't a part of the clearance.
 It was actually priced higher than at ULTA. #ByeFeleesh. ULTA, see you soon.

2) Not all the products I purchased from Walmart were available at ULTA Beauty.
The jar concealers and the Wonder Stick in Deep Rich must be either discontinued
or Walmart exclusives.

3) If I were to buy these items from ULTA, I would have spent $116.
($68.50 savings! That's about 60% off! *shimmies*) 

I have a lot of experimenting to do. I'm contemplating doing a product review later. Right now, I'm sharing information. The clearance is still happening! So, if you're an NYX fan, take FULL advantage of this sale!

Are you an NYX fan? Have you used any of the products that I purchased? Let me know!

Saturday, January 18, 2020 No comments

It is January, at last! In the year of perfect vision (as my significant other likes to say). This is a very important year for us and we've started it off with a lot of excitement, drive, dedication, and spirit. No better way to bring in a new year! And I love that I get to start the year off with a capsule wardrobe. I didn't realize how much I would fall in love with it. Having a capsule wardrobe makes so much sense for my lifestyle. In combination with the app, Stylebook, I take a little time during the weekend to plan my looks for AN ENTIRE MONTH. It rocks my socks.

Last capsule season, I chose 39 items. As previously decided, I am limiting my capsule wardrobe to 40 items. Eventually I'll have less...not only to push the envelope that is my creativity but also to steer towards the "less is more" way of life. I've always had quite an excessive amount of clothing due to the unfortunate but strangely satisfying combination of my eye for style and my love of a sale. Each Capsule Closet Month is designed to aid my transition from excess to finesse. From quantitative to qualitative.

When deciding on my color scheme for this month, I thought of all the colors that I rarely frequent. Turns out that most of those colors are of the 'cool' toned family whereas, I, am as warm as they come. So, yay for trying new things! Here are the chosen ones:

Just a little background on why I chose each color:

Navy - Navy is my new black. I really wanted to include a pair of the deepest darkest navy blue jeans, but because I didn't want to spend money on a new pair of jeans, I bought dye with the intention of dying a pair that I already owned but I got home, found out I purchased the wrong kind of dye and completely lost my motivation to do it. Welp! Anywho, I'm looking forward to what a month without black looks like for me. I may include a pair of black tights here and there, but that's because it's friggin' cold and black tights make up 96% of my tights population.

White & Beige - Both look great with navy AND I wanted to wear my faux fur and teddy coats because I love them. Yes, my teddy coat is more of a tan, but who cares? I'm calling it dark beige for this month, okay?

Gray - I'm testing myself with gray in the capsule. I contemplated removing it completely, but it compliments almost every other chosen color (Uncommon color combos: gray and green? gray and beige? We're gonna find out, won't we?!)

Pale Pink - I love this color so much and I'm not 100% sure why. Maybe because it is so feminine and soft and it makes me want to stick my pinky up when I wear it. Who knows, but since it paired well with all my base colors, it made sense as an accent.

Forest Green - My October Capsule helped me realize that the majority of greens in my closet were olive green, which makes sense because it compliments my skin very well. So, I thought it would make sense to diversify my greens and bring a little bit of the forest into my closet. I love my new additions so much and can't wait to play with them!

Here are the items for this month with links to the exact item or something strikingly similar (for those items that I could locate such a thing for). Some of the following links are affiliate links so I may or may not get a little something if you make a purchase.
  1. RIVER ISLAND POLKA DOT (from asos)
  2. F21 FLORAL APPLIQUE (sold out & super unique! Couldn't find anything like it.)
  3. JONES NY PEARL EMBELLISHED BUTTON UP  (old Marshall's grab)
  4. MAISON JULES SCALLOP HEM (thrifted; similar)
  5. CLUB MONACO PRINTED (thrifted)
  6. JASON WU POLKA DOT (thrifted)
  7. VINTAGE LASER CUTOUT NECK (thrifted)
  1. VINTAGE PEARL EMBELLISHED WOOL (thrifted & in love with it!)
  2. WAREHOUSE MULTI STRIPE (From asos, but sold out)
  3. JUSTFAB LONG CARDIGAN (Super soft & beautiful color)
  4. F21 DOLMAN KNIT SWEATER (similar style)
  5. VINTAGE KNIT FLORAL (thrifted & in love with it!)

  1. H&M COLLARLESS WOOL (super old, but THIS...I'm so happy I can't shop this month)
  2. F21 FAUX FUR (old, but this is perfectly extra)
  3. JUSTFAB SUEDE DRAPE COAT (here)
  4. PRETTY LITTLE THING TEDDY COAT (gifted--*Thanks Ms. C!)
  5. TALBOTS COLLARLESS (old--from when I worked at Talbots)
  1. ANN TAYLOR WOOL A-LINE (thrifted; here's a similar style--just a longer hemline for $15!!)
  2. F21 PLEATED HIGH LOW (out of stock, but this is similar)
  3. F21 STRIPED MIDI (sold out; similar style)
  4. BOOHOO POLKA DOT TULLE MIDI (old; very similar and much cuter version)
  5. ZARA PEPLUM PENCIL (thrifted; so many of poshmark)
  6. BOOHOO PLEATED METALLIC MIDI (do you love it?!)
  7. BOOHOO SLINKY MAXI (here it is!)

  1. LEVI SKINNY JEANS (old & gifted; these are similar.)
  2. ASOS HIGH WAIST BALLOON TAPERED (Found these here, and they feel and look lovely.)
  3. BOOHOO HIGH WAIST WIDE LEG (Sold out, but these are similar in style and price.)



  1. JESSICA SIMPSON PUMPS (An old pair but, I LOVE this similar style) 
  2. COLE HAAN LOAFERS (I got these from DSW; but THESE are HOT and not available in my size *tear*)
  3. MARC FISCHER PUMPS (Also from DSW and swimmingly comfortable!)
  4. F21 FAUX SUEDE HEELS (Sold out at F21, but my #8's are similar in a lighter shade and rounder toe)
  5. JUSTFAB CROC BLOCK HEEL BOOTIE (aren't these justfab?!)
  6. 1 STATE SUEDE BOOTIES (So, dsw had a really good sale...and I went a little black friday crazy...)
  7. JUSTFAB SNAKE COLOR BLOCK HEEL BOOTIE (...and justfab was selling boots for $12! I couldn't resist!)
  8. UNISA SUEDE PUMPS (From dsw, too!)
  9. ZARA WOODEN HEEL FLATS (sold out, but if you'd like shoes with a similar style heel, check out THESE & THESE )

What do you think?

Thursday, January 09, 2020 No comments

Today, I’ve put together a roundup of my month’s worth of outfits from my October capsule for you!

This October had quite a few close to freezing days which prompted me to add an extra item (my faux fur coat from Forever 21). Aside from that, I found that the mix of items I had worked really well. Layering was my best friend. My favorite and most worn pieces this season were my denim jacket and my leather/knit jacket. 

If you’d love more details about this capsule and a breakdown of what I included, check it out here.
Thursday, November 28, 2019 No comments

Day 27







On this day, I took my nephew to the park (my partner's nephew really, but we're life partners so his family is my family and vice versa). He loves to be outdoors, even in the cold, which is beautiful. He stayed over with us for the weekend and we had lots of fun! I don't have children of my own yet, but I anticipate the days when I will! Today gave me a look into the future. I was posing and playing tag at the same time.

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - gifted
Faux Fur Coat - F21
Cropped Sweater - BCBGMaxazria
Patterned Vintage Blazer - thrifted
High Rise Jeans - Levi's (thrifted)
Nude Flats - Zara
see October Capsule Post for similar items



Day 28



 Excuse the expression on my face in the photo on the left. I was tired and hangry. 

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - thrifted
Necklaces - gifted
Denim Jacket - Sunrise Kingdom
Denim Button Down - H&M
Polka Dot Pants - thrifted
Sneakers - Pumas
see October Capsule Post for similar items



Day 29






What I'm Wearing
Earrings - gifted
Striped Sweater - thrifted
Skinny Pants - NastyGal
Embroidered Belt - thrifted
Ballet Flats - DSW
see October Capsule Post for similar items



Day 30






What I'm Wearing
Earrings - F21
Lace Blouse - Nanette Nanette Lepore (my sister's closet)
Leather & Knit Jacket - maurices (thrifted)
Black Dress - NY&Company (thrfited)
Black Heels - Zara
see October Capsule Post for similar items



Day 31






What I'm Wearing
Earrings - thrifted
Denim Kimono Duster - F21
White Box Top - chicos (thrifted)
Knit Ribbed Skirt - thrifted
Black Heels - Zara
see October Capsule Post for similar items

Have you ever typed up a response to an email or text message and imagined you pressed "send" or "submit" and continued living life as if that message was sent and received? A terrible habit I have that now I can say has infiltrated my blog posts. Anywho, this was the last week of my capsule closet. I enjoyed doing it so much that I am excited about my future capsules. I'm currently planning the color scheme for my winter capsule. As far as not spending this month, I did pretty well. I'll have a more organized way of tracking and sharing next time around.
Friday, November 08, 2019 No comments

Day 20


striped Cosby sweater, leopard skirt, vintage white blouse, puma gum sole sneakers

thrifted outfit with striped sweater, striped Cosby sweater, leopard skirt, vintage white blouse, puma gum sole sneakers
As the weather became progressively colder this month, creativity and layering became my only solace. On this day, I really prioritized warmth over everything.
thrifted outfit with striped sweater, striped Cosby sweater, leopard skirt, vintage white blouse, puma gum sole sneakers, winter headwrap thrifted outfit with striped sweater and leopard print skirt, striped Cosby sweater, leopard skirt, vintage white blouse, puma gum sole sneakers
Knit sweater, knit skirt, knit headwrap, knit socks. I felt like I literally tucked myself into this outfit. It was warm, it was comfortable and it was a new way to style stripes with leopard.
thrifted outfit with striped sweater and leopard print skirt, striped Cosby sweater, leopard skirt, vintage white blouse, puma gum sole sneakers

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - F21
Striped Sweater - thrifted
White Vintage Blouse- Petite Sophisticate (thrifted)
Knit Leopard Skirt - English Factory (thrifted)
Striped Socks - H&M
Sneakers - Pumas
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 21


Vintage oversized blazer, Zara pleated skirt, nude heels

Vintage oversized blazer, Zara pleated skirt, nude heels, restyle, vintage outfits, leopard print head wrap
Over the summer, I did a post on styling oversized blazers which opened me up to styling blazers differently. One of my new favorite ways to style an oversized blazer is by wearing it as a blouse.
Vintage oversized blazer, Zara pleated skirt, nude heels, restyle, vintage outfits, leopard print head wrapVintage oversized blazer, Zara pleated skirt, nude heels, restyle, vintage outfits, leopard print head wrap
I folded the lapel inwards and overlapped the front like a wrap dress. Cuffed the sleeves and pushed them up past my elbows & viola!
Vintage oversized blazer, Zara pleated skirt, nude heels, restyle, vintage outfits, leopard print head wrap

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - F21
Leopard Headwrap - H&M Scarf
Vintage Blazer (worn as blouse) - thrifted
Pleated Midi Skirt - Zara
Nude Heels - Jessica Simpson
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 22


Patterned blazer, vintage white blouse, nude heels

Patterned blazer, vintage white blouse, nude heels,
I love that everything in this outfit (minus the jewelry and shoes) is thrifted! I look for one pashmina scarf to use as a headwrap during every thrift trip. I'm starting to run out of storage space. 
Patterned blazer, vintage white blouse, nude heelsPatterned blazer, vintage white blouse, nude heels

Patterned blazer, vintage white blouse, nude heels

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - F21
Blazer - Rafaella (thrifted)
White Vintage Blouse - Petite Sophisticate (thrifted)
Braided Tie Belt - thrifted
Knit Ribbed Skirt - thrifted
Nude Heels - Jessica Simpson
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 23


Denim jacket, chambray top, floral top, little black dress, d'Orsay flats

Denim jacket, chambray top, floral top, little black dress, d'Orsay flats
This is a more relaxed and laid back look. I just realized that every time I've worn this dress, it has been as a jumper (with a shirt underneath). 
Denim jacket, chambray top, floral top, little black dress, d'Orsay flatsDenim jacket, chambray top, floral top, little black dress, d'Orsay flats
I'm not allowed to wear jeans (pants, skirts or dresses) to work unless it's a dress down day. The jacket and shirt are my silent rebellion of that rule.
Denim jacket, chambray top, floral top, little black dress, d'Orsay flats

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - F21
Ankara Headwrap - coming soon to CLB
Floral Denim Blouse - Loft (thrifted)
Denim Jacket - Sunrise Kingdom (Marshall's)
Black Dress - NY&Company (thrfited)
D'orsay Flats - DSW
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 24



Sometimes, my headwrap isn't as perfect as I want it to be. I did a blind tie of this wrap (no mirror) and didn't see the tassels handing out until after the shoot was over. I could have redone the shoot. I could have photoshopped them out. But life happens and sometimes there is no redo and there certainly isn't photoshop to fix our mistakes or undesirables. We can, however, learn to accept the things we cannot change and find beauty in them.
This faux fur is a late addition to my capsule. I had to do it. The average high his month is 60 degrees and the average low is 38. I just cannot do without a coat. And this one is cute. :)

What I'm Wearing
Earrings - thrifted
Faux Fur Coat - F21
Blouse - H&M
Wide Patterned Belt - thrifted
Velvet Pencil Skirt - boohoo
Nude Flats - Zara
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 25



The top half of this outfit really makes me want to replicate it with leather pants or a leather skirt. So sleek looking! The headwrap is a sateen fabric I purchased from Walmart. It's actually very difficult to tie, so I was very pleased that 1) I got it into a bow and 2) it stayed on.


What I'm Wearing
Earrings - gifted
Ankara Headwrap - coming soon to CLB
Wide Belt - NY&Company
Leather and Knit Jacket - maurices (thrifted)
Wide Leg Pants - f21
Black Heels - Zara
see October Capsule Post for similar items


Day 26



My weekend looks are drastically different than my work looks. If I had enough sweaters, the sweater/high waist jeans combo would be my weekend uniform. 


What I'm Wearing
Earrings - gifted
Denim Jacket - Sunrise Kingdom (Marshall's)
Striped Sweater - thrifted
High Rise Jeans - Levis (thrifted)
D'orsay Flats - Franco Sarto (DSW)
see October Capsule Post for similar items

Wednesday, November 06, 2019 No comments
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Hi, my name is Stephanie Ngozi and exploring my creativity is my passion. On most days, I express it through fashion.

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