milwaukee spots: cafe centraal

I've posted before about restaurants and places I've loved in the Milwaukee area, and today I'm adding another to the list. This one is even more fully vetted than the rest because I go there kind of all the freaking time.

Cafe Centraal is pretty much the destination of choice for my roommate and I, whether brunch or dinner is what we seek. I have yet to see someone order something bad...the first time I was there, I did get a dish I didn't like, but it was my own mistake for ordering something that had chorizo in it and somehow thinking it wouldn't be too spicy for me?? That was a silly decision. And that dish isn't on the menu anymore anyway, so no harm done! Everything else I've had has been excellent, as with the rest of my dining companions. If you go for brunch, get the sugar donuts. They come with a berry cream cheese. Get the big order. No matter how many of you there are. You won't regret it. My personal favorite dishes so far are the Grand Cafe Club (which has green apples on it! Crazy but insanely delicious) and the Bay View Burger (mmmm burger). I also ate the pig tails without actually realizing they were literally pig tails, and they were utterly delectable.

Centraal is well-known (along with its sister restaurants) for their beer selection. I don't drink beer, so I'm afraid I can't vouch for the quality, but I can vouch for the fact that there's a giant book filled with all the beers they have and that their staff takes classes (!) to learn more about beer. Friends assure me that it's very good, and I trust them! I've always been happy with one of their specialty cocktails or a garden-variety mixer.

I was, in fact, at Centraal last night for trivia (which occurs every Thursday at 8!). It's such a great way to spend some time with friends while challenging your mind too - and an excuse to eat at Centraal, of course. We weren't too shabby last night (tied for fourth!).

Basically, this is a place to go. The staff has always been super friendly and attentive, the food is always delicious, and I'm a big fan of the atmosphere. Fickle Kitsch gives it four forks for highly recommended!

ipsy glam bag review: july

Remember how I said I was going to do a full write-up of everything I got in my first glam bag from ipsy? Well, when doing my video review of the August bag, I realized I hadn't actually done a review of July. So...here we go!

Roll on perfume oil by demeter: "salt air" scent

My most used item from the bag! It's a really nice, fresh scent and the roll on makes it really easy to apply (the other perfume I wear is imps from BPAL, which I'm always afraid I'm going to spill everywhere when I open them.) I'm not a big fragrance person, but this just kind of smells clean. I'm a fan!

Pouty pop crayon by Pop Beauty: "fuschia flirt"

The item that most drew my eye when opening the bag! I like that you can vary the intensity of the color depending on how much you put on. The payoff is nice and the color lasts fairly well, but it doesn't feel particularly moisturizing on the lips. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but not something that's going to replace my special favorite lip colors.

Eyeshadow set by BH Cosmetics: "California Collection"

These are okay...I need to experiment with them a bit more, but I wasn't thrilled with the texture the first time I tried it. I was putting some on in the morning before work and the shadow was pressed very tightly, which made it difficult to get a good color payoff. I've only tried the one (work appropriate) color so far, though, so I'll need to experiment more. But I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to eyeshadow; after years of toiling away over drugstore palettes, I pretty much exclusively wear Urban Decay now.

Mineral sunscreen by Coola

It's sunscreen. It's unscented, which is a bonus (who likes the smell of sunscreen?), but other than that there's nothing super remarkable about it. It went on smoothly and it didn't feel heavy on my face, and didn't feel greasy when I touched my face later. It's organic, which is nice. I'm one of those rebellious pasty people who doesn't often wear sunscreen, though, so this is unlikely to become part of my everyday routine.

Weather proof hairspray by Big Sexy Hair

I really don't use product in my hair (ew, crunch factor), so I don't have the most nuanced opinions on hairsprays. I tried this one on my bangs, and maybe I didn't put enough on but I didn't see/feel much of a difference. My hair didn't feel crunchy, which was a plus, but I didn't notice it holding in place any better than usual either. I'd try it again if I needed to set my hair (I've been having a hankering to get back into vintage styling again!) so I don't have to actually buy hairspray, but another one that I wouldn't use everyday.

And that was July! All in all, I was satisfied and enjoyed trying new products I wouldn't have purchased myself, but I'm really excited about my August bag! Which you can go ahead and watch...right now:

 

milwaukee spots: coquette cafe

Last Sunday, my lovely little sister turned twenty! Yikes! Luckily, I was able to face this inescapable proof of my own mortality in the best way possible:  with celebratory brunch!

We all know brunch is totally fetch right now (is it too late to make fetch happen?), but this was my first foray into the downtown brunch scene. As resident foodie (or the closest thing), I was placed in charge of researching the possibilities and presenting the birthday girl with her options. In the end, there was a clear winner:

Photo taken from my phone during brunch - I love technology!

Coquette Cafe (warning: site features autoplay music if you wait too long!) is located in the city's Historic Third Ward, serving "authentic bistro fare." Their menus are available for perusal in the website, and one look at the brunch menu convinced us that this was the right option (plus the fact that they serve brunch all the way through 5 o'clock; we would be arriving at 2, which is sort of a no man's land as far as brunch-serving restaurants are concerned). It features both brunch-y fare and many of their usual entrees, so there's an option for everyone.

The restaurant is really lovely and charming, and the staff was warm and attentive. Of course, the number one question is, as always, "how was the food?"

I am not a great food photographer. Trust me, it was super good.

I had the salmon cakes with poached eggs and bernaise sauce with a side of dauphinoise potatoes. It was absolutely divine, and I say this as a person who isn't particularly fond of eggs (but who loooooves salmon and bernaise sauce). I also had a mimosa - because, brunch! - and that was also very good. My sister had the pain perdu (brioche french toast with carmelized pears, candied pecans, maple syrup and a side of bacon), my mom had chicken confit crepes, and my dad went traditional with an order of coq au vin. All of the dishes received thumbs up from their respective diners.

All in all, I definitely recommend Coquette Cafe to any eaters in the area. It was my parents' second time eating there - they'd gone for dinner something in the neighborhood of ten years ago, and they said that nothing has changed. As far as I'm concerned, nothing needs to! The prices are definitely more on the side of "downtown" as opposed to discount (brunch meals range from $9 sandwiches and omelettes to $23 hangar steak) but I felt they were reasonable (of course, I wasn't the one paying, so...your mileage may vary!)

What's your brunch destination? I've read a lot of great things about the brunch scene in Milwaukee...hopefully I'll be able to investigate some more!

product review: qtcase iphone cases

I was recently contacted about doing a review of an iPhone case; I don't have an iPhone, but I love cute cellphone cases and am so looking forward to my turn to have one, so I was happy to play with it for a while. Luckily, there was an iPhone in my house that I could test it out on!

 Oddly enough, my dad wasn't the biggest fan! I don't know why - it suits him, don't you think?

The case from QT Case is very nice; when I saw them on the website, I was worried about how strong the ears would be, but I've tugged on them and messed them around and they seem pretty tough. It appears to be molded out of a single piece of silicone, so everything is well attached. The case was a little bit loose around the phone (it's an iPhone 4S) - it stayed on, but I'm not sure that I would trust it getting jostled around in the bottom of a bag (but would you really just dump your iPhone into your purse with no protection?). Bunny ears aren't quite my style, but I can see it working really well with a super-femmey and slightly quirky look (maybe Lolita?) or as a somewhat classier version of the Playboy logos that were so popular for a while (are they still popular? I hope not. Not my taste, thanks!). I could definitely see the brand expanding to feature other animals (cat ears, anyone?) and I know they're planning to add more colors to the line-up (the cases are currently available in the blue seen here, pink, and yellow). QT Case also donates 10% of sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation - in the interest of transparency, this isn't a charity that I personally choose to support, but I always appreciate a business trying to do something good in the world.

In summation, the case didn't get submitted to most rigorous of testing, but it seems solidly made and is certainly very cute for the right aesthetic. I hope to see a variety of styles and of devices (since I'm the proud new mother of an Android phone) at QT Case in the future! The cases retail for $29.95 and can be purchased on the QT Case website.

Disclaimer:  This product was sent to me for the purposes of the review. I was not compensated in any other way for the review and the opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

state of the union

I hope all you Americans had a happy 4th of July! Mine was pretty laid back, but it was followed by three days (well, two long evenings and one full day) of music festival-ing. I saw some great bands, had lots of laughs with my sister, and didn't get heat stroke or even a sunburn! I have some fun posts in the pipeline (including a neat product review!) but I was thinking about how projects on blogs always just kind of disappear into the ether - they happened, you posted, it's done - and I wanted to give a little update on how things were going.

I tweeted about the Sally Hansen Polish Strips I reviewed in this post, but I have to reiterate here:  they were horrible to remove! I don't know if it was because I left them on longer than advised, but the adhesive used on the strips got gummy and everywhere. I was scrubbing at them with nail polish remover and all it seemed to do was push it around. I still have a little residue on my nails - proceed with caution!

My bookshelf brightening project is still a smashing success! I was a little worried that the paper might bubble up in the heat, but it's all smooth and lovely as ever.

Finally, the tablet case I purchased is still doing a great job! It's started to wear a tiny bit at the corner and some of the fabric on the inside has started to fray, but that's user error - it's where I hook my stylus, and putting it on and off has worn at the fabric a tiny bit. I'm still totally in love with it and it's kept my baby safe and sound through thick and thin and daily travels to the office shoved in my tote with my lunch, umbrella, passcard, notebook, and all those other important work-related things! The tablet is also a homerun - I actually finished my very first full ebook on it last week and it was a lot of fun! I don't know if I'll start buying a ton of books that I don't already own, but it's an excellent resource for checking books out of the library (the ebook I checked out, by the way, is called The Paris Wife and I heartily recommend that too! It's about Ernest Hemingway's first wife...I read it for my book club [I'm in a book club now! How grown up and literary is that?] and can't wait to discuss it with the ladies!)

That's basically the state of things around here - how are all of you doing? Anything new and exciting? Projects or purchases that aren't holding up like you expected them to (or exceeding your expectations!)?

product review: sally hansen salon effects

Confession time: I can't paint my own nails. Yes, I've done it, but rarely and poorly. My hands are just too wobbly; I make a mess even when I'm painting with my right hand, you don't even want to see what happens when I've got the nail brush in my left! With practice, I'm sure I could get better, but usually I just pressgang whoever happens to be around (a friend or my sister, usually) into painting them for me. It's always been depressing that the beautiful nail art I admire could not be mine...until now!


Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips; they come in a variety of patterns, little stickers that harden into a polish-like coat with no dry time or spills or effort!

The polish strips are pretty easy to apply; there was a little bit of fumbling, but I think that had more to do with my own low dexterity (obviously I need to get some safety scissors and work on my "small motor skills" like I made the toddlers do in play group) than actual difficulty. They looked pretty great once they were on! From close up, it's pretty clear that they're stickers, but from the normal distance that you view someone's hand, I don't think you'd be able to tell, especially if you didn't know it's not a fancy manicure.

Unfortunately, there were already a few small chips by the time I woke up the next morning. This pattern doesn't show chips too badly, but a different one would make it very obvious. The inital chips may have been related to poor application, but they continued to chip throughout the weekend, and I really wasn't doing anything particularly rough on my hands (as if!) - just some sleeping and shopping. Weirdly, most of the chips are on my non-dominant hand...mysterious! The other major downside? The sticker adheres at your cuticle but it isn't really ON your nail, so when it sets, it forms a hard ridge that's just slightly separate from your nail. Just big enough for, say, a few strands of hair? Yep, these things snagged my hair while I was trying to wash it in the shower:  not very pleasant.

Basically, these are really cool, but probably aren't a great long-term choice and definitely won't replace actually painting your nails. I think they'd be a terrific option for a special event, when you could apply them the morning of (or even later - no drying time!) and then not care if they chipped afterward. I have another set waiting for me (they were on a two for one sale) so I'll give another pattern a go and let you know if a (theoretically) superior application helps any of these issues.

Hooray, a terrible webcam photo! The nails, after two weeks. Impressive, huh?

So, I sat on this post for two weeks (as I do) and have revised my opinion somewhat. These little buggers have held on, for real! The chipping is definitely getting more significant, but they are really solidly on there and most are fine. The non-dominant chipping has continued...my right hand is almost perfect still. So, I'll upgrade these to a solid 4 out of 5. Try 'em out if you get a chance!

i heart etsy: iris + lily

Hello, virtual citizens! I have now officially worked a full week at my new job, which makes this my first official weekend as a gainfully employed person (I worked my final retail shift last Saturday, so that weekend didn't count). So far, I'm really enjoying the job; I get to do a lot of writing, which is awesome, and also a lot of working on websites and researching things on the internet, which are other things that I love to do (obviously). Also, I get to eat lunch in a cafe that's on the 36th floor! I can see my car from there!

But I don't spend a lot of time staring at my car anymore (though I do look out on the lake a lot), because (fanfare!):



Is it a book? A notepad?



It's a new home for my tablet! (and hey, check out my fabulous Sock Dreams sticker) As those of you who follow me on twitter know (and you can head over to the sidebar to do that, if you don't already), I bought a tablet in January. It's an Acer Iconia A100, and up until now, I honestly hadn't gotten much use out of it. When I'm in the house, I tend to be on my laptop, for obvious reasons, and without a case, there was no way I was taking my new baby out and about. I poked around Best Buy and Target, but I couldn't find a case I really loved. Also, since my tablet isn't a Nook, Kindle, or iPad, the pickin's were pretty slim.

But now! Oh, now, he has a beautiful case from Iris + Lily of Etsy. When I was shopping for a case on Etsy, I mostly found zippered pouches, which were great, but I really wanted something that opened up like a book for more security. The cases from Iris and Lily immediately caught my eye. They're gorgeous and custom made to the exact dimensions of your tablet/ereader. The fabrics are beyond fabulous (browsing through their store just now, I'm finding even more that I want. Guess I better get myself some more devices!) and I'm extremely impressed with the quality of the finished piece. I would never guess that this case was handmade; it's professional, gorgeous, and sturdy. Plus, it closes with a discreet hidden magnet, so I don't have to worry about it flopping open in my bag and damaging the screen.

The only downside to this case is that I'd have to remove the tablet to use the back-facing camera, but I knew that going in and don't plan to use it as a camera all that often (though I might eat my words once Instagram for Android comes out!). It did take a little longer to receive than I expected (they quote 2-3 weeks), but when I contacted Diane & Kate, who own the store, they were very friendly and very communicative. My case shipped the next day! (A note on communication: I had actually picked out a case from a different seller, but had a question regarding customization. I messaged them to inquire about it, and after two weeks with no word, received "Oh, didn't I respond to this?" I said that they hadn't, and...they never responded. Not impressed, and I decided to take my business elsewhere.)

In summation, I highly recommend Iris + Lily for all your case needs, if you're looking for something a little glam but still ultra functional. They also make journals and photo albums that look just as lovely.

Now I can hang out and lunch and try miserably to solve crosswords! A great success all around.

review: neckties from bows-n-ties

The timing couldn't have been better; while I was working on my Dapper 101 menswear post, I was approached by Bows-n-Ties.com to do a review on some manly neckwear. Of course, I agreed!

Bows-n-Ties carries a wide assortment of neckties and bowties (obviously) in a number of colors and patterns (from classic solids and stripes to more adventurous paisleys and plaids), with skinny ties, child sized ties, and extra-long ties (for the big and tall gentleman!), and a number of related accessories like cufflinks and scarves. They also carry ascots and handkerchiefs, which I know some of my steampunk-affiliated friends will be pleased to know! I was sent two neckties to be reviewed; I love ties, but I'll admit to not knowing that much about what makes a good tie. Luckily, there was just such an expert in my house: my dad.



Daddy Zowie took this tie (you get a much better idea of the pattern from that than my pic) for a spin at his office and came back with only positive reviews. He loved the color and the texture, and was impressed with the heft of the fabric and the way the tie laid through the day. When he untied it after a long day's work, he noted that the fabric wasn't wrinkled where it was knotted, thanks to a very subtle texture in the fabric. All in all, he was very impressed with the quality and with the price (there's a wide variety of ties priced generally ~$10-25). The tie he wore was Chevalier brand, which didn't really mean anything to me, but made him go "mmm" approvingly, so I'm guessing it's a good one!

He wore the other tie today and pointed out that the smoother texture showed some more wrinkles from the knot, but that they were both "very good" ties. I haven't taken one for a spin yet, and I'm not sure I'll be able to: Dad doesn't seem too willing to part with them!

Basically: these are very nice ties for a nice price. But to be honest, I'm especially impressed by the website itself. It allows you to search for ties by color so if, for example, you're a gentleman (and twitter follower of mine) looking for fiery orange ties, you can quickly find a variety of ties in your color story of choice. Even better are the tie descriptions: far from your standard catalog copy, each listing provides tips on the appropriate occasion for the tie and what color shirt/suit would go best with it. The site sports a "how to" section that demonstrates several different necktie knots, how to tie a bowtie, how to fold a handkerchief, and more! There's tips for caring for your ties, a guide to the appropriate attire for black tie, white tie, business casual, weddings, funerals, etc. It's definitely a great resource for men and other people interested in menswear; I don't expect to see this much content on a retail site, so I was very pleasantly surprised.

If all this is making you think that you need some ties right now, you're in luck! Bows-n-Ties was nice enough to offer a coupon code for all my readers! Just use the code ficklekitsch between now and 11/30/11 and save 20% on your purchase. I think I might pick up a tie of my own, since my dad doesn't seem likely to share with me...

Disclaimer: These products were provided to me free of charge for review. I was not compensated in any other way for the post, and the opinions stated above are my own (and my dad's).

places to eat: milwaukee

I had a great time adventuring in Chicago with my dear Kaitlin this Saturday. We got very very lost and very very wet, but the shows were great and we had a darn good time. It was also a day of firsts for me; I rode the subway without a parent for the first time, hailed my first cab, and braved my first outdoor concert in the rain.

But the good times weren't about to stop rolling yet; on Tuesday, I had another adventure, this time in Milwaukee with Gail, my best friend from high school. Since she moved further north for school, we don't see each other as often, but when we do it's just like old times! While in Milwaukee, we hit up three awesome places to get a bite to eat that I thought I would share with you.


Image via Serious Eats

First up was Northpoint Custard on Bradford Beach. This old-school custard/burger stand is run by one of Milwaukee's premier restauranting families, the Bartolotta's. They put a slightly more upscale twist on classic beach stand food, but for the most part, it's just great food to eat sitting at their picnic tables, on the rocks along Lake Michigan, or (as we did) sitting in the trunk of your car. I had the Old School burger with cheese (ketchup, mustard, onions, pickles) which was a bit mustard-heavy for my tastes (but I don't actually like mustard except for mixed in with other condiments on burgers) and beer-battered onion rings, which were awesome. Gail got the Seagull (sauteed onions, Merkt's cheese spread) and cheese fries, both of which got a thumbs up from her. The burgers are the expected thin chargrilled type -- I'm personally a fan of big thick burgers, but I knew that wasn't what a place like this offered.

The food is great, especially paired with the view. We were lucky enough to have a gorgeous day, warm with a nice cool breeze off the lake, and it felt pretty amazing to sit outside and eat our food. We did get mobbed by seagulls after the rather ill-contemplated plan to just let fallen french fries lie, but a small child clutching an Angry Birds plushie chased them away for us.

I only really regret not getting a chance to try out their custard. (If you aren't familiar with frozen custard, get thee to a Culver's ASAP! It seems to be a particularly Wisconsin-based dessert, and it's amazing. Richer and creamier than ice cream, frozen custard is a boon to the world.) But I couldn't have sweets at Northpoint, because our next stop was...


Image via yelp.com

Another first: my first visit to a cupcake bakery! As trendy as they are and as much as I love cupcakes, I haven't found an actual cupcake bakery before visiting Classy Girl Cupcakes. One of their specialties are their "cheesecake cupcakes" which, although delicious, felt like a little bit of a misnomer to me. I was expecting something more...cupcakey, I suppose, when what I got was a paper cup filled with cheesecake. That was probably just my own preconceived notions, fueled by an amazing cheesecake/cupcake mash-up that roomie Elise used to make.

I ordered a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake cupcake and a Ghiradelli chocolate cupcake. Gail had a hazelnut nutella cheesecake cupcake and went classic with Red Velvet for her standard cupcake. They were all very good, though I don't know if they were necessarily the best cupcakes I've ever had. There's a full-service bakery/baking supply store not far from my house that makes the most incredible cupcakes; I wanted a place that focused entirely on cupcakes to meet or surpass them, but no such luck. Still, the cheesecake cupcakes are a lot of fun and felt fresh and different to me. The store itself is great, with a girly-meets-industrial look, and some really cute cupcake-inspired accessories and t-shirts for sale. I would go back for the experience...and because with 20 flavors offered every day, there are so many more I want to try!

What could we do after burgers and cupcakes? It seemed like it was time to get something a little bit healthier, so we headed out down to the Milwaukee Public Market.


via ettractions.com

The Public Market is a great piece of Milwaukee food culture; the building houses a number of independent artisan vendors, offering both grocery products (seafood, spices, artisan breads and cheeses) and dine-in options (sandwiches, wine bar, salads). It's a ton of fun to poke around and see what nifty stuff is up for sale. Gail and I stopped at The Green Kitchen, which offers artisan sandwiches, made-to-order salads, and raw fresh juice. When we stopped at the stand, I didn't realize that they would be slicing and juicing all of the fruits for my juice right there and then! I had a Pink Flamingo (orange, grapefruit, pineapple, strawberry) that was delicious, and Gail thoroughly enjoyed her Obango (orange, banana, mango). They offer a number of combinations, both fruit-based and with vegetable influence, as well as shots of wheatgrass.

I was thoroughly tempted by the artisan breads and the number of candy stores in the market, but alas, our parking meter was about to run out, so it was time to return to the car and head out of the city. I really enjoyed spending the afternoon in Milwaukee; even though I've lived just outside it for the majority of my life, I haven't had a chance to experience most of what it has to offer. My time in Milwaukee has mostly been through trips to the museums or the theater, often through school. It feels like time to explore the city as an adult!

Are there places in your "home" city that you've always wanted to check out? Where would you take friends to eat to show them what your city is?

(Northpoint is only open in the summer, but the other two are available year round, in case you want to check them out next time you head up to Dairyland!)

review: "so chaud" by mac

Yesterday was a stressful day, but sometimes the world sends you a little ray of sunshine just when you need it most. I got a little black box from Mac Cosmetics!

For the past week or so, I have been obsessed with orange lipstick. It seems so fun and funky, such a bright summer color. My usual summer lips are from the Buxom "Sailor Girls" lipgloss set, but I've been wanting to incorporate a matte color. Orange lips have totally captivated me, and I spent late night hours scouring swatches and reviews, trying to find the orange that was right for me. I didn't want to go too bright; neon orange is a pretty big leap to take. My initial choice was Lady Danger from Mac (love that name!): I loved the idea of a red-orange that would work with a daytime retro feel, but from the swatches I saw, it didn't look quite orange enough for me. The alternate, and the lipstick I ended up ordering, was Lady Danger's sister in color, So Chaud.



First off, I'd just like to say that Mac sends you about 5 pounds of black tissue paper to go with one itty-bitty lipstick box. It was like a treasure hunt!

This is exactly the color I was looking for, and I'm really pleased with it. It's got a lot of red to it, but it's definitely recognizably orange. It looks very orange in the tube, and I was happy that it followed through on my lips. I think with another coat it would look even oranger (photos are done with just a single application). I'm a huge fan of Mac's lipsticks: the wear and color is incredible, and I personally have never had the drying problems that some wearers report. Additionally, I always think of Mac as being at the top of my price range but while it certainly isn't cheap, at $14.50 Mac's permanent collection lipsticks are actually considerably more wallet-friendly than comparable brands (most of the lipsticks at Sephora clock in $18-$22). And yes, I adore the sleek minimalist packaging. They're like little bullets! I would love to have a bandolier of Mac lipsticks. I'm so easy for branding--that sleek M-A-C makes me all dreamy.

So Chaud gets an A+ from me and a beeline directly into my summer makeup kit. I'm already excited to try out new looks with it...I'm guessing it'll look great with some gold eyeshadow, although my rebel color-fiend heart is telling me to try teal!

don't give me any lip

I have two new lip products in my life, one of which is already a passionate companion, the other, like that friend-of-a-friend that you feel compelled to be nice to but are already deeply bored by.

The Contenders
vs.
Dior Creme de Gloss "741" vs. Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in "Flirty Nude"

There are four major things that I look for in a lip product: color, texture, lasting power, and for a bonus factor--something that makes it different from any other product I might buy. So, let's measure them up.

(ETA: I have no idea why this big ol' blank space showed up and it's not letting me get rid of it. Just keep scrolling!)

	Dior	Cover Girl
Color	Bright, very nice rosy color	Nice neutral on first application, paled considerably after
Texture	Glossy, a bit sticky	Smooth, no texture, a bit drying
Lasting Power	Longer than straight gloss, shine fades but pigment stays	Disappointing, fades to nothing
Bonus	Lip health My lips have felt considerably smoother/less chapped/healthier since wearing	Smell/Taste Pleasant, candy-like smell and faint taste

There are two things we can take from this. One: I just learned how to code tables in HTML! Two: Dior is by far the winner. I was actually very disappointed in the Outlast Lip Stain; I'd been recommended it as a good drugstore buy by many sources, but it just didn't measure up. The color faded quickly (for a product that primarily claims to last a long time) and after the first application, the product was considerably more difficult to apply. I ended up shaking it a lot and am now storing it upside down to hopefully draw color back into the tip.

On the other hand, the Dior is now something of an obsession, I won't lie. It applies like a gloss, but has the creamy color of lipstick! It feels marvelous on my lips, and has actually done a great job of treating my admittedly very poorly cared for lips (whereas the lip stain decided it wanted to sink into all the cracks/ripped up portions to emphasize them. Thanks, Cover Girl!) To be fair, I also received the Dior for free, and at $27 per pop, it's definitely a special treat. But it's also Dior. The formulation of this "creme de gloss" is excellent, but the fact that I can put it on and say "Oh, that? It's Dior~" definitely ups the style factor. Curse you, name brands!

craft book round-up: alternacrafts and rubbish

I have been bitten by the DIY bug and am coming down with a terrible fever for crafting that I don't want to cure! There are thousands of amazing resources for DIY tutorials on the internet (and I'll share a few of my favorite links if there's interest!), but while I was home with pretty much unlimited free time and easy access to a great system of libraries, I figured I should take advantage of the craft books.

One of my favorite things about the indie/DIY scene is that crafting isn't just for ladies doing needlepoint or knitting Kleenex box cover anymore. Not that it ever really was, but these days I find it much easier to find books about making things that are aimed towards people of my style and aesthetics. So I placed a ton of holds, got my sister to pick up some from her school library for me, and set to readin'.

The first book I got was Alternacrafts: 20+ Hi-Style Lo-Budget Projects to Make.



It had excellent reviews on Amazon and I'd seen it recommended on other blogs, so it seemed like a good place to start. And it...probably would be a good start. I'm not that much of a crafter, but this book felt very done to me. There were a couple projects that I liked (the chopstick place mat is coming to mind), but most of them were too obvious for my taste. It's probably due to being spoiled by DIY websites, but if you're also an online project hunter, this book is probably going to be a bit too repetitive to be useful. The bulk of the projects (bottle cap jewelry, make a collage, glue buttons to things) can be found in more exciting forms online. However, if you're a true beginner to anything indie-crafty, there are some good directions and some interesting projects. (Available here)

The next book was Rubbish! Reuse your refuse.



There were some nifty ideas in here that I hadn't seen before, as well as a few recycled (har har) ones. I wanted to try them out, but I was pretty surprised by the amount of specialty supplies a lot of the crafts called for. I don't have a lot of crafty things, so I do expect to buy special products to assemble them, but for a book that purports to be about reusing/recycling things you already have, a lot of the crafts required another purchase. I'd never heard of this book--my sister picked it up for me from the school library--so it's possible my lack expectations played a role. A lot of the crafts are fairly elementary (put magnets on bottlecaps) and simple, but I was definitely intrigued by a few (the one coming to mind is a cuff made of spam credit cards). (Available here)

Overall, I wouldn't 100% recommend either book for purchase. If you can get them from a library, I definitely think they're both worth checking out, but there's so many awesome projects available for free, I'm not willing to pay for a few good crafts buried in with so-so ones.

I have more craft books incoming and a few decor/DIY books already waiting for me, so I'll make sure to share once I've explored! I'm also always looking for more, so if you have a craft or decor book that you love, please let me know! And, my twitter feed is so sad and empty lately--I'd love to meet some new tweeps, so please follow me for updates and chitchat. I'd love to follow you back!

i bought it (sort of): tattoo socks

Sometimes (blog) dreams really do come true! You might remember that way back in July, I did a post about all the socks that I've been lusting after. Included in that post were the utterly dreamy tattoo socks of post on Etsy. Lo and behold, the fabulous Sparrow (who also got a mention in that post. She's a wearer of stripey socks, a player of Zelda, and also one of my roommates) got a pair for me for my birthday, because she's amazing! That means that I get to review them for you!

First off, I love them just as much in person as I did on my screen. Actually, I love them even more, because I get to put them on my body and I can't do that with a picture on the internet. In order to combine both worlds: here is a picture of them on my body on the internet:


Now featuring images not taken by me in a bathroom mirror! Thanks, Sparrow, you're totally the star of this post.

She got them for me in ultra pale, which, hey, is pretty much my natural color, whodathunk it? The pair she got for herself is the same shade, and way too white from her California legs, but she expects to get back to that level of paleness during our Wisconsin winter. They're packaged as L/XL, and I'd say they're true to size (I wear a 14/16, for reference). They were pretty tight all-around the first time I put them on, but they're definitely a comfortable size now. As you can see, the "tattoo" stretches along the entire length of my calf, which I definitely appreciate.

They also just happen to be the same pattern as a pair of heels I have long coveted:


Pretty Peacock Pumps from Plasticland (I've seen the same ones on Modcloth as well)

Ahh, to wear them together...one of my dearest dreams. Overall, I would give the tattoo socks a resounding YEA! if I was part of the Continental Congress and we were debating tattoo socks. In any other situation, I say: they rock!

i bought it: buxom big & healthy lip stick

I turned 21 on Saturday (and had a great yet fairly staid time. My idea of a party generally includes more dip and less malt beverage than the average college student), but this is not an entry about me. It's about my lips.

Recommendation posts have tentatively been named "I Bought It (And So Should You)," and I had some general ideas about awesome things I've used in the past that I'd want to share. But in putting my face on for my birthday, a new contender jumped to the forefront!

I don't know how it goes for the rest of you, but when I buy new makeup, it usually ends up sitting in my bag for a while until the proper moment comes along and I go "AHA!" My AHA for Saturday was Big & Healthy Lip Stick from BareEscentual's Buxom line.


Snazzy! I got mine from Sephora

First off, it has all kinds of like, vitamins and minerals and all that stuff, so this is totally awesome for you and should be included as a health purchase not a beauty one (it even has "healthy" in the name!) Next, this thing lasts. I knew I was tempting fate a bit going with a bold red lip when I'd be out and about and maybe not have time to retouch. But I slapped it on and threw it in my purse anyway. I did not have to retouch once. This stuff lasted through eating, drinking (from bottles, glasses, AND straws), and the general wear and tear. It was a tiny bit faded at the end of the night (6 hours later!), but not noticeably; I have Barcelona ("scarlet apple") and it's a very deep red on me, which I love, but it just faded into a slightly lighter but still totally wearable red. No feathering, no "eaten off" look on the inside. Definitely an A+ in lasting.

And, finally, Big & Healthy is awesome because...it's like a big crayon for your face! You get to line your lips with it, then color them in! It's totally fun, and there's a built-in sharpener in the bottom so you can keep the point nice and fresh. I will definitely pick up several more colors of this when I next refresh my makeup collection.